I know a lot of you mom's breast feed, or have breast fed. Most of you probably won't agree with me when I say......."I don't like breast feeding." Now, I do like it because I know it's better for babies, and it's good for me too. So I will stick to it. But you always read and hear how convenient it is. Sure, it's convenient when your in your home with nothing to do. But the convenience goes out the window the minute you step out of the comforts of my home. When you are in the car and baby is crying to eat. With a bottle you can go sit in back and feed him. Not with breast feeding. When you are at the store and it's time for baby to eat, what do you do? Go find somewhere to sit, get out your breast cover so no one sees your boobs, and sit at the store for a half hour while you feed him. What do your 4 and 2 year old do for a half hour? run a ruckus at the store, cry and complain because they are tired of waiting for you. Plus Brigham hates to be covered while he eats. I get hot sweaty under the blanket. If I was bottle feeding I would pop the bottle in and hold it while I walked around the store. At night your exhausted because your the only one who can feed him. Sure you can pump and freeze your milk, so your husband can help from time to time. Robby did that last night, and it took forever to un thaw that milk. Baby was screaming waiting for it to warm up.
Last night we went to the fair. Where and the heck do you feed a baby at the fair? We were watching the hypnotist. There weren't any seats left, so we had to stand. It was 90 something degree's, and Brigham was hungry. I had to sit on the hard ground, and try to feed him under the blanket on the ground, sweating in the heat. He hates to be covered. So he squirmed and cried. It was quite frustrating and I wanted to cry my self. with larger boobs, and a squirming baby, trying to stay covered was hard. I had Robby constantly trying to help adjust the cover. The last 10 min of feeding I kinda gave up trying to stay completely covered, and I think it bothered a couple of women sitting next to me. One looked at me and gave a look, and then her friend looked at me. They could probably see an inch of my boob and thought I was horrible. It was so uncomfortable, and such a headache to feed him like that. I missed the whole show.
For those breast feeding mom's out there. Do you have any tips for me to make it better, less miserable? How do I take pumped milk out with me, and keep it good, and warm it up while I am out? I don't know how that works. I need tips and help so I don't go crazy and feel like I can leave my home and be ok.
A Little Lost
4 days ago
5 comments:
Kaycee, I can relate 100%. I HATE when I use to lean over the car seat in the car to feed my kids when they were hungry. I HATED finding a bench in the srore or going to the car to breast feed. I can't imagine how it will be with more kids. Like you said, they dont want to wait for you while you feed the baby. It does get better though. He will start spacing out his feeding to every 4 hours soon so it makes it a little easier. You can cordnate your day better to is feedings. Now with taking a bottle with pumped milk. I still haven't gotten that down. I would keep it in a those little black bag with ice packs. and how to get it heated back up to the drink able temp. while I am out and about, I can not remember what I did? Maybe go to the bathroom and hold it under hot water for a while. I hope it gets easier for you. I know its a pain, but I think it does get easier. :)
Yes, nursing is very fun... lol :) One tip is if you are at a store, go to the dressing room to feed him. If you have a coloring book or something for the kids to do, you can sit back on the bench and feed without even being covered. Another tip is there is a belly band. It covers your belly and stops just under your boobs. That way you can pull your shirt up and not have to worry that your belly or back is hanging out. It's easier to keep the top covered if you don't have to worry about the bottom too. I have a nursing blanket that is made out of really light seersucker material and I can actually tie it around my neck so the baby can't pull it off. I can peek in if I need to but no one else sees my business. It folds up really really small too because it's lightweight-the baby isn't as hot with that either. Next time I am at the store I will look for some material for you. Mine was crocheted around the edges but the latest ones I didn't have time or energy to do that so they were just raw edges. Don't give up. It is not always the easiest thing but the bond you build with Brigham is worth it. So are the benefits to your body if you know what I mean! (Every time I nurse a baby, the weight comes off, when I don't it hangs on...for me at least!) When you need to go out, try to get everything ready to leave, then feed him right before you leave. Maybe make shorter trips or plan to be out and feed him only once during that time. Good luck!
This is all good advice. Feed him right before you go and he will be happy. plan to go out (shopping, errands, etc) when your kids are the best. At the store take a special treat or toy for the other kids to play with. I used warm water to heat up frozen milk if I knew I was going to be out late at night and din't want to have to bring out the blanket. Brigham is not very old and so the blanket covering will just take some time for him and you to adapt to. Just watch. In a few months you will be a pro! They also have blanket breast feeding tents, clips for blankets, etc. Do some research online. I have also heard you can make a breastfeeding tent yourself really cheap. When you first start breastfeeding your breasts are trying to decide how much milk to make. They will feel awkward at first with so much milk, but in a month or two your breasts will know what they need to produce for each feeding. Your breasts will get smaller by the end. Every time breastfeeding in public gives you grief, remember that you are burning calories while you sit.
With the older kids you can prepare them before you sit down to breastfeed. Have them get you books and read to them while you breast feed. If they are being particularly bad, make funny faces at them and ask them to make funny faces at you. Ask them questions and really listen to the answers. Your older kids may start to like the time because they will think you are paying attention to them rather than just the baby.
Our bodies are amazing. The pure fact that your breastfeeding signals to the body that your body needs to stop holding so much weight, hence the reason why you lose a pound every morning you wake up. BY six to nine months your body will shrink so much people will ask you what exercises you are doing to lose so much weight.
Keep it up and remember, you already did the hard part, labor with NO DRUGS!! Surely if other women can do it, you can too!
i don't have any advice for nursing because my kids never did that obviously but, breast milk can sit out for 4 hours without going bad. so if you pump right before you walk out the door and get it in a bottle with a nipple you can whip it out whenever he wants it. once i fed max milk that had been sitting out for almost 8 hours (i didn't realize it had been out for that long), and i called his nurse to ask if i needed to bring him in because of that and she told me that breast milk is usually ok sitting out for up to 12 hours (although they do not advise you to leave it out that long). so anyway, if you pump right before you leave you shouldn't need to refrigerate the milk for at least 4 hours and that way you won't have to worry about warming it up for him.
another idea is to drive to your destination (store or whatever), and put a movie on in the car for your kids while you breastfeed in the car or pump in the car. i've done that so many times and cole loves watching a movie while i pump. sometimes i'll get max out and let him play in the front seat or let them both roam around the car while i do my thing.
also, i say do whatever you have to to nurse your kid. if other people have a hard time with it or get offended from seeing your boobs- that's their problem. you kid needs to eat so whatever that takes.
i totally think nursing/pumping is worth it. but i don't blame people for giving up and going to formula. it isn't the most fun and convenient thing ever most times.
good luck! i hope you find something that works for you.
oh and one more thing i was thinking is you should try to nurse brigham and get him full RIGHT before you leave the house so that you have a good couple of hours before he needs to eat again.
I don't really have any other suggestions, other than what has already been said. Lots of good advice and smart women have already commented. :) I have a nursing cover and that helps me to nurse in public. It's easier than a blanket. But it does get hot and sweaty under there. I try to nurse right before I leave, but that doesn't always mean he will be full enough to make it through all the errands. So, I've learned to be flexible. Also I don't really care anymore about what people think if I'm feeding my baby in public. People give me weird looks sometimes, but oh well. I try to stay covered and I'm feeding my baby, so they just have to deal with it! :) I love this quote: "If breastfeeding offends you...put a blanket over your head!!" Good luck and hang in there! :)
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