I never in a million years thought I would have nursing struggles. I nursed Finley straight out of the womb for 7.5 months. Loved it. It has it’s pros and cons but so does bottle and formula feeding. Foster nursed right away as well for only two days. We were discharged and went home and at 4am that next morning she started “bobbing” on and off my breast and would not eat. I started freaking out really and tore my kitchen apart (while she screamed) to find my breast pump. I pumped enough for her, put that in a bottle and she downed it right away. I continued to try nursing with no luck and the next day called a lactation consultant and tried to get in right away. Note- I had seen the hospital lactation consultation twice, and was having no problems! Long story short, we couldn’t put our finger on a tongue tie right away. We tried exercises, kept offering the breast and I started taking her to a chiropractor that specializes in holistic medicine and newborns. It was so exhausting to say the least. I have Finley, I’m pumping, trying to nurse, cleaning bottles, feeding with bottles and doing mouth exercises. Plus extra doctor visits with the lactation consultant and chiropractor. IT WAS/IS SO HARD. I’m writing this now 4 weeks in, because I am just so tired of pumping but yet, feel too guilty to stop and go to formula. Why should she get different treatment then Finley did? I will say my friends have been AMAZINGLY supportive and even my husband too about just stopping whenever I’m ready and moving on to formula, but why do I feel guilty? I know it would be so much better for me and even my family because every spare second I get I’m having to pump, and everyone knows with a baby and a toddler you don’t get many spare seconds. I have to actually wait until Foster is sleeping and then turn on a TV show for Finley so I can pump. I HATE THAT! It’s taken away all my time.
Currently we have decided that she most likely does have a tongue tie and we are scheduled to get that evaluated and have a possible frenectomy. She could possibly breastfeed right away after that, fingers crossed! If not, I am only going to pump when I actually want too and have the time too. I have decided when my milk supply isn’t enough because I am not going to put pressure on myself to pump all day, then I will stop and move on the formula. I know I will be so much happier, and when we’re happy it’s so much better for the children and our family! Why do we do this to ourselves? We should nurse if we can and if we want too, not because we feel forced too. And, we should be supportive of each other no matter what we choose to do as women! We have to try to STOP with the mom guilt! I obviously would love to nurse but after I’ve tried everything, what else is there to do? Thank you so much to my friends that have been so supportive and encouraging to me throughout these four weeks! XO