My Breastfeeding Experience

When I was pregnant, I decided that I really wanted to breastfeed.  I had always been on the fence about it because my mom had a lot of trouble breastfeeding both my brother and me and the idea of breastfeeding seemed a little weird, to be honest.  But, after learning that breastmilk is so good for babies, I decided I really wanted to do it.  I decided I would read as much as I could on the subject, get advice from other mom friends, and go to a breastfeeding class.  The information I read was very helpful.  I read articles that encouraged moms to keep trying even when you run into problems, I read a book about how benefecial breastfeeding is and I learned about all the different breastfeeding positions I could.  I signed up for a breastfeeding class through the hospital.  The problem with the class was the only available date was on the day of my due date.  As I got closer to my due date, I realized there was no way I could take the class before I had the baby.  When I signed up for the class, I was reassured that there were plenty of lactation consultants and nurses at the hospital who could help me if I wans't able to attend the class.  So, I felt somewhat confident about breastfeeding. 

Well, little Aiden and I had problems right off the bat.  I could never get him to latch, even with the lactation consultant helping me several times.  He had to have supplemental formula feedings before we left the hospital.  I was very discouraged and didn't think that I would be able to breastfeed at all.  When we left, the lactation consultant sent us home with a manual breast pump and lots of encouragement that I could get him to latch.  The pump is what saved us and helped me to eventually breastfeed!  I tried and tried to get Aiden to latch once we got home, even with help from my mom, grandmother, and Brandon.  We never could get it.  So, being the determined person that I am, I decided my son was going to get breastmilk any way that I could give it to him.  So, I pumped.  That manual pump was not easy to use at all.  It was quite time consuming, too and with a newborn in the house, there is no extra time to spare!   Brandon's grandparents came to the rescue and got me a very nice electric pump.  I pumped for Aiden several times a day until he was about 2 1/2 months old.  I was working with him once in a while to try to get him to latch.  On Memorial day, I tried again since we had a whole day with nothing to do and Aiden finally caught on and latched!  I now have been breastfeeding him ever since and I love it.  I love knowing that I am doing everything I can to give him the best nutrition, I love the relationship we have because of it, and I love spending that extra time just the two of us.  I am so excited to finally be able to breastfeed and accomplish one of my biggest goals.  I have now made it to 6 months of breastfeeding and hope to be able to continue until Aiden is a year old. 

By the way, I don't think less of anyone who doesn't breastfeed.  I understand it is a very personal choice and not everyone is able to or has the desire to.    :)

Aiden's Birth Story

At 1:13 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, 2012 Brandon and I welcomed our precious baby boy into this world.  We woke up that morning around 3 am and got ready to go to the hospital.  I was being induced because my doctor was going on vacation the week he was due and I really wanted her to be the doctor that delivered my baby.  And Aiden was ready to come anyway, I was already dilated 2 cm.  We were scheduled to be at the hospital at 5 am and we arrived around 5:15.  We only had to wait a few minutes before we were taken up to a room because we had pre-registered.  Both Brandon and I were a combination of super excited, nervous, scared, and happy. 

We got settled into a room around 5:30 or 5:45, the nurses got me all set up, and started my Pitocin drip around 6.  From around 6 until about 8, there wasn't much going on.  My Pitocin was slowly increased and then my doctor came by at 8 to break my water.  My Mom arrived at the hospital shortly before my doctor came by and her arrival was such a comfort to me.  I knew my Mom was there if I needed her!  After my doctor broke my water, she encouraged me to go ahead and get my epidural.  At first I wanted to see how far I could progress without needing one, but she encouraged me again to go ahead and get it.  I decided to listen to her voice of wisdom :)    Around 9, the anesthesiologist came to give me my epidural.  This was a scary procedure for me, especially because they wouldn't allow any family in the room, even Brandon.  I was so needing his hand to hold during this, but before I knew it, it was over and SO worth it.  By the time my epidural kicked in, I had just really started to feel some pain from my contractions, up until then I had only really felt pressure from them.  I feel very lucky to have only felt a little labor pain :)    After the epidural, I got my catheter, which was actually great because then I could quit getting up every 5 minutes to pee!  

Sometime after all that, my Dad arrived at the hospital.  I was so happy to have both parents there by this time.  I remember around 10 we were just watching t.v. and chatting.  At some point, Aiden started to get in distress and we had to have an internal fetal monitor hooked up so the nurses could keep a better eye on him.  They kept me on my side and kept turning me to try to keep him out of distress.  At one point his heart rate got really low and they called my doctor, but she said to just keep doing what we were doing and his heart rate went back up.  It was scary for a few minutes, though.  By 11 am, I was dilated to 10 cm and it was time to have a baby!  I couldn't have been more shocked!  I couldn't believe the nurse when she told me that I was ready to push after only being in labor for 5 hours!  My doctor got to the hospital pretty fast because Aiden had been in distress.  They gave me oxygen to help his heart rate stay up and we got ready to have a baby! 

I had kind of a hard time with pushing because our stubborn little Aiden wanted to be born face up and he wouldn't fit that way, so my doctor kept having to turn him face down.  After 2 hours of pushing, I was exhausted and my doctor asked me if I wanted help.  I tiredly said yes and she delivered Aiden with the vacuum, which sounds scary, but wasn't.  Our son was finally born!  He was so beautiful!  Brandon and I were both crying and couldn't stop looking at our precious baby boy.  He weighed 7 lbs, 1 oz and was 19 inches long.  Our family was dying to meet him because they were on pins and needles in the waiting room and hadn't heard anything in over 2 hours.  After Brandon and I had a little alone time with him, all our family came in and met our bundle of joy.  Brandon and I couldn't have been more excited to welcome our son into the world!