One thing that is funny about breast feeding.... it's so different for every woman. I lost 10 lbs from the birth and another 10 lbs the week after. But then I haven't lost any since then... so I guess I just had tons of water weight to loose that second week? I sure peed a lot. Because if that weight loss the second week was due to breastfeeding, it would have continued, I think.
I know that I supposedly need MORE calories now than while pregnant, but I certainly don't feel more hunger, and I'm back to eating barely anything like I was before getting pregnant... so I should be loosing weight, but I'm not. I've always preferred being slightly hungry-ish by eating tiny amounts all day, and one thing I hated about being pregnant was all the eating I had to do to not pass out! But it's pretty funny how different breast feeding is for every woman, because I know some women gained weight while breastfeeding because their hunger was asking BEYOND what they needed, and some women were back to pre-pregnancy weight in no time because the weight just fell off. Looks like I'm somewhere in the middle... until he gets older and needs more calories and my milk gets richer? Maybe?
One thing that has increased is THIRST! I think I'm still drinking that massive amount of water that I was while pregnant.... like over 64 ounces a day. But there is no increase in pee, which is so weird!! (Yes I know, it is being made into milk instead!)
I have to say, I cannot say that breast feeding is "enjoyable" just yet. Mostly it hurts and keeps me sitting on my ass for hours. And with the D-MER, it makes me feel bad quite often. I know it will all be worth it though. I feel so sorry for him because he cries in his sleep so often, because his tummy hurts. It's because of how much milk I make. He is getting a larger amount of foremilk (his poop is watery and green sometimes, though not all the time, thankfully) which I just learned is higher in lactose which is why it makes him gassy and upset. So now I'm feeding on each breast for 2-3 hours, to help reduce my supply a bit and help him reach the fattier milk. It certainly works, my breasts feel smaller and softer. Now I just have to wait and see if his tummy is less upset for the next couple of days.
One thing I love is how little you have to worry... things have a way of always working themselves out, with breast feeding. The solution to every problem with mom or baby seems to be "more and frequent breast feeding"! Plugged duct? Breast feed. Baby needs soothing? Breast feed. Baby is sick? Breast feed. Baby has pink eye/ear infection/a scrape/a rash? Put breast milk on it. Need more sleep? Breast feed (while laying down!). Want the baby to calm down and probably fall asleep? Breast feed. Want to avoid 90% of the health problems in the first world? Breast feed. Baby poop is always changing in quantity/consistency? Just keep breast feeding. Baby spits up a lot? Just keep breast feeding.
It seems to be the only thing in the world where the best advice is always "do nothing". It really is a perfect system.
I'm suspicious that one reason so many women have trouble breastfeeding here/today is not only the total lack of community in general, but the fact that a huge chunk of these women grew up on formula themselves. If formula use can raise risks for SIDS, cancer, obesity, heart disease, ADHD, asthma, allergies, exposure to heavy metals... surely they should be looking at a correlation between moms who struggle with supply, for example, and whether or not they were formula fed themselves? It only makes sense that it would affect all areas of development. Not to the extent that it could be responsible for ALL BFing troubles, of course (it takes more than one or two generations of less-than-adequate nutrition to reverse 5 billion years of evolution... or to destroy God's design, whatever, same concept). It's estimated that only 2-5% (but certainly no more than 10%) of women physically can't breastfeed. But about 80% don't (and most of the rest supplement). Those are terrible numbers.... if it truly is all social reasons, that really speaks to the power and influence of culture in what it means to be human (and that is something I believe, as an Anthropology student!). I'm just saying, I wouldn't rule it out as a possible factor.
No comments:
Post a Comment