In the beginning, I failed to introduce them to a bottle. By the time they reached 3 months, they refused to drink my expressed milk from a bottle, and would scream bloody murder until they could snuggle up in my arms and drink from the breast. Luckily, I was able to stay home with them and didn't have to endure the trauma of transitioning to a daycare and having no choice other than being fed from a bottle.
Both times, breastfeeding felt very restrictive; I couldn't go to the movies, the hair salon, or have me-time if it involved being gone for more than an hour. I did not trust the "pump n dump," method, so I abstained from all alcoholic beverages as well.
Somewhere around the 9th month of nursing, I developed thrush on my nipples. To date, I can't recall a more painful experience. The searing pain was worse than labor! I now know that re-balancing the bacteria in my body by changing my diet and eliminating things like sugar, processed foods and bread would have been necessary for proper healing. Yet, at the time I was young and inexperienced, and did not consider natural remedies as a practical solution. I waited too long to go to the doctor's office, and when I did finally address the issue, my physician prescribed Nystatin, which did very little to heal my nipples. The thrush was recurring, and by month 13, I was desperate to stop nursing!
By the time my third child was born, I had sworn off breastfeeding forever, still emotionally scarred and terrified of enduring the toe-curling pain again. I chose to feed my daughter with formula. She did not tolerate the regular dairy formula, so she drank a soy-based blend. I enjoyed having more freedom to run errands and spend time away from home. She attended daycare while I was at work, so I was confident that she was getting all of the nutrition her body needed to grow.
When my youngest child was born, I decided to formula feed again. I wanted to breastfeed, but I was just too afraid of the pain. In the hospital when he was born, I assured the nurses that he would be bottle-fed, and began the routine of making little bottles and tracking how much he ate every hour. He was feeding just fine, and when I got home from the hospital I had a small supply of pre-made bottles that I planned to use before switching to the powdered form.
On the second day that we were at home, I began to feel my breasts swell as my milk came in. Something in the back of my mind said, "Just try it." I shrugged it off, but the thought wouldn't go away. I decided to try to breastfeed him, just once. I was curious to know whether he would latch onto my breast, since there is exhaustive information about getting baby to latch at birth. I figured that we'd missed the window, which was fine by me, but I wanted to try anyhow.
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| My Little Guy, Week 2 |
First attempt: Flawless.
Baby latched on perfectly, suckled his way into a milk coma, and left me feeling the effects of the healthiest addiction known to man. I was hooked. The old familiar feeling of slow suckling was better than I had remembered, and from that day forward, baby and I have been joined at the boob.
I would never shame a mother who chooses to formula feed. Trying to decide whether to breastfeed or formula feed can be very difficult. As mothers, we want to do the right thing and make the healthiest choices for our babies, but we all have different circumstances and what works for one of us may not work for the other.
My personal opinion regarding breastfeeding is that if a mother is physically capable of nursing, she should! As I continue to learn more about dairy and soy products, I am confident that breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for babies; our bodies make milk for the sole purpose of giving them every nutrient they need. Breastfeeding is incredible! A mother's milk is specially formulated according to the sex of her baby, and when a baby is sick, the milk instantly includes antibodies to fight bacteria and illness. Unlike expensive formula, breast milk is free! And then of course there is the added benefit of bonding with your little one; nothing beats the skin to skin contact with a precious baby who stares into your eyes while your body provides everything it needs to live.
This time I have decided to slow down and enjoy the experience of breastfeeding. I don't worry about me-time, because I'm so in love with we-time. My only suggestion is that mothers should try to introduce their babies to a bottle early-on, even if there's no apparent need. It can be torturous to try to get a 5 month old baby to drink expressed milk from a bottle for the very first time.
While breastfeeding, there will likely be times when you question whether your baby is getting enough milk. As your body changes, your milk supply may drop, which is something that happened to me around month 2. After going through a growth spurt, baby stopped nursing as often, which caused my body to reduce the amount of milk it produced. No matter how much I nursed, my baby was fussy, and acting as though he wanted more. I had also been pumping milk and storing it just in case I returned to work; it was hard to get the timing right and it seemed that baby was always hungry.
