Let’s talk about them titties! Breasts! Boobies! Tatas, whatever you want to call them! Let’s talk about those sacks of fat that produce milk to feed babies! 🍒
Before I gave birth, I had already established that I wanted to breastfeed my baby, for at least a year of his life, as I’m aware of the many benefits of breastfeeding. Now I’m not going to tell you that ‘Breast in Best’, because at the end of the day, a fed baby is best; meaning whatever YOU do decide to do is completely up to you. Your body, your rules. As much as there are benefits of breastfeeding, there are drawbacks, it’s just about figuring out what is important to you and your baby. 🍼
Here’s a little information if you’re still deciding what works best for you!
Breastfeeding Pros
It’s free! (excluding a lactation consultant, nipple cream and other accessories to help)
Breast milk doesn’t require any prep work. It’s ready when your baby is ready.
Breast milk has all the nutrients your baby needs to grow and stay healthy, including in the first few days when nutrient-rich colostrum is produced.
Breastfed babies are less likely to have diarrhoea and upset stomach.
Breast milk helps protect against ear infections, pneumonia, bacterial, and viral infections.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), especially exclusive breastfeeding.
Feeding human milk to preterm infants or other medically fragile babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) lowers the rates of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which increases survival chances and decreases the length of NICU stays.
Breastfeeding potentially protects against conditions like asthma and allergies, diabetes, and obesity.
It can help your uterus get back to pre-pregnancy size faster.
Your body’s production of milk burns extra calories that can lead to weight loss. (Though not always!)
Breastfeeding keeps your period from returning, which can prevent an iron deficiency after giving birth.
Allows your body to release hormones (like oxytocin) that help you bond with your baby. Lowers risk of some diseases: Reduces your risk of getting breastTrusted Source and ovarianTrusted Source cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Lowers risk of postpartum depression: A 2012 study indicated that the benefits were even greater when you breastfeed for longer than 4 months.
If you choose to breastfeed, your healthcare provider will likely recommend that you do it for as long as you’re able and still feel comfortable.
The longer you breastfeed, the greater these health benefits are for you and your baby.
Breastfeeding Cons
You may feel discomfort, particularly during the first few days or weeks.
There isn’t a way to measure how much your baby is eating.
You’ll need to watch your medication use, caffeine, and alcohol intake. Some substances that go into your body are passed to the baby through your milk.
Newborns eat frequently. Keeping up with a feeding schedule may be difficult if you need to return to work or run errands. (Though pumping can help!).
If exclusively breastfeeding, your baby will be dependent on you to feed them.
More information on breastfeeding (& where this info is from)
In regards to my own journey, it has been just that. Again, nothing traumatic but definitely enough to write about so LET’S GET INTO IT. 🎉
As I mentioned in HE’S HERE: THE NEXT CHAPTER!, baby Zion seemed to latch on quite well, eventually. The first few times I fed him, he would do this weird thing, where he would lick my nipple then move away, then come back and do it again until he eventually latched on. It was honestly so funny to watch. Bless him. 🤍 I was overall quite excited to connect to my baby in that way, to have him drink from me and frankly, it was really sweet. But as my postpartum blues began to set in, things went downhill. 📉
It took a few weeks before I got acquainted with the sensation of breastfeeding. As my nipples were constantly being sucked and moistened, they got quite sore, rough and crackly (I had my nipple cream at hand, and it worked wonders! Applying after each feed). I also noticed that, when Zi would latch on, it would literally make me sad. It was so odd but so draining, literally. After doing research, I found that it made sense. I would describe the feeling as “a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. A hollow, churning sensation, similar to homesickness, but unrelated to anything I could think of. The sensation would last a few minutes, then disappear. Disappear, that is, until the next feed.” The name of this feeling is Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex or DMER.
The term DMER was first coined in 2007 by Alia Heise, a lactation consultant who experienced the condition while breastfeeding her third child. Dysphoria is a state of unease, and milk ejection refers to the hormonal reflex by which breast milk is expressed from the mammary gland.
