A boobie post for hump day

I was reading my copy of What to Expect the First Year last night, and I'm on the chapter on breast feeding. I've decided I definitely will breast feed, if it's physically possible. Judging by my growth, my body is doing everything it can to make sure it is possible. Most of the chapter was about mastering the breastfeeding technique with your baby very early on--as soon after they are born as possible. I thought suckling came naturally to a baby, but apparently we are going to have to work together to make sure they get a good latch on my boob and don't suck away, missing my nipple entirely. Also, I have to make sure they get ahold of the nipple and the surrounding pink flesh (I can't figure out how to spell it--something like "auriol"), that their lower lip isn't tucked in their mouth and they are sucking on that instead, and that the nipple isn't under their tongue. I can check for a good seal by listening for a regular suck-suck-swallow and by putting my finger inside their cheek to feel around and make sure everything is as it should be.

And I have to make sure the hospital knows that I only want the baby receiving my breastmilk. Often, when the baby is away from me, and if it's fussy, the hospital will give it a bottle of sugar water or a soother to suck instead. But with breastmilk, supply = demand. Economics anyone? It applies to titties, too! The more I have the baby with me, trying to feed and wanting the milk, the more my body will produce. The less the baby is there, the less my body will produce. And it's a learning process--if early on my body isn't producing enough milk, it will be difficult, or perhaps impossible, to get it to produce more milk later on. So I'm going to have to make it very clear to the hospital and the nurses that I want the baby to only feed with me. And I have to find out if the hospital allows the baby to be with the mom during the day, and only takes it away at night, or if they think they'll be keeping it 24 hours and only bringing it to me for visits, and if they will bring the baby to me in the night when it needs to feed, which will be every couple of hours.

That's the last thing I read last night, the bit that made me feel very tired. For the first couple of weeks the baby will need to be fed every couple of hours, and drain at least one breast at each feeding. And because the feedings will be more clumsy at the beginning, each feeding could take half an hour or more. And it's very important that the baby nearly drain the boob at each feeding because the milk at the end, the hindmilk, is full of fat and nutrients that they need. I was amazed to read that the milk changes in consistency and ingredients during the course of the feeding.

So although this is a natural process, it may not come naturally to each mom and baby. But then my baby may be a genius and know exactly what its doing from the get-go, and even wake up on it's own and tug my sleeve so that I feed it when I'm supposed to.