The things I can’t believe I forgot about breastfeeding

Once you’ve mastered something, like riding a bike, you’re not really meant to forget how to do it or what it’s like, right? Wrong. As soon as I started breastfeeding Teddy, within a minute of him being born, only some of the memories came flooding back – the good ones. How it’s nice to bond with the baby, how it’s amazing that I’m so fortunate to be able to even do it. What I wasn’t thinking about was all the really rubbish stuff that goes with it! Here are some of the things I forgot about breastfeeding…

First things first, sore nipples. OUCH! My milk hadn’t come in yet so my boobs weren’t sore, but my goodness did my nipples feel like they were being sucked up an industrial hoover pipe. I had totally forgotten how good at sucking these babies are. Going from a nice dry environment, to an almost constantly wet one along with being tugged at with the tongue, my nipples were feeling it. I remember mine cracking and splitting once I was feeding Toby, but this time I came prepared to prevent, rather than cure, any problems. It was straight on with the nipple cream and ensuring that Teddy was latching on correctly, even double checking with the midwife that it all looked good.

Day two and three are horrendously exhausting. Teddy really wanted to get my milk in, so much so that he only let me sleep for 3 hours out of a possible 48. The lack of sleep was so bad that I was nodding off while sitting up, followed by the classic head roll that then jerks you awake. It got so bad that I asked the midwife to take him away for an hour so I could have a break. She did, but I was still wide awake because I could hear him screaming from down the corridor and in the end I asked her to bring him back *sob*. Here I am looking absolutely knackered.. come to think of it, I still look like that now!

My milk finally came in and I looked as though I’d been plucked from a Playboy magazine because my boobs were so big and engorged, which made me terribly hormonal and tearful. It’s at this point that partners would do well to remember that this is not the time to be fondling these funbags because they are painful. The boob job look isn’t one I’m a massive fan of