Tammy's Breastfeeding Story
I have three children,
eight year old twin daughters and a two year old daughter. I am
still breastfeeding my 28 month old, and expect to do so until
she turns three or so.
I tried to breastfeed my
twins, but gave up after four weeks and switched to formula. At
the time I was frustrated to discover more information about
breastfeeding than bottle feeding, as I could nowhere find a clue
as to how much formula infants drink, and how often. I guess
doctors assume parents just KNOW this stuff...
I lacked knowledgeable
support the first time around, as well as sleep. If I had
consulted a lactation expert, or had a doctor who was supportive
of breastfeeding, or even KNEW other twin moms who had
successfully nursed two, I might have been able to continue,
nursing one and bottle feeding the other until they got over
their growth spurt (which had them nursing every HOUR, and not on
the same schedule!).
When my youngest was born,
I had read more, had several friends who nursed their children,
including a Nursing Mothers Council representative, and was
determined to make it work, despite the first three painful
months. I also had a better doctor. mmm
Both times I had cracked
and painful nipples, and my older daughters both had thrush at 2
months, so I know I must have had a yeast infection as well the
first time. I had several blocked ducts with my youngest, always
resolved with a hot water bottle the night before, a hot shower
before my daughter woke up, and then a long nursing spell. She
always seemed to know when I needed her to nurse at length.
As for sleep, well...my
older formula fed daughters slept through the night, from 7 pm to
7 am, after the age of 5 months, when we took their pacifiers
away and did the Richard Ferber thing. The youngest is another
story, she wants to nurse every two hours all night, STILL,
though she doesn't want to sleep with us. Whenever we go on
vacation her routine is upset, and we have to start all over on
sleeping through the night. Right now we are having rough nights
again, since we just returned from vacation and she is unhappily
readjusting to the idea of "no nurse when it's dark
out."
The real reason I failed
the first time is that I obsessed about doing it
"right." I was much more relaxed this time, and was
confident that somehow it would all work out, and I was right!
It's been a rewarding and close experience, and the health
benefits to mother and child are unparalleled. Though my older
daughters are healthy and well-adjusted, I wish I could have made
breastfeeding work for them, too.
