Six Months and Still Nursing (Part 2)

Immediately after Joaquin's birth, I was able to nurse him. It was amazing. I was thrilled to have the experience so many women have shared - that first moment of cuddling and nursing your newborn. This is one of the many reasons I am so thankful that I did not have a c-section.

The next few days at the hospital were not as easy as that first moment.

The hospital pillows were crap and I had forgotten my nursing pillow - the "My Brest Friend" (yup, that's what it's called). Newborns are tiny, especially when they are preemies, and a good nursing pillow makes a huge difference.

We were able to manage without the special pillow, although it took a toll on my back for a few days. The lactation consultants and nurses provided by the hospital were, well, less than helpful. I'm not even sure if they were well-intentioned, to be honest. They used a lot of fear tactics and gave vague instructions, all the while seeming perfectly comfortable man-handling my breasts. It didn't help that the hospital procedure for preemies was to test blood sugar every 4 hours with a foot prick (ouch!). If he failed the test, they would force me to feed Joaquin formula - something I was reminded of so much I almost wondered if they wanted that outcome. Luckily Joaquin passed all of these tests and we didn't have to feed him formula at the hospital.

By day three, we were starting to get the hang of nursing. Each meal took at least 40 minutes, which was a bit draining on both of us, but I knew it would get easier eventually.

As some of you may know, for the first 72ish hours after a baby is born, the mother produces colostrum, rather than milk.

Tomorrow I will discuss the adventures in nursing at home, the experience of having your milk "come in" and why we had to feed Joaquin formula for almost a week.

For now - here are my nursing tips for the hospital:

1. BRING YOUR NURSING PILLOW! I recommend the Brest Friend over the boppy because it is a flat surface and the boppy is rounded, allowing tiny newborns to slip too low. Plus, the brest friend provides much needed back support. Later on, you will also enjoy it's ability to snap around your waist, allowing standing and nursing.

2. Read a book on nursing and attend a class on nursing before giving birth.

3. Make the nurses/lactation consultants work on your schedule. Do not allow them to wake your baby up to teach you how to nurse. YOU are paying for their services. They work for you.

4. If you are committed to nursing, do not feel pressured to feed your newborn formula at the hospital if he/she has lost a little weight or has low blood sugar unless your pediatrician says it is absolutely necessary. You DO NOT have to listen to the nurses.

5. Don't freak out if your milk hasn't come in by the time you leave the hospital. This is normal. Your baby is fine with colostrum until your milk comes in.