Since i can now claim that i can breastfeed my baby well and efficiently, i will pass on some wisdom and knowledge to u.
When i started off breastfeeding, i had ALOT of problems!
Pregnant mothers who are thinking of breastfeeding yr babies, do not be fooled by the books!
It is NOT easy and it does NOT come naturally!
At least not to me. A child who grew up in a family who had never had anyone who breastfed their babies.
I had, what the nurses called, inverted nipple where my nipple sinks into my breast. And to overcome this, i had to hold my nipples in a "scissors hold". This is where I use my index finger and my middle finger to form a "peace sign" or as if im holding an imaginary cigarette. They asked me to pull my nipples by holding my nipple in between those 2fingers and then offer it to the baby.
Well, I tried it repeatedly yet my baby still could not feed from my breast. And then the nurses gave up and said "well, if u did plan on breastfeeding your baby, u should had made sure that u didnt have inverted nipples".
What a load of tosh!
I read what i could on books and online about breastfeeding. And they always say the same thing, "breastfeeding is easy and natural, just make sure u have skin-to-skin contact immediately after your delivery". I even went for some breastfeeding classes prior to my delivery, but the lactation consultant only said "u dont have to worry, just have an open mind and it will come naturally".
So i was discharged on the third day after delivery, still unable to breastfeed my baby. After a few days, i visited the lactating consultant and got an advice, "use a nipple shield". Because your baby will be able to latch on efficiently on the shield and suck the milk from it, in the meantime, your baby will also be sucking out your nipples so that in the future, u will be able to breastfeed without the shield.
Viola! It worked, my baby latched on well and she is getting mummy's milk! But this only went well for about 2-3weeks. After that, I met with another problem.
Stay tuned for "Breastfeeding Prob 2 - nipple confusion"
;)
thanks for sharing your thoughts, knowledge and wisdom.
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