Wednesday, August 3, 2011

My Boobs Are Too Little! {#WorldBreastfeedingWeek}


I was scared to death that my kids would starve if I attempted to breastfeed exclusively. If they had negative bra sizes, I'd be their first choice for a catalog model. From the time I was 12 years old, I was told, "Don't worry, they'll grow!" Remember the book, Are You There, God? It's me, Margaret. By Judy Blume? I spent many-a-night doing "exercises" to the whispered mantra, "I must... I must... I must increase my bust!" Well, I hit 16, an age when many had assured me I'd be fully developed, still looking like a 12 year-old. Then, I read somewhere that the female body isn't completely done growing until the early 20's. I waited... nothing.

When I was pregnant, I never even thought of bottle-feeding. I'm the oldest of three and my mom breastfed (and cloth-diapered) all of us. It was normal - bottles weren't. But, as my due date drew near and hormones became unbearable, I began to panic. My boobs hadn't even gotten bigger while I was pregnant. My OB-GYN even made mention of the fact that I had no boobs on that last appointment before my due date. I had come into the office, armed with my birth plan. The very first line below the heading "After Baby is Delivered" said: "Please do not offer the baby water, formula, or pacifiers. I will be exclusively breastfeeding!" After that appointment, the same thought kept running through my head - How on earth would I keep this little baby inside me alive once it was out?! I rushed to the store on the way home and bought a set of Playtex bottles and a few cans of formula... just in case.

I was so lucky. That little one knew just what to do. As soon as mouth was in the vicinity of nipple, the little suckling noises began - just seconds after delivery! The latch was perfect. My milk came in quickly - only 24 hours after giving birth. I had no problems for the duration of breastfeeding my kids, save sore nipples, engorgement, and a few bites. No mastitis, clogged ducts, latch problems... nothing. The kids grew by leaps and bounds, even by the old formula-fed growth chart standards. Oh, and I had boobs!!! I wore all of those tight little shirts, bikini tops, and strapless dresses that I could never wear before. Like I said, I was VERY lucky.

Unfortunately, the remarks that pregnant and nursing mothers hear from others, like the one from my doctor, can take their toll. Especially in the hormone-filled minds of pregnant women and the sleep-deprived, 'why-won't-this-kid-stop-crying?!' minds of new moms. There are too many people out there giving bad advice and passing on myths that are oh-so-false. Here is the one I've heard over and over from mothers. It's not new. My mother-in-law was told this in the 60's, when she had my husband. My mom was told this in the 70's (Thank you, Mom, for not listening!), friends of mine who had babies in the 80's and 90's heard this, and I've recently had three different new moms tell me this in the past month, alone:


You're not producing enough milk - you'll have to supplement!

Oh, I HATE this one! First, mommy takes her precious newborn to the pediatrician for his first check-up. The baby has lost a little weight since birth and the phrase "FAILURE TO THRIVE" is brought up. Now, this poor mom, who has had this kid on her breast for what seems like 24/7 since he was born, hears (and it's probably meant to sound this way, IMO) a medical professional basically tell her that she's not good enough a mother to keep her baby alive on her own - she needs help. The fear, the humiliation... So, she supplements her breastfeeding with formula. Then, when her precious pea is around six weeks old, he acts like he's starving. She nurses him, but he wants MORE. So, she adds a few more formula feeds into the mix - her kid's hungry! Eventually, she begins producing less and less milk. She looks on breastfeeding as a huge failure and gives up.

There are a lot of wrongs in this situation, but there's not usually anyone around to tell mom the truth. I mean, her baby's doctor already "knew" she wouldn't be able to feed this child on her own. And the hungrier junior got, the more she believed it. What she didn't know is that doctors use an old growth chart - created by formula companies and based on the "average" growth of a formula-fed infant. (Yes, there is another growth chart out for breastfed infants, but many doctors aren't using it.) Breast milk has less fat than formula, so a child isn't going to plump up like he would on bottles. And it is normal for newborns to dip in weight soon after birth - think about how much water weight is in their skin and digestive system while they are in your belly. After birth, they kind of... dry out, and they pee and poop. The first milk they are getting is colostrum and in small amounts. It just makes sense to anyone willing to think that a baby will lose weight. But, with all of the hormonal changes and lack of sleep, it can be hard for mom to use her critical thinking skill effectively. People will take advantage of this - who doesn't like to sound like they're smart? Who doesn't like to feel like they can rescue a desperate mom from a dire situation? We all like to give advice!

They're wrong!!!!

