I am a mom who almost gave up nursing within the first week. Best piece of advice I wish I had? Find an experienced lactation consultant, doula or midwife before you give birth that will come to you when you need her! Most moms have that time of need and it is the make or break point of continued breastfeeding.
But I thought hey, since I took the breastfeeding class the hospital offered when I was pregnant and then after I gave birth I talked to the lactation consultants multiple times at the hospital, I should be good! Breastfeeding is simple, right? Well, I could never have been more wrong. But that was my first lesson on this journey of motherhood. I am continuously reminded that I cannot learn it all from a book or a single class!
Looking back, I realized that I really had no idea what to expect no matter how many people told me what it is "suppose" to be like. All the lactation consultant at the busy hospital asked me was "does it feel normal?" And I thought to myself, "Normal!??? How am I suppose to know if THIS feels normal??!!"
Sure, my beautiful baby looked like he was latched on correctly from the outside. Little did I know that his tongue was hitting the tip of my nipple with each suck, which over the course of the next week caused me excruciating pain and my nipples to crack and bleed.
Unfortunately, I did not have an immediate resource outside of my hospital. I tried calling the lactation consultant at the hospital but had to leave messages. When they did get back to me all they could tell me was to put ice packs on and to leave some of my milk on my nipples after each feeding. Well, the cool packs helped to ease the pain a bit after wards, but the root of my problem was not solved!
After a week of agony, my sleep deprived mommy brain clicked and I made a desperate call to a county health nurse I had previously worked with at my job. Thank goodness I remembered her in my state of crisis as she rushed to my rescue. She took one look at my nipples and told me the problem! Yeah, one look and she figured out how he was sucking incorrectly!
She showed me how to train my baby to get him to quit using his tongue and gave me a nipple shield to use until I was healed. It worked! The personal touch of a one on one consultation with someone who knows what they are doing is priceless! She was so amazingly wonderful and her kindness is the only reason I was able to nurse my son for 15 months!
I have now made it my goal to help educate other women about breastfeeding through my patented nursing bra that features a built in healing pocket to hold a hot/cold pack and through my blog. Yes, breastfeeding can hurt but there are things you can do to help you get the relief you so desperately need to continue breastfeeding!
This post was inspired by the amazing people at Mother Love! Check them out http://motherloveblog.com/
Nicole Zoellner
President
Nizo Wear Nursing Bras
http://www.nizowear.com/
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About Me
- Nizo Wear
- Admit it. Most nursing bras are kind of industrial-looking. At least that is what I thought when I was shopping around for a nursing bra. I also found that while breastfeeding is natural and wonderful, it is also difficult and complex and sometimes it really hurts! The best advice I could find was to use warm compresses before nursing and cold compresses afterwards. But nobody could give me any tips for how to make the whole compress thing practical or COMFORTABLE! So, my design was patented and Nizo Wear was born. I firgured while I was at it I should make them pretty as well. Nizo Wear makes nursing bras that are de both functional and pretty. Lace and rhinestones, playful prints, shapely lines, all designed to help you feel stylish and good again.
Friday, February 4, 2011
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:/ That's what I heard at the hospital too. Does it feel normal?? Well if by normal they meant painful then yes. Lactation consultants at the hospital, I experienced the same thing you did. Frustrating! Thanks to advice from my sister in laws though my daughter and I are doing much better now. :) So I guess I'm not the only one who thought about giving up the first week.
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