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In welcoming world breastfeeding week, I thought I’d share my own journey and struggles with breastfeeding and my views on it.
While pregnant with my first baby, everybody stressed on how important breastmilk is. We were exposed to the “Breast is Best” slogan everywhere we went. After learning about the benefits of breastmilk, my husband and I agreed to exclusively breastfeed our new baby, and to provide her with the best food in the world. Little did I know the pain that would come and the struggles I would go through with breastfeeding.
As soon as my baby girl was born, she laid on my chest and latched onto my breast with nurses’ help. It was a little painful but tolerable. However, the every 2 hour feeding quickly made my nipples sore, crack, and bled. As a new mom all I wanted was to provide for my baby, therefore I kept offering her my breast despite the pain. The next day we were told to supplement her with formula because her weight had dropped too much. At that point I felt like a failed mother, because I couldn’t provide my newborn baby with the food that she needed.
Side note: In hindsight I am so thankful we gave her formula. I came across an article that an infant lost his life due to dehydration because the mother didn’t know she had no milk.
In addition to formula, I continued to offer my breasts, allowed her to latch for stimulation, as well as pumped frequently throughout the day. My milk finally came in on Day 5 and I was so relived and ready for her to be exclusively breastfed. My nipples continued to bleed, I got fever and mastitis, my nipples were so painful that I couldn’t bare anything touching them, not even the softest pajamas. (I walked around the bedroom topless, and rarely left my room).
All the lactation consultants tell us the baby’s latch was fine, but they couldn’t tell me how to reduce the pain. They all said the pain won’t last, and breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt; if it hurts I was doing something wrong. Therefore I felt the fault was on me. I used 3 different nipple creams, 1 of which was prescribed and none of it worked. I did extensive research on breastfeeding and still nothing helped, not the lactation consultants, nor the nipple shields and nipple creams, nor the massage, or the hot/cold compresses.
All I wanted to do was to hold my newborn baby and to welcome her into the world. But instead I was miserable and in pain. I couldn’t hold her because I couldn’t bare her little body rubbing against my nipples, I was in that much pain and on the verge of postpartum depression. Finally, after a long tiring month, I decided to give up breastfeeding, and that was the best decision I made as a new mom. My nipples quickly healed thereafter and I could hold and care for my baby more. It made me a happier mom, and that is so important as a new mom is to be happy and enjoy your new baby.
Although I didn’t directly breastfeed my first born, she still had plenty of breastmilk that was pumped out. I was exclusively pumping for many months, and still was able to provide her with the best food, just in a different way.
I wish the hospital would’ve taught us more about mastitis and what to do to prevent it / how to deal with it, as well as the signs that baby is not getting enough milk. Overall just what new moms should do to take care of her breasts in the breastfeeding journey.
Now that my first born is no longer a baby, I want to tell all the new moms that Fed is Best. Do what you’re comfortable with, there’s no single right way of feeding your baby, don’t let others guilt you into thinking that breastfeeding is the only way. And most importantly, be a happy mom, it goes a long way in your baby’s development!
My breastfeeding journey continues with my second born, read it here.
新手媽媽親餵母乳的艱辛經驗談
在國際母乳週的開始，我也來分享自己當新手媽媽時的母乳之路，和我經歷過的艱辛和痛苦。
當我還懷著老大的時候，每個人都強調母乳的重要性。到處都會聽到“母乳餵養”和“母乳哺育”。在了解母乳的好處後，我們同意在寶寶出生後要全母乳哺育，讓新生寶寶吃世界上最好的食物。我完全沒想到我即將面對什麼樣的疼痛和重重的困難。
當我寶貝女兒出生的時候，護士就立刻將她放在我的胸前，幫她含乳。那時有點痛但可以忍受。不過，每2小時餵奶讓我的乳頭越來越痛，結果還破皮流血。但儘管疼痛，我還是堅持親餵，因為我們決定要給寶寶最好的食物。然而寶寶出生的第二天，醫生告訴我們寶寶需要添加配方奶，因為她體重下降太多了。那時我真的覺得自己是個失敗的母親，因為我無法給她她需要的食物。
旁注：事後我真的很感激當時有餵她奶粉。有一篇文章說因為母親不知道自己沒母奶又堅持親餵，導致嬰兒由於脫水而失去生命。
在那之後，除了餵寶寶配方奶以外，我還是持續讓寶寶含乳，希望寶寶的刺激能讓我有母奶。 我也常常用電動吸乳器擠奶，就這樣，我在寶寶出生的第5天終於有母乳了。那時真的鬆了一口氣，也準備好讓寶寶全母乳哺育。然而，我的乳頭還是繼續破皮流血，我得了乳房炎又發燒。乳頭疼痛到無法讓任何東西碰到，甚至衣服都不行。 （那時都沒穿上衣在臥室，也因此很少離開房間）。
所有的泌乳顧問都告訴我們寶寶有正確含乳，所以照理來說是不會痛的。他們無法告訴我如何減輕疼痛，也都說痛不會持續。如果乳頭疼痛，那我ㄧ定有地方做錯了。因此，讓我覺得錯誤在我身上。我用了3種不同的乳頭護理霜，其中1個還是醫生開藥的，但是都沒有用。我查了很多關於母乳餵養的資料，但也沒有任何幫助。
作為新手媽媽的我那段時間真的很痛苦，我只想好好抱抱剛出生的寶貝女兒。但是我無法，因為我痛到沒辦法忍受她的小身體摩擦我的乳頭。我覺得那時我因此快得產後抑鬱症。經過了漫長和疲憊的一個月，我決定放棄親餵。這也是我作為一個新媽媽做出最好的決定。在那之後，我的乳頭慢慢癒合，也可以多抱抱寶寶了。沒有親餵讓我變得更快樂，對於一個新媽媽來說妳的快樂是非常重要的。
雖然我沒有親餵大寶，但我知道母乳的重要，所以用吸乳器擠母奶餵她。就這樣擠了好幾個月，一直到母乳自然的沒了。
我希望醫院教我們更多關於乳腺炎的信息，以及如何防止/如何處理。如何知道新生兒沒有足夠營養的跡象，和新媽媽應該做些什麼來照顧自己的乳房。
現在大寶已經長大，不再是小嬰兒了。我想告訴所有的新手媽媽，做自己覺得最好的事情，不是只有一種餵養寶寶的方法，也不要讓別人使妳感到內疚。最重要的是，做一個快樂的媽媽，這樣對寶寶的發育有很大幫助呦！
老二的出生，讓我再次踏上母乳之路， 點這裡閱讀.
