Breastfeeding

From day 1 I knew I was gonna breastfeed Audrey. Its such a wonderful bonding experience and I wouldnt have it any other way! I must admit, at first it was very difficult for me and I almost gave up. I heard from some people that it hurt, and then after taking a Lamaze class I learned that it only hurts if your baby isnt latching on correctly and that it doesnt hurt. Audrey had NO problem latching on at the hospital. It wasnt until I came home around the 4th day that it really started to hurt. I was so frustrated because i wanted to cry every time i fed her, the pain was that bad. I no longer looked forward to feeding her and it stressed me out so much that I almost felt like a failure. My nipples cracked a little, were very sore and blistered. This is what made each feeding session hurt. I even went out and bought a breast pump because i thought maybe she was sucking too hard, and I could just pump and feed her through a bottle.

 I gave up on the pump because it took too long and I felt as if nothing was coming out. At this point I was completely frustrated. I ended up seeing a lactation center at the hospital and asked for help in my technique because i was this close to bottle feeding her. The nurse helped me a lot and I took it like a champ and continued to breastfeed. After a couple of days it stopped hurting, the nipple cream helped a lot as well and the sores and cracks cleared up. From this experience I can say that I have a new found respect for mothers who breastfeed! My advice to future mothers is to not give up, have faith, seek help if need be and of course it might hurt at first because its something your not used to, but it WILL get better. Good luck.