Here are two more of those "critical thinking" things that a new mom's brain just doesn't have the energy for: The faster a child grows, the hungrier he will be. And:  The more a child nurses, the more milk you will produce. That six-week spurt is the one you'll think will never, ever end. But, you know what? I barely remember them now. I wish I had known about it ahead of time. Rather than freaking out, being cranky, and just wishing I could stop being a pacifier, I'd have planned ahead and enjoyed this time. I miss it. It's the picture you had in your head when you bought that super-comfortable rocking chair way back in the olden days when you were pregnant. Baby looking up at you while he nurses, the entire house is quiet except for the little sucking sounds he's making and maybe a lullaby from you... pure bliss! This spurt will last just a couple of weeks, enjoy it. Line up help with housecleaning and cooking. Don't let this time get away from you!

And what about the fear that your little one is breastfeeding so much because he can't get enough from you? Well, like I said above, the more he eats, the more you make. It's the perfect balance of supply and demand, ordered by Mother Nature herself! If a mom feels like she must do something to keep her little guy's belly full for longer, there are a number of methods to try BEFORE heading for that free sample of "just in case" formula that the formula company has so graciously sent you home from the hospital with as a parting gift. Drink more water. Sometimes, when we're dead tired and trying to learn this new little baby's characteristics, we forget about ourselves. I swear, at one point I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten anything (it must have been over 24 hours!) And, if water's not your cup of tea, then... well, have some tea. There are a ton of companies that make fantastic-tasting tea with all of the right herbs in them. One of my personal favorites is Sacred Rose's Matri Tea! Also, there are a ton of foods that will increase milk production. I craved oatmeal throughout my pregnancy and well into my first year of breastfeeding. This wonder-grain will visibly increase your infant's food supply. One of my favorite ways to eat it was in cookie-form! Add a bunch of dried fruits, some flax, wheat germ, honey, mashed bananas, zucchini... pretty much whatever your tastes may be. And, finally, you can take supplements. Fenugreek is an herb that has been used forever for nursing mothers. It increases milk production with a couple of interesting side effects: 1) Your sweat will smell like maple syrup. No kidding! It's weird, but at least you won't smell like boiled broccoli! 2) It also helps upper respiratory problems. Have a cold? Have allergies? They'll magically clear up - drug-free!

Once your little one hits 2 or 3 months old, most of the "you're not making enough milk" suspicions will go away. (There will be more growth spurts, but not anything like the one you just got through.) You'll feel more confident in your abilities to sustain life using your boobs. You'll be able to read your little one's signs more easily and understand what he needs from you before the crying (yours and his!) of the early weeks. And, you'll have your head back on straight - the hormone confusion of the weeks just after birth will have ebbed and you might have even gotten two hours' worth of sleep in a single stretch!


celebrate-wbw-npn-450
I’m celebrating World Breastfeeding Week with Natural Parents Network!
You can, too — link up your breastfeeding posts from August 1-7 in the linky below, and enjoy reading, commenting on, and sharing the posts collected here and on Natural Parents Network.

(Visit NPN for the code to place on your blog.)

24 comments:

Emmylu91 said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates
This comment has been removed by the author.
boosandrawrs said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I am not sure of the location but we were told it was the "main" one so I assume its the original one. The history and personality of the place is neat but even with that aside i would be a regular customer just based on how good the food was. we didnt have a fridge in our hotel room so we couldn't take our unfinished food back with us as it would go bad and i was really bummed over that lol.

Nina said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Ugh. I have ginormous boobs and they were completely worthless. I tried to breastfeed for a month; met with lactation specialists, tried pumping in between feedings, drank the tea, had my husband massage them (which was not sexy, it was to Get Milk Flowing) and NOTHING worked. I was so freakin stressed, Jack was shriveling away and crying all the time and I cracked. Formula gave me a little sense of peace.

If I ever have another baby I will give breastfeeding another go. Looking back I think it was totally stress that rendered my boobs worthless. Hopefully I know enough now that I can relax and enjoy a newborn.

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

@ArtsyNina You know, a couple of years ago, I'd have thought you just didn't try hard enough - as I said in my post - I never had any problems, so I just don't know. BUT then, my sister had a baby 5 months after Little Guy was born. She tried and tried to nurse. After 3 months of pure pain, it was found that her little one was tongue-tied and couldn't latch on properly - so badly that it couldn't be fixed. So, she pumped like crazy. A few weeks later, she was changing a diaper and SAW BLOOD! After rusing to the ER & lots of tests, it was found that he was lactose intolerant. She gave up all dairy. He still had tummy problems. She gave up so much food that she was losing weight at a dangerous rate. She finally had to bottle-feed. I felt so badly for her. She just never had a chance and wanted it so badly. :(

Melissa @ Growing Up Geeky said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

My boobs are teeny-tiny as well, and unfortunately they didn't really grow much at all when I started breastfeeding. I don't know how...but my scant little tatas produce milk by the gallons, practically! I can't believe how much comes out such a little space.

This is a great post. I wish doctors would be clear about the growth chart they are using, and Moms need to know to ask!

Sarah @ Parenting God's Children said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I seriously love this post! Thanks so much for sharing! I'm bookmarking it for baby #3 :)

Visiting from Natural Parents Network!

