I don't ...
... use a breast pump ...
... or bottles.
Josh asked me if I'd be up for going away, and he brought up the pump because he knows I hate it. I pumped a bit for Aaron, but honestly, the stress of sorting everything out for him while I was away, and then pumping while away from him just wasn't worth it. I pumped once after Mae was born, when my milk came in.
The breastfeeding rates around Philadelphia are dismal (50% successfully nurse their babies for SIX WEEKS). Please compare that to Sweden and Norway, where 98% nurse for that long. WHO and UNICEF have recommended for ten years now that babies be breastfed for at least two years. So, what's happening here?
It used to be my job as a nurse to teach new moms on the postpartum floor to breastfeed. I heard moms get so much bad advice, it was maddening. So, here are some of the "crazies" I heard, and here's what I think about them!
1) "Give the baby formula until you have more milk."
This is the one I heard the most, and it is heartbreaking, as it directly causes failure.
Breastfeeding is one very simple concept: demand and supply. If you nurse the baby, you will make milk. If you do not nurse, you won't make milk. Period. If you sleep through a feeding and someone gives the baby a bottle, you will not make enough milk for the next time around. In many cases, if the baby sucks on a pacifier for a long time, you will not make enough milk. Anything that replaces you, replaces the demand for milk, and without the demand you will not make milk.
2) "Your baby will use you as a pacifier. Never allow it."
I worked with a cranky old nurse who routinely gave that speech to new moms. While it is true that babies will nurse when they're not actually eating, this does stimulate milk production, so always cutting it off will deprive you of the supply you could have.
3) "Pumping is a good option."
I am convinced that whoever started this one had never pumped. There are times that pumping is a good idea (my own sweet sister is a good example of that - she has pumped full time for almost nine months now!) However, pumping will not stimulate milk production as well as nursing will. Supply aside, pumping is a bad idea because often moms will pump before leaving their baby, and not pump while away (or sleeping). If you're going to leave the baby, you must pump enough beforehand, AND pump at the times the baby will be eating while you're away. This, in my experience, is not fun, convenient, or "a break."
4) "Co-sleeping is not safe."
When I had Aaron, my nights went like this: He woke up. I woke up Josh to change his diaper. Josh did so and then woke me up to nurse Aaron. I got up, nursed Aaron in the chair, got him back to sleep, got him back to his bassinet, and went back to bed.
When I had Ethan, my nights went like this: He woke up next to me. I latched him on there and we both went back to sleep.
Obviously I got much more sleep this way, and had more milk for a few reasons: he was close to me for long periods of time, he was using me as a pacifier while I was sleeping :), and I was well rested.
For info on co-sleeping safely, read here.
5) "You're going to spoil that baby."
Holding the baby close not only calms them, it improves milk supply and makes it more convenient to nurse them more often. So, hold on. And, nursing the baby is a great way to comfort a baby, whether or not they are actually hungry. I think it's a great idea for babies to learn that they can rely on finding comfort in their mothers.
6) "You'll need to supplement beginning at around four months, as breastmilk doesn't have everything formula does."
My pediatrician with Aaron and Ethan said that they needed to start solids by ten months. I do know a few babies that didn't eat solids until as late as fifteen months. Ironically, these 'late bloomers' were HUGE. Their chubbiness tapered off once they started eating. Nursing longer also meant that they didn't need cow's milk, and avoided that allergy opportunity entirely. For more on delaying solids, read here.
7) "You won't make enough milk for more than one."
Absolutely not true! We do have a local mom here that exclusively breastfed triplets. No formula. And, I know lots of tandem nursers. It goes back to the demand-and-supply idea.
As a side note, you can also "relactate" within six months of weaning. That means if you've quit, or had difficulties, you can stimulate milk production again within around six months. And that is why I'm planning on adopting a baby within six months of Mae weaning. :)
All in all ... I do believe that every woman can nurse successfully. It all starts with a good, peaceful, unmedicated birth. But that's another topic for another day ...
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, by La Leche League International
The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers, by Dr. Jack Newman
4 comments:
So good Sarah!!! Couldn't agree more!!!! I HATE pumping. HAD to do it with Adelee and after that trauma I never wanted to see another pump again. Figure the first year the baby is my job....feeding that is So I treat it like that. Only leaving when I am NOT needed to work. I have pumped a few times but rarely left him when he needs to feed. I am pretty much back before the next meal time. It goes so fast I don't mind. I thought I would hate nursing before kids but I really love it.
Why thank you Miss Sarah! Unfortunately, having to go back to work forces the pumping issue for us... such is life.
I pumped at work for an entire year and it wasn't a big deal. Just like Sarah said, though, you have to pump when baby would normally eat.
mary
Pumping is a great option if you have to be away from the baby. I just see it abused often by moms who want a short getaway or want to sleep through the night and don't realize they do have to pump whenever the baby is eating, not just enough beforehand. Not sure why this idea falls through the cracks ...
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