When my son was born, I rather naively began trying to breastfeed him without ever thinking things wouldn't go smoothly. After all, I was used to seeing beautiful images online of mothers breastfeeding their babies, looking like they were in pure bliss. My own mother breastfed three kids, and many of my mom friends breastfed and made it look easy. So my breastfeeding journey would be a piece of cake too, right? Um, no. In addition to moments of bliss and ease, I'm also realizing there's a whole host of things no one tells you about breastfeeding. For example, your nipples can blister up and bleed (I wish I was kidding). Keep reading for more harsh breastfeeding truths you need to hear prelatch.
Breastfeeding burns around 500 calories per day. While it's a great way to shed baby weight, it can also drain you of energy if you don't replenish your fluids or you skip meals. So chug that water, mamas, and sneak healthy snacks whenever you can.
If you're like me, you may think that after birth is a great time to start watching your portion sizes again. Wrong! Again, since breastfeeding burns mega-calories, you will be STARVING. I find I'm just as ravenous as I was during pregnancy. Guess the diet will have to wait.
And boring. Do you know how many times I've excused myself from an interesting conversation with friends or relatives and retreated to my bedroom to nurse my son? Then I'm stuck listening to the distant sounds of lively chatter and trills of laughter while he goes to town on my boobs. Sigh.
Breastfeeding can be lonely, painful, and frustrating. You may decide to stop in favor of formula feeding like I did with my older daughter. It's OK if you do, but if you choose to keep breastfeeding, you aren't alone in sometimes longing for it to just be over so you can have your freedom and body back.
Breast milk is supposed to be nature's perfect food, which is why I was surprised at first that my little guy spits his up all the time. Just because you breastfeed, your baby isn't spared potential digestive issues. Bummer, right?
My son loves to nurse. Sometimes, he'll hang out on my nipple for up to 40 minutes. Since a newborn feeds every couple of hours, it can feel like I'm breastfeeding around the clock.
My nipples have blistered, bled, and felt so sore that I cried. The worst pain is when my baby latches on when he's super hungry. Why does it feel like he's got a mouth full of teeth? Help!
Bras are only for daytime, right? Not when you're breastfeeding. Since you need to wear breast pads 24/7 to avoid leaks, it may make sense to sport a sleep bra at night. The ones I bought are stretchy and comfy, but still, I'd much prefer to let the girls free while I sleep.
Every single thing I do in a given day has to fit around my breastfeeding schedule. Say I want to take a walk. I'll leave the moment I'm done nursing my son so I can get back to nurse him again. Same with shopping, showering, eating, and seeing friends. Bottom line: breastfeeding controls your entire life for a period of time.
The first time my baby slept for five hours, I woke up with milk-drenched nursing pads and rock-hard boobs that hurt like a mother (pun intended). I couldn't wait for my little guy to latch on and drain the pain!
My upper back, shoulders, and neck feel like they're on fire because I'm constantly hunching over to breastfeed, in addition to picking up my baby and bending to change him.
It took me many attempts to identify the best breastfeeding position for me and my baby. In the meantime, both of us got frustrated and discouraged. The good news is that once you find a position that works well, breastfeeding goes far more smoothly.
I have breastfed and worked on my computer, talked on the phone, prepared dinner, ate dinner, put an older child to bed, read to older children, helped with homework, and solved world hunger (OK, maybe not the last one). But the bottom line is that when your baby needs to eat, he needs to eat, and you can't always drop everything else. But once you rock breastfeeding and multitasking, you'll feel badass!
When babies want to breastfeed every hour, or even more frequently, it's called cluster feeding. It's hell, basically, because you have zero freedom and your nipples will start to feel like taffy from overuse.
Despite all the challenges of breastfeeding, it can be a wonderful way to be close to your baby and is also very rewarding. As I watch my son grow, I know my body is nourishing him, and there's a great sense of pride and accomplishment that comes along with that. I know one day I will miss breastfeeding, sore nipples and all!