Nursing...the Act

Breastfeeding...it was worse than childbirth (seriously) and I thought of quitting even though I knew that it was better than formula. It hurt like crazy every time he latched on. Three things were life-savers and I would recommend that you get them.

The first: medicated nipple cream. My midwives prescribed a cream containing ibuprofen. It is not over-the-counter. (Mupirocin 1% / Ibuprofin 2% / Miconazole 2% / Betamethazone 0.025% / Propylene Glycol) It is a compounded cream that must be prescribed by a doctor and has to be compounded at the pharmacy. Very few pharmacies do that, so you may have to call around. We got ours at the pharmacy downtown OKC. (Walgreens @ 535 NW 9th Street; OKC, OK 73102 • 405-231-2133) You can have them made just a small amount (we got about $30-worth and it was way too much); it goes really far and I had TONS left over (even after three other ladies borrowed it).

I would put it on after each time I nursed and I didn't feel a thing! I only had to use it a handful of times before the nipples were toughened on their own. If you are planning to nurse, get this BEFORE you have your baby and take it with you to the hospital...seriously. Just think of the worst pain you've ever experienced and multiply it by ten. That was nursing for the first six weeks with my first one...oh, and bleeding and open sores. Can I be more blunt?

The second: lanolin cream. An off-brand works just as well (100% pure lanolin). You put it on after feeding the baby and just leave it on - no need to wash it off. You could even start using it every night a month before the due date to soften things up ahead of time. You can use this if you don't want to get the medicated cream. It only serves to keep everything from becoming dried and cracked...you will still experience pain.

The third: breast/nipple shield. I don't think I could have lasted without this with our first. They sell them at BabiesRUs in the breast pump section. It is a clear plastic cover (with holes) that goes over the nipple part during nursing. They are recommended for inverted nipples, I think. I didn't have that, but it helped ease the pain of nursing. They say that if you use it, the baby will have a hard time nursing without it, but if you only use it every other time you nurse, there won't be a problem. I had to use it for six weeks with our first. And he transitioned just fine. This also helped our sons (I used it a couple of times with our second, too) learn to open their mouths wider. Some in the medical profession frown on these, but go and buy one and keep it handy just in case. You can always return it if you don't experience problems. This was what kept me from quitting the first time around.

And about having enough milk...I worried about it. My Mom told me that if I ever felt like I was losing my milk, to drink 1 tablespoon vinegar in a cup of water (with a little honey to cover the taste) a couple times a day. I've tried it twice, and each time, milk literally squirted out of me. (Sorry for the mental image.) I tried cranberry juice and it did the same thing (tastier, too!).

The first two or three days nurse whenever the baby cries. (??!!) You will quickly feel like a dairy cow but it helps the milk come in more quickly and transition your body (and baby) to nursing. Do NOT try to get on a schedule until after the first week. How long to nurse? When is the baby done? Nurse one or both sides? Nurse until you stop hearing the "suck, gulp, suck, gulp." Listen for it. When you hear, "suck, suck, suck, gulp," they are done with the hindmilk. Why didn't someone tell me that with my first one??!! I nursed for 45 minutes each side, for crying out loud! If after you've determined that the sucking and the gulping is sufficient on one side, offer the second side and listen for the same gulping and sucking, etc. And then you can unlatch them (in case they *try* to use you as a pacifier). (And don't forget to burp them in between sides.)

Oh, and one more thing. DO NOT PUMP during the first two weeks. NADA. You may feel like you are going to explode once your milk comes in, but your body is trying to figure out how many babies to supply and if you pump it will take longer and can cause problems. If you feel too full or hard, just take a hot shower and massage the hard parts until they are soft. I pumped with my first one and speak from experience. I didn't pump with my second and the transition was *almost* effortless. (As effortless as loaning your body as a dairy cow can be.)