Norah and I's Breastfeeding Journey

This blog will be all about breastfeeding and boobies, so if you're squeamish now...here's your chance to move on.

I've successfully breastfed my sweet daughter for 25 months.  When I first started I didn't think we'd make it a month.  My breastfeeding journey started just a half hour after giving birth in the recovery room.  A lactation consultant was by my side putting Norah to breast and working out my colostrum.  Her help was very much appreciated and when I first saw Norah latch I cried.  I said to my husband, "My boobs work, I'm feeding her!"

Norah's First Latch

Proud Daddy

The problems started once we got back home.  Around day 10 I couldn't get her to stay latched.  She'd pull off constantly and cry, and I'd get so frustrated.  Pile on the only sleeping 3 hours at a time, and you had one stressed out Mama.  Also, she didn't quite gain weight real well in the beginning, so I had some added pressure of trying to put weight on her as quickly as possible for fear that our pediatrician would insist we supplement with formula.  I really wanted BF to work, so I knew once we started down the formula road there was no looking back.  My awesome MIL suggested I try a nipple shield.  That thing was magic.  Looking back I think my let down was too strong, and she was drowning thus pulling off frequently.  The nipple shield slowed my milk flow, allowed her to stay latched and trained her to open her mouth extra wide to accommodate the nipple shield.  It wasn't the ideal situation, but at that point it was all about surviving until that next feeding.  The nipple shield worked for us, allowed her to start packing on the pounds, and actually allowed me to enjoy BF for once since we first started.

First few days in the hospital

Hours old

She's sleeping and full...guess I'm doing something right!?

It was so exhausting waking up every 2-3, sometimes every hour to feed her.  Especially when you're the ONLY one that can at that point (too early for bottles).  We decided to wait until about 5 weeks to introduce a bottle to rule out nipple confusion.  It was so demanding, and I was exhausted.  I found myself starting to tell my husband..."If we do formula then I'm at peace with it.  I just want sleep.  Formula families have it easy, they can split the waking ups.  Let's just try it."  My awesome husband kept just saying, "Let's just get through until Friday."  Friday would come.  "Let's just get through until Wednesday." Finally, our first month marker was right around the corner.

Jaundice eyes

She ate and he slept

This summed it up for me.  It wasn't glamorous or easy but I fed my baby.

About three weeks in, we turned a huge corner.  Norah June started sleeping through the night.  At three weeks.  This allowed me to get sleep, and have the energy to move to our next step.  Weaning from the nipple shield!  As much as it helped us that first month, it was a pain in the butt.  Washing that thing out constantly, needing to track it down every time she was hungry and trying to use that thing in public was just a mess.  I was ready to start going all natural.

I didn't know where to begin, so I attended a BFing meet up held by a group of LCs once a month called Tea For Two.  I walked in pretty nervous toting my 4 week old, boppy and nipple shield and felt like a complete newbie.  I received some great advice, and within a week we were shield free!

Look Ma, no shield!

Slowly BF started to feel natural for me, and my subtle notions of trying to convince my husband to formula feed stopped.  She started sleeping 6-7 hours at a time, and I finally got a hang of feeding my baby.  She got back to her birth weight in about 3 weeks, and by month two had gained 2lbs!

Practicing with a cover

Couldn't even make it out of the car

We'll never get on the road! Haha

Milk drunk

Around 6 weeks she was big enough to try side laying nursing...my FAVORITE position yet. Life changing.

Once BFing became easier, we could venture out of the house more which made for a more happy Mama.

Father's Day, nursing in a carrier while picking blueberries

Her first beach day

IKEA

4th of July Meal

Then it was time to go back to work.  I feared this because I was sure I wouldn't be able to pump enough for her.  Little did I know, I would pump enough to feed twins (sure felt like it at least)!  I had a stash of about 150oz when I started back when Norah was 3 months old, and it only grew.

BF on her first plane ride

On a ferris wheel

In the woods!

First day back at work

Day 1's gold

By friday...

November 10, we made it half a year!  My first goal was met!  At this point, breastfeeding was easy, convenient (especially if you're raising a baby on your own) and Norah was very efficient at drinking milk as well.

Norah's Thanksgiving

Turned me into a puddle.

We kept nursing/pumping on!

Pumping and driving!

Then we hit our 1 Year Mark!!!

1st Birthday Feed Sesh!

Nursing in Paris!

I was SO proud of us!  I thought we'd wean so, but Norah June wasn't having it quite yet, and I stayed home with her until I went back to school in June.  By then I needed the sleep desperately and didn't want to rock that boat, so we continued to pump/nurse through the summer semester.  Finally come the Fall semester I stopped pumping (YAY!) and we took it down to TWO feedings a day.

Fast forward to Norah at about 20 months (January) and I still wasn't ovulating due to breastfeeding twice a day, so we needed to wean pretty quick.  I got her down to just night feedings when all of a sudden I popped up pregnant!  So we held on to that last feeding for a few more months until her second birthday!

Feeding Big Sister and growing Little Sister

We made it TWO years!!  I couldn't believe it.  Finally I was ready, Norah wasn't but I needed a break before nursing the little one again full time in December.  She took about 2 weeks until she stopped asking for "milk", and now she drink 2-3 cups of cow milk/day no problem.

Overall I donated close to 700oz of milk to the Florida State Milk Bank and that just makes me so proud.  I never thought I'd over produce enough to be able to help other babies out.  I hope we can do it again this second time around.

Huge shout out to my support husband, especially those first few weeks when all I wanted to do was formula feed so that I didn't have to get up every 3 hours to nurse for a hour.  He kept urging me to just keep with it for one more day, one more week and then we were hooked.  He never asked me to use a cover in public.  He always stopped happily for breaks when we were out and about to let me feed the baby.  He always brought water and my phone when I was trapped under a hungry milk banshee.  Support partners make ALL the difference!  Now with our second coming along, he said in a joking (but not joking) manner that I have no choice this time.  I WILL breastfeed haha.  He's a true believer that my magic milk lead Norah to be such a great sleeper at night.  Who knows!

I'm so fortunate to be able to breastfeed for as long as we did, and it's a bond I hold so dear to my heart.  <3