How I wish I had a
breastfeeding video to watch before I had my first baby!
I had terrible trouble trying to breast feed my first born. I got the shock of my life when he decided to arrive 4 weeks early. I had only just finished work a few days before. It was Easter and my husband decided to take me to my parents beach house down the coast. A nice relaxing weekend to put my feet up and rest. We arrived last on the Thursday night and I was feeling unusually tired. Off to bed I went.
The next morning, Good Friday, I woke up feeling a little strange and a sudden urge to head to the bathroom. I just made it when my waters broke. This wasn't supposed to happen for another 4 weeks! It was too early. My usually calm husband said we should head back up the coast to the hospital. He had the car packed and was waiting by the time I had a quick shower. My Mom was in panic mode.
"Aahh I'm going to be a grandmother today!"
"Mom calm down I'm not even having contractions."
My dad on the other hand was doing what he does best, with video camera in hand recording every moment.
Well, the two hour drive up the coast was something. My mom in the back seat of the car giving my husband directions, even though he knew the way!
"Pull over into the other lane, you'll get through the intersection quicker."
"Turn left here and go the other road it be will have less traffic."
It went on like this for the two hour drive. While sitting on towel in the front seat, I did keep reminding her that I wasn't having contractions. She nearly had heart failure when my husband said he was hungry and felt like pulling over to get something to eat.
We arrived at the hospital and I was admitted. Mum stayed while my husband drove another 20 minutes to our house to pick up my suitcase which I had almost packed ready for the baby. Plus of course a list of other things I needed.
Well nothing was happening so I was put on a drip to induce labor. Fourteen hours later at 6.50am the next morning my son entered the world a little on the blue side.
The cord had been around he neck and the doctor had to cut it quickly. I got a very quick cuddle and he was whisked off the special care nursery.
I was exhausted so was my husband. I think he didn't get much sleep sitting in the chair next to my bed, having his hand held in a vice like grip for hours on end!
I woke up about too hours later and wanted to see my baby. After a shower, I headed down the to nursery. The nurse took my tiny son, 5lb 9oz, out of the glass enclosed crib and handed him to me to breastfeed. What!!!
"You'll have to help me." I said as panic was setting in. All those baby books and magazines I was going to read when I finished work were still at home not opened. Does anyone have a
breastfeeding video? Watching someone else do it would sure help.
Well I feel I was very awkward my neck and shoulders and not to mention my arms ached through the first attempts. I was concentrating so hard on my baby, you don't realize that you have your neck on a strange angle and your shoulders all hunched over like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Just relax the nurse said.
It wasn't going well, then one of the nurse said that babies born before 37 weeks don't have a sucking relaxing. Great, now my baby had to learn to suck as well as me learning to breast feed him.
Eleven days later we brought a little boy home. He had not been feeding well and needed to be feed by having a tube stuck down his throat. He had jaundice for a few days and was very sleepy. I would express breast milk and the nurse would pour it into the tube.
After two more weeks at home. My little boy still was having trouble feeding. I found in the hospital to just listen to the one nurse who was a lactation consultant, and only her. You need an expert in breastfeeding to help you. Everyone else has an opinion but you need the right advice from an
expert on breastfeeding when it comes to your baby.
Everything was so much easy with my daughter who was born 3 years later. She knew what to do straight away when she was born. Having fed my son for 14 month, I found it much easier the second time around. Even after a shaking start with my son, I knew breastfeeding was the best for my babies.
