I am so glad to share my breastfeeding experience! To start I’ll say that mine wasn’t a cake walk by any means. Everyone at the hospital after I gave birth made it seem like it could be-- like it should be – and bless those nurses they tried to make it so. But my LO refused to make it easy. I had this grand image that my baby would latch perfectly from day one and we’d be super – but day one came and went and, aside from immediately after birth, my LO didn’t latch that first day. I was devastated and I felt like I was failing my baby. I had to learn quickly how to use a pump to get colostrum out so she wasn’t going hungry (and to avoid the judgement of the nurse at the time as I struggled to feed her). The struggles continued once we got home. A month or more went by and I just gave up. Every time I tried to breastfeed and she rejected it-- screaming at the top of her lungs – was a disheartening rejection. Pumping was all I was doing-- though I was grateful and blessed that I could use my M9s to pump and still move about. However, I met with an IBCLC and it changed everything. I thought nothing could help us – but she had a solution. Before breastfeeding attempts, I should offer my baby a bottle and let her drink about a half ounce or so. Then I do a “switcheroo” and offer the breast. I was skeptical, but it worked. The blessed consultant told me “She’s just a hangry girl.” And she was right. We found success after that-- though latching can still be a tiring battle of screaming at times – but she can nurse. Now, we breastfeed twice a day or so, and I pump still. I’ll even pump after nursing (as we are still working on her latching to both breasts rather than playing favorites on one lol), but those pumps feel like a small victory, because where normally I get 2-3.5 ounces a breast, I’ll get 1, maybe even .5 after nursing, and I know she’s gotten food and we had a moment to bond. ![]()
So mommas that struggle with screaming babies when trying to breastfeed, don’t give up! Maybe your baby is hangry. If so, try the switcheroo! Let them get their hunger down a bit before latching. Maybe it will work for you too. ![]()
(The picture included is my post-nursing pumping yeild from today. 4 oz altogether – meaning I’m fairly certain she ate something considering it had been 5 hours since my last pump… Oops
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