Breastfeeding, Nursing, Booby time

I'm still nursing. The only time I don't give her a 5 oz bottle of formula after I nurse is the first feeding in the morning. All the other times she gets a bottle after I nurse her for about 10-15 minutes on each side. Depends on how much swallowing I hear from her or if she is fussing while on me.

I'm just finishing up reading this book called "The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to MAKING MORE MILK" by by Diana West, BA, IBCLC and Lisa Marasco, MA, IBCLC.

I should have read this a LONG time ago, maybe during the first week of breastfeeding it could have helped. I highly recommend purchasing this book and reading it if you're pregnant and thinking about breastfeeding or currently are even if you've already started. It has a lot of good information. It will help you to know ahead of time things you can do when the time comes and you're not sure whether you're making enough milk.

I know I'm not alone in my troubles to produce milk and I'm not the only one who hasn't given up after 5 months of having trouble.

If you're pregnant and going to breastfeed, find a Lactation Consultant in your area before you have your baby and get a hold of them so you have a contact when you start nursing. There are some free ones, connected with Hospitals and you don't always have to have your baby at the hospital. Ask your hospital if there is a Lactation Consultant that works there (not just a Lactation Specialist). It's very important to have access to someone.

Just know that it hurts. And it might hurt for a good 4 weeks, but if you keep going and keep nursing, with the pain and sore nipples and cracking or bleeding, it WILL GET BETTER. It really does. And hopefully you won't have trouble like I have, but even if you do it's worth it to have that connection with your baby.

In the beginning it doesn't feel relaxing or like downtime for you, but later on it is. If I didn't breastfeed at all, I wouldn't have much time to relax. Now breastfeeding is relaxing for me. Just ten minutes here and there throughout the day is nice. I play scrabble on my iPod while nursing and check email on there too. I used to watch TV (netflix instant), but I ran out of shows to watch that don't have bad language in them. Luci hears and notices noises and talking a lot more now, so I don't want to watch a lot of TV while she's awake. I hardly ever turn the TV on in the daytime. Although I really miss having cable. Maybe after we sell our condo in Illinois we can get cable. Anyone need a one bedroom condo in Lisle, IL?

I don't relax much when I give her a bottle since I have to hold her and the bottle and make sure she is in a good position, all that fun stuff. I am just glad she has a way to get what she needs for nutrition. I can't give her everything through my breasts, but I can give her a little and I think she is happy with what I can provide. That makes me happy too.