Love, Peace & Breastfeeding

So it's no big surprise, by the title of my blog, that my son is breastfed. There is a journey and a story behind how a mom who formula-fed three children came to exclusively nurse her fourth...

I was told I could not breastfeed Hunter and Julianna by doctors because of some medication I take. This was almost 9 years ago, and what is known now regarding milk transfer of medications to mother's milk was not known at the time. A lactation consultant actually did recommend partial nursing and partial pumping and dumping, but she made it sound quite difficult and I didn't elect to go that route. With my 19 month old, Harley, I certainly could have exclusively breastfed, but I didn't research it properly so she was also formula fed.

Early in my pregnancy with baby Dylan, I had a dream. The dream was of the birth of my son, whom I didn't know yet was a boy, and the child began nursing right after the birth. Concurrently, I ran into the book Medications and Mother's Milk, by Tom Hale, and started researching my options. Finally, I saw a psychiatrist in Seattle who confirmed that I was able to fully breastfeed with a few adjustments to the meds I take.

Enter Dylan. The birth was long and difficult, including a cascade of interventions, such as Pitocin, an epidural, and IV fluids. I'm not saying that everyone should or can opt for a natural birth,  or even that these interventions were not medically indicated in my situation. However, they can and do affect the initiation of breastfeeding.

That said, it is what it is. Dylan was initially a very enthusiastic nurser, despite being born at 37 weeks, which can also impact the baby's ability to nurse well in the early stages. But when my milk didn't come in by day 5, we began getting concerned. He had lost 12% of his birth weight and was not wetting enough diapers. Actually, at one point he had gone over 12 hours without a wet diaper, and we had to act. We began a regime of nurse/ supplement/ pump to build supply. I began taking domperidone to help my supply and I was shocked to have a full supply within 48 hours. My baby has been fully breastfed since 14 days old and we have not needed to supplement with formula since then.

All this to say, breastfeeding can be difficult, even in the best of circumstances, usually for the first month or so. I had a midwife tell me, "The first month to six weeks is harder than just giving the baby a bottle. Both mother and baby must learn how to nurse. But if you can make it through the early stages, it gets easier than bottle-feeding. It will be worth the struggle."

I took her advice to heart. We worked very hard to establish our nursing relationship. Everyone knows that breastfeeding has substantial health benefits. But the real benefit is in the mother/ child bond, for lack of a better word. I hesitate to use the word "bond" because I am certainly bonded to my other children. But nursing enhances the experience of mothering. It's not the only way, but it did cause me to bond with Dylan at an earlier age than my other kids. I could go on and on about how chubby my boy is from mama's milk, or how he has never been sick. But the real reason I am sold on nursing is almost completely from an emotional perspective. I just don't want you to miss out on this experience. It's something you will remember for a lifetime.

Also, this does not happen right off the bat. It can take a little bit to get past any difficulties you are having in the beginning. For me, once that happened, nursing my baby was absolutely beautiful. There is powerful emotion that goes with feeding and nurturing your baby with your own body. So when I go on about the benefits of breastfeeding, and I encourage mamas to keep trying, what I am really saying is "Don't quit 5 minutes before the miracle."