Little is known about DMER, but Heise and other lactation experts believe it is a physical rather than a psychological condition. When women breastfeed, dopamine (a hormone associated with reward) levels decrease for prolactin (milk producing hormone) levels to rise. Heise suggests that, for some women, dopamine drops excessively, and the resulting deficit causes a range of symptoms, including anxiety, anger and self-loathing.
Some studies have shown that low dopamine levels can cause low mood and other negative emotional responses, suggesting this may be the cause.
DMER is a spectrum. Some women may experience rage while others become anxious or despondent. Experiences of DMER also appear to differ both in their severity and duration. For some, DMER is mild and resolves in a few weeks. For others, symptoms can last for more than a year.
For myself, this feeling lasted for about as long as my baby blues did, which was about 6 weeks. I personally don’t know if there is a cure as such, but finding people to talk about it to helps so much. Having people around you makes such as difference in how you cope during the early stages of motherhood.
As I was deciding what I wanted to do in regards to feeding, I knew that I was also wanted to express my breast milk, to not only allow myself to have just a tiny portion of independence but to also allow my partner (and any other family member) to bond with the baby. I wanted to pump as soon as I left the hospital but my milk didn’t properly come in until Day 5. I had gotten this Tommee Tippee Manual Breast Pump from my Baby Shower wishlist, so I gave it a try and WHEWWW! What a workout, it felt like such an accomplishment to get this measly 1oz out. 😂
The struggle was crazy. But it worked during the Newborn stage as Zion’s stomach was still tiny; with this pump, I was able to get an hour of undisturbed sleep as my mum took bubba early mornings. Eventually, enough was enough! It would take me well over an hour to express 4oz of milk! So I managed to get my hands on an electrical pump and my life was changed! I’m currently using this Medala Swing Electric Breast Pump gifted by my partner’s aunt. I would definitely say to invest in an electric pump, it makes life so much easier and faster! It now takes around half an hour to pump around 8oz of milk (this also has a lot to do with the fact my supply has increased.) The manual pump, however, would be helpful if you’re on the go and your breasts desperately need pumping! 🥛
In regards to engorgement, it hasn’t been too bad. There’s been a couple of occasions where I’ve woken up to hard, painful boobs! Once on Christmas Day (10 Days Post-Partum) and then again a month ago. On Christmas Day, I jumped in a hot bath and expressed to help release my boulder-boobies, which worked out to be very helpful. 🛁 And then last month, which was actually my fault lol, I went to sleep knowing that I needed to pump my right breast because it was starting to feel lumpy. 🪨 Zion had already gone to sleep so I needed to pump, but I really couldn’t be bothered to get up, sterilise the pump, then sit and pump and then get up to put the milk in the fridge. Yeah, it was definitely my fault. I woke up in the middle of the night to a big wet patch on my clothes and sheets. 👍🏾
As of now, I can say I love the connection my baby boy and I have. It warms my heart when I look down at my bubba, who looks up at me with his big, gorgeous eyes as he tries to reach out to me. It’s honestly the most beautiful thing ever, I actually know that in-love feeling everyone talks about.
Of course, it isn’t all rainbows and roses! Though it’s now a beautiful experience, there are also some things that I have to gently take deep breaths through lol. My baby is very inner and nosy, so if there’s any conversation or excitement going on around him, he just has to turn to see what’s going on, convincing himself that he’s finished then half an hour later, he’s hungry “again”. It’s bloody ridiculous, but hey that’s my son!
Can I also talk about how annoying shopping is now. Not only do I have to question, what will look good on my new body, but also CAN I WHIP MY BREAST OUT OF THIS PIECE OF CLOTHING TO FEED MY SUPER DEPENDANT BABY?! It just makes the task of shopping so much harder! 😭
Also, I CAN’T DRINK, that’s it. 💀
Overall, it’s going great! We’ve actually started giving Zion solids! The odd strawberry and banana here and there, and he loves them! He’s definitely developed an interest in food. So who knows, I might not even make it to the year 🤷🏾♀️
Signed,
A Young Mum
x
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. That’s what I’m here for!
The next blog will be up Friday 30th April, 12pm!