cee_cee - please get help for your poor nipples - can you call the ABA or find a private lactation conultant? So many women end up with breastfeeding problems that get worse, then give up due to the pain or feeling unsupported. I saw a really horrible image of a woman's nipples the other week, they were bleeding and cracked and chunks had come away - but with a private lactation consultant they were able to get the latch right straight away and it was no longer hurting, even over those sore nipples! I'm sure you would love for that too
Breastfeeding is not meant to hurt or crack or bleed etc and usually when it does, there is usually a problem with attachment and unfortunately lactation consultants are having to work flat chat with women (they need a few good hours so they can only see so many a day!) and they are undoing all the damage that has been caused by wrong or little advice from the place of birth. Hang in there. Remember to feed your baby at the level where the breast falls naturally, his/her body aligned straight and facing you, you should be sitting comfortably with your body not twisted or hunched over and bring your baby to you.
I'm not being anti-bottlefeeding/anti-solids here (take it as you will) as I know there are some bottlefeeding for various health reasons but for the rest I just need to point out some facts. Breastmilk provides 100% of everything your baby needs until around 6 months. Before everyone tries formula or solids to help their babies sleep through thinking that sounds great, please arm yourself with some facts, it's becoming a more common thing which is based on something not ideal at all, particularly solids at this age. This is like the increasing caesarean rates that even doctors and Obs are now admitting is out of control and carries more risks and dangers that they have not led on previously. I would even go as far as saying it's like the controlled crying epidemic, we are so desperate for sleep that we are doing things which we think will help our babies sleep or will make them sleep, which has detrimental health effects which we don't realise or look into. Is there a fine line of choice and responsibility? We are living in such a fast paced lifestyle and our lives are crammed with things to do - we need a full nights sleep just to cope with the demands we place on ourselves. However this is not the case with our babies, they are not designed to do this and on average, 'sleeping through' is 5 hours. Frequent arousals are a survival technique and protective against SIDS. This is why the don't get into as much deep sleep as adults do, else they wouldn't know to wake up when they need to. Sorry to hi-jack, but I have been a little worried about some posts going on, of which the first article I have linked addresses the issue of resources like this (BellyBelly) contributing to a huge problem, where mums get together on masse and talk each other into doing things not so desirable or optimal for babies health. Feel free to email me personally if you have any issues with this post.
* Suck On This: What's Going On With Infant Feeding
* Starting Solids - When is My Baby Ready?
* Is My Baby Hungry?
* 15 Ways To Help Your Baby Sleep
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