Let's talk nursing (I promise this won't be too detailed!)

One thing that has been different about with Olivia than the boys is I have been nursing her. 

With the boys…

Between being a new mom and twins, nursing was beyond challenging.  For the boys we would do both at once for 30 minutes, then syringe feed them with formula.  It seemed to be a performance, Keith going from one side, to the other trying to keep them awake.  Then there was the pain factor.  We finally tried a bottle the first night home and that was the end of me nursing.  I did pump for a couple months, but that was it. 

And with Olivia…

Olivia was a rockstar at nursing from the start!  They had me feed her with in the first hour of being born and this girl latched right on and nursed for 40 minutes!!!!  We certainly had some struggles here and there at the hospital, but I just stayed calm and patient and we worked through it and we are over 4 weeks and still doing pretty well.  At her two-week appointment our ped said we should go ahead and try a bottle since I will have to go back to work soon.  She took the bottle without any issues and has had formula and breast milk bottles and no resistance with either.  We have been doing about one bottle a day.  I’ve been pumping 1-2 times a day.  I really should be doing this much more as I won’t have enough milk for her when I go back to work.  So that is how it is going with her, not sure how things will go when I return to work. 

Some things about nursing…

One thing I didn’t like about exclusively nursing is I didn’t like the thoughts that if I were gone for some reason, her food source was gone as well.  On the flip side, I love the fact that in any situation, if she needs to eat I can provide that for her.  I don’t have to hunt down warm water for a bottle. 

I am really happy we are able to do bottles now too, it is so nice to have this option when people come over or if we are out to dinner or somewhere that I can’t just leave the boys to go nurse Olivia.

As for pumping….

I know for many people the only option is to pump, then bottle feed.  After experiencing pumping and bottle feeding  AND nursing – nursing IS THE WAY TO GO!!! OH- my- the pumping is painful and time-consuming.  And let’s not forget the bottle making & washing that goes along with that.  So much more efficient to just nurse (though I realize these days are short-lived for us).  So my advice to any new mom is to try and stick with nursing for a couple weeks – it will get easier every day and really is much easier than pumping all the time.  (of course you still need to pump- just not quite as much). 

Oh – anyone who has pumped before might appreciate this story.  I had pumped for the first time and for some reason Keith had the pump and bottles and not sure why or what was going on – and he said, “we aren’t going to keep this are we”?  I’m sure my expression may have been priceless.  Guess he forgot about the “liquid gold” thing.  Part of me wanted to hook the pump up to him for 20 minutes.

One cool tool….

When you first have a baby, they want you to log all your diapers – when you feed, how long, etc.  With the boys we had pages filled in a notebook from our first week or two.  Well, hello 2012 and a world of aps.  We put the ibreastfeed application on my phone and it is awesome!!!  Such a fast and easy way to track your feedings and diapers.  I don’t use it anymore, but loved it for the first couple weeks.  I highly recommend this!!!

(I may be giving up on the Moby Wrap!  I can get it on, but having a hard time getting her comfy in it)  5 yards of fabric - this thing is crazy.