Nursing

From the very beginning I knew I was determined to breastfeed our baby. Not only are there major health benefits, but it's free which will be very helpful as we transition into becoming a one-income family in a couple of months. So we signed up for the Breastfeeding Basics course offered through the hospital. It was a three-hour course and Mario came with me even though he was reluctant. We both learned a lot and felt like we could be successful. So Colin was born and we worked on nursing at the hospital. He was sleepy and uninterested at first, but each time he got better and better. The morning we were released from the hospital, he had dropped 8% of his birth weight (which is normal) and his jaundice levels were going up. We were advised to supplement with formula until my milk came in to help flush out the jaundice. I really didn't want to introduce a bottle or formula but I wanted him to get better. So with tears in my eyes, I gave him 1/2 oz. of formula after nursing. The nurse loaded us up with formula samples before we left. After we got home, I continued to try to nurse but he became less interested each day, since it was so easy to drink from the bottle. This was at the height of the jaundice saga, so I felt like I had no choice but to continue giving him formula. I did use the breast pump to try to stimulate my milk production although nothing came out at first. By Thursday, my milk finally came in. I called the lactation consultants at the hospital to get some advice on how to get him back on the breast. They were very helpful at the hospital and one of them was the instructor of the breastfeeding course. She gave me some suggestions and basically told me to stick with it. So I started out by pumping whatever I could get out and using a syringe to sneak in some milk to get him sucking. He would fuss and cry, but slowly he would latch on and eat. By Friday (1 week old) he was getting the hang of it and finally latched on for a 30 minute stretch! At that point, we never looked back and he was completely on the breast with NO MORE FORMULA! I am so immensely happy that Colin caught on so quickly despite a rocky start. He has been eating great, gaining weight, and peeing and pooping like it's his job! He's had a few pumped bottles for church and other outings when it's not easy to nurse him. I even have a stash of frozen milk started. I hope this is just the beginning of a wonderful bonding experience in nursing my son and I hope to nurse him for at least a year. I also have to brag on Mario who has supported me 100% and is quick to defend our decision to breastfeed to anyone who will listen. He has been amazing! Of course it's exhausting for me to have sole responsibility for Colin's feedings, but I wouldn't have it any other way!