I had my son at 19 and whilst I breastfed straight away it wasn’t long before I switched to formula. Thankfully I wasn’t put off breastfeeding so when I got pregnant with my little girl, I knew I wanted to try it again. I had learned a lot about what ‘went wrong’ the first time so I felt more equipped the second-time around. This is my story of two very different births and breastfeeding experiences.
I was 19 and in preterm labour at 31 weeks
I got pregnant with my son when I was 19. At 31 weeks I went into preterm labor and was put on medication to stop my contractions. However, at 36 weeks my water broke spontaneously. It wasn’t long before I got an epidural. After 16 hours of labor and 30 minutes of pushing he was finally born. We started out breastfeeding but at his first appointment, his doctor said I needed to supplement with formula.
I was told he wasn’t gaining enough weight due to low milk production. At the time, I was suffering from severe postpartum depression so I believe this resulted in my low milk supply.
Whilst I tried pumping, it still wasn’t enough so eventually he was switched to formula.
I felt so defeated but he’s a healthy happy four year old now!
I was suffering from severe postpartum depression so I believe this resulted in my low milk supply.
Lacey
Pregnant again and induced at 39 weeks!
I got pregnant again at 23 and everything was so different. At 39 weeks I was induced. I really wanted a natural birth but the nurse kept pushing me to get the epidural and I gave in. However, the epidural ended up not working and I was so glad!
I honestly think that being able to feel my body push my daughter out is a huge contributor to how I have a good milk supply now. After the nurses put her on my chest she latched on right away and our breastfeeding journey began.
Working to get the latch right
The first few nights at home were so hard, but we powered through it. My daughter had a bad latch and the pain was awful. We worked on achieving a good latch and she now feeds amazing well. She’s growing like a weed! We’re going to continue to breastfeed until she’s ready to stop.
We worked on achieving a good latch and she now feeds amazing well.
I now know from my experience that breastfeeding should not hurt. If it does that means baby probably has a bad latch. With time and dedication, you can work to fix a bad latch.
When it comes to boosting your milk supply, I believe skin-to-skin is so important, plus it helps create a bond with baby. It’s amazing what our bodies are capable of!
Your can follow our breastfeeding journey on my Instagram!