Right after coming home from the hospital, I'd sifted through a big box of goodies that were gifted to me as a going-away or welcome to mommy-hood gift. One of the things I'd received was a coupon for an organic "Mother's Milk" tea.
I remembered that I had the coupon, and after digging around a bit, I realized that there was a sample teabag attached. I looked up the ingredients of the tea to find out exactly how it was supposed to increase my breast milk production, as it claimed. The tea had a lot of ingredients that I had never associated with breast milk before, and they were all organic:
*Bitter Fennel
*Anise
*Coriander
*Fenugreek Seed
*Blessed Thistle
*Spearmint
*West Indian Lemongras
*Lemon Verbena
*Marshmallow Root
Reluctantly, I boiled some water and drank a cup.
The tea tasted unfamiliar with the exception of a hint of mint from the spearmint leaf. It had a delicate flavor, none of the herbs were too overpowering, so I was able to enjoy it without any honey or sweeteners.
After sipping for awhile, I wondered whether it was the tea or the gliding rocker that was making me feel so at ease. My body felt warm, light, and relaxed. The feeling of euphoria washed over me as I climbed into my bed and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The next morning, I definitely noticed that my breasts were more full than they had been the day before. However, it is not uncommon to have a bit of engorgement in the morning, since baby has eaten less throughout the night. As the day went on, I didn't have any problems with milk supply; each time he ate, my son seemed happy and satiated.
Coincidence?
At 4 months old, my son is experiencing his first cold. His little nose is stuffy and he is pretty miserable when he isn't asleep. I have been nursing him as often as possible to get some of those magical antibodies into him, but I hate to see him suffer. I started to brainstorm and research safe ways to help him feel better, faster. The general rule of thumb is to nurse as much as possible, so I decided to load my body up with healthy fruits and vegetables so that my milk would be super-charged with vitamins.
While in the grocery store I noticed the "Mother's Milk" logo among other herbal teas in the tea and coffee aisle. I was surprised to see it since I thought that it would only be sold in specialty stores or online. I reasoned that I had never seen it before because I just hadn't been looking. The package of 16 tea bags was reasonably priced at under $6 and the packaging proudly confirmed that none of the products used were genetically modified. I purchased the box, and decided to have a cup upon returning to my home.
After taking my nightly prenatal vitamin, I poured a cup of the "Mother's Milk," and began to sip. It had the same delicate flavor as the sample I'd tried, but since it was more fresh, the flavor was a bit stronger.
I started writing this review when I took the first sip of tea. My muscles were tense from pushing around a grocery cart and hauling baby's car seat to and fro. My mind was fried from refereeing 3 rambunctious children while trying to care for my sick little one. My thoughts raced as I thought about the following day's schedule.
I am currently calm, relaxed, pain-free, tension-free, and loving this tea!
The calming affect is the most noticeable result of drinking "Mother's Milk." Upon further research, I've learned that the tea is considered a galactagogue, which is a substance that can increase milk supply. My breasts are beginning to feel more full, indicating that fenugreek, the main milk-boosting ingredient in the tea, is highly effective.
I enjoy the taste of tea, even when it is slightly bitter, The spearmint disguises this bitter taste, but if you're particularly sensitive to it drinking it with apple juice might help. It can be ingested as a hot or cold tea, and since it is so relaxing, I suggest drinking it at night.
"Mother's Milk" boosts milk production, but does not maintain it. You can drink a little every day as needed, but you won't know the dosage of the herbs within the tea. If you need something more controlled, you can always take fenugreek in capsules or powder form.
I am so glad that I discovered how wonderful this tea is. I would recommend it to any nursing mother, whether you need to boost your milk supply or you just want to unwind with a hot cup of organic, healthy goodness at the end of the evening. I hope to continue breastfeeding well past the first year, and I encourage you to stick with it for as long as you can!
My verdict: PUMP this product! (Pun intended)
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