My friend Katie came over towards the end of my pregnancy to have little heart to heart about all things baby. I knew that she would give it to me straight, no sugar coating, so I was anxious to hear what she had to say. I wanted to absorb every ounce of her precious parenting wisdom.
I was sure that her insight would provide me with the edge I needed to be a fantastically put together new mom. But, when we started to talk about nursing, I began to lose faith. And, by the end of our conversation, I hoped that she was wrong about nursing altogether. But, after my daughter was born, I found out that she wasn’t. Not at all.
Of course, there are women out there who are nursing ninjas. From day one, their nipples are up to the task of tirelessly feeding a newborn. But, to the rest of us, I say be prepared! If you don’t end up one of the lucky few, you will at least know what you are facing.
Here is what she had to say.
1. Nursing is painful, at least in the beginning and by the beginning I mean 2 months. You may have bloody, scabby, and sore nipples. I spent the first month of my nursing career crying during every feeding. The good news is this stage doesn’t last!
2. Nursing does not come naturally, at least not to most people. The position of the baby, where you will sit, and how long it will take are all things that you will have to figure out as you go. It will be frustrating and it will be tiring. The good news is that you will figure it out and then nursing will be a breeze.
3. Nursing gets old. This happens faster for some people than others. The last thing in the world you are going to want to do some days is breastfeed your baby. The best thing to do in this situation is to just push through it. Repeat after me, “This too will pass.”
What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was how important the nursing experience would be for both my daughter and I. Nursing helped me overcome the overwhelming feelings of regret and sorrow I experienced after my failed attempt at a natural, vaginal birth. Nursing was the only thing that would stop my daughter’s continuous and hysterical crying during the first three months of her life. Breastfeeding was the only time that either of us had any peace.
Brutal honesty prepared me for the challenges that I faced as a new nursing mom. Without Katie’s warnings, I probably wouldn’t have made it past week one. Because of her wise words, I made it past a year. Katie made it past two. Both of us are glad we did it.
I was sure that her insight would provide me with the edge I needed to be a fantastically put together new mom. But, when we started to talk about nursing, I began to lose faith. And, by the end of our conversation, I hoped that she was wrong about nursing altogether. But, after my daughter was born, I found out that she wasn’t. Not at all.
Of course, there are women out there who are nursing ninjas. From day one, their nipples are up to the task of tirelessly feeding a newborn. But, to the rest of us, I say be prepared! If you don’t end up one of the lucky few, you will at least know what you are facing.
Here is what she had to say.
1. Nursing is painful, at least in the beginning and by the beginning I mean 2 months. You may have bloody, scabby, and sore nipples. I spent the first month of my nursing career crying during every feeding. The good news is this stage doesn’t last!
2. Nursing does not come naturally, at least not to most people. The position of the baby, where you will sit, and how long it will take are all things that you will have to figure out as you go. It will be frustrating and it will be tiring. The good news is that you will figure it out and then nursing will be a breeze.
3. Nursing gets old. This happens faster for some people than others. The last thing in the world you are going to want to do some days is breastfeed your baby. The best thing to do in this situation is to just push through it. Repeat after me, “This too will pass.”
What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was how important the nursing experience would be for both my daughter and I. Nursing helped me overcome the overwhelming feelings of regret and sorrow I experienced after my failed attempt at a natural, vaginal birth. Nursing was the only thing that would stop my daughter’s continuous and hysterical crying during the first three months of her life. Breastfeeding was the only time that either of us had any peace.
Brutal honesty prepared me for the challenges that I faced as a new nursing mom. Without Katie’s warnings, I probably wouldn’t have made it past week one. Because of her wise words, I made it past a year. Katie made it past two. Both of us are glad we did it.
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