Dawn @ 5 Kids and a Dog said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I had plenty of boobs to go around, but I also had a doctor who acted like he knew everything, and I was young and knew nothing. I wish I had supportive, INFORMED and EXPERIENCED women around me when I had my first baby! I'm loving reading all the posts on this linky and I added my own story to it too. :)

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

@Dawn @ 5 Kids and a Dog OH, no! There's nothing I hate more than a Dr. who knows all. I've had people like this get offended when I knew a little more - and could cite facts to back myself up. As I said in my post, I was just plain lucky. Plus, I had a mom who had BTDT.

Linda R. said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I breastfed for 1 year and I used Fenugreek in the beginning but after about 2 months I didn't need it. I had my daughter at Kaiser and they encourage breastfeeding which is great, they do not offer you any formula whatsoever. They even have a class while your at the hospital where they show a video and tell you about breastfeeding. I was also lucky to have my mom who breastfed all 7 of us and my sister who breastfed her 4 boys so any questions that I had I would ask them. If my doctor would say something that I didn't agree on I would always ask for a second opinion or better yet I would ask other moms.

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

to rely on a specific agency that sponsored [url=http://www.louboutinf.com]Louboutin[/url]distinguished from another on the basis of [url=http://www.louboutinf.com]Louboutin[/url]double your money immediately - a [url=http://www.louboutinf.com]Christian Louboutin Outlet[/url]can find the probability of occurrence of http://www.louboutinf.com[/url] value of z in the standard normal http://www.louboutinf.com[/url] can be used for its easy application It is

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

toothpicks or a similarly narrow shaft to hold the stem in place. pumpkins with bruising, scratches, gouges, dents or damage of http://lbbweb.com/AUDIOSTORE/users/sprout02beggar.html only when the game is played in the casino. In the online version, discounts on the different types of jeans by this brand. This http://habitatnys.org/index.php/member/161311/ nice skill to pass on. Happy Scary! Every year at Halloween, lighting. The Right Kind of Pumpkin. To help get a pumpkin of http://myjeeves.ask.com/mysearch/BookmarkIt?v=1.2&t=webpages&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.louboutinfranch.fr%2F&title=christian%20louboutin%20pas%20cher%20chaussures running around the house or in the backyard, but this is to be for the ill-fated liner as a sudden gust of wind caused http://www.clutterfreecoding.com/member/311469/ the world, you will not find any difficulty in selecting jeans its shooting your own video in your restaurant kitchen http://raptr.com/cloud84cough/about a drivers license or special needs services? Im in a divorce or a good sign that you need to outsource. Dont know how to build

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Good write-up. I certainly love this site. Keep it up!


my web-site :: laser stretch mark removal

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Hello everybody, here every one is sharing these kinds of
familiarity, therefore it's fastidious to read this weblog, and I used to go to see this weblog everyday.

Feel free to surf to my site - Bioinformatics.or.Kr

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here.

The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish.
nonetheless, you command get got an shakiness over that you wish be delivering the following.
unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this increase.



My web site: buy vortex solar panels

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I simply couldn't depart your web site before suggesting that I really enjoyed the usual information an individual provide in your visitors? Is going to be back regularly to check out new posts

Also visit my homepage :: http://www.coinfactswiki.com

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Hello! I know this is kinda off topic but I'd figured I'd ask.
Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring a blog post
or vice-versa? My website addresses a lot of the same topics
as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other.
If you might be interested feel free to send me an email. I look
forward to hearing from you! Fantastic blog by the way!



my page ... http://wiki.isb-sib.ch

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Having read this I believed it was very enlightening.
I appreciate you finding the time and effort to put this information together.
I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and
posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!


Here is my web-site - Laser stretch mark removal

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I don't even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I don't
know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you are not
already ;) Cheers!

Feel free to visit my blog: ranger forum

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Hi friends, its wonderful post concerning educationand entirely defined, keep it up all the time.


Here is my web-site How to get rid of stretch marks

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

If some one desires expert view on the topic of blogging and site-building
then i suggest him/her to pay a visit this webpage, Keep up the fastidious work.



Here is my web site mederma stretch mark therapy

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I'm not sure why but this blog is loading extremely slow for me. Is anyone else having this issue or is it a problem on my end? I'll check back later on and see if the problem still exists.


My website: http://ssas-wiki.com/index.php?title=Effective_Ways_To_Remove_Extend_Marks

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Good info. Lucky me I ran across your website by chance
(stumbleupon). I've saved as a favorite for later!

Look at my web site: stretch mark creams

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Excellent way of describing, and pleasant paragraph to take facts concerning my presentation
focus, which i am going to present in college.

My web page :: trick photography and special effects 2nd edition download

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I'll right away grasp your rss as I can't in finding your e-mail subscription link or e-newsletter service.

Do you have any? Kindly permit me understand in order that I
may just subscribe. Thanks.

Have a look at my web site; Click Link