Friday, April 1, 2011

Childbirth Collective: Breastfeeding

My friends, Ashley & Amanda, invited me to go with them to a Childbirth Collective Parent Topic Night on breastfeeding last Wednesday. Since Adam has class late on Wednesday nights, it was the perfect night to go. I wouldn't have to worry about getting home & waking him up.

I learned a lot (took over a page and a half of notes!) about breastfeeding, since I wasn't ever able to try with Danni. (Though, I do feel like I know everything & more about pumping!) For example, they said that if you are having trouble breastfeeding after a couple weeks, go "back to basics" and start with some skin-to-skin contact. When babies are born and immediately placed on their mother's chest, they will being to crawl (not like an 7 or 8 month old would) to the mother's breast and latch on. They showed us a video of it, and it was amazing to see!

Afterwards, the ladies that were putting it on came around & talked to us. She asked Amanda more about the problems she had breastfeeding her first, Noah. Then she asked me about my breastfeeding experience with my first. I explained that I was never able to feed her, but one nurse allowed her to suckle once. I told her how it was a little painful, and Danni fell asleep fairly quickly, so I didn't keep her on very long. (Though if you ask Adam the reason she doesn't have a smile on her face in the picture of me holding her -she smiled when he was holding her- is because I took the boob away from her.)

I shared a little bit about Danielle's story with her and the others. It was something I hadn't done in a while, and it felt good to talk about her with people who hadn't heard her story before. Most people I'm around have heard her story before (probably a couple times). Ashley asked me if I needed a hug. I said I was okay, and I was, it felt good to talk about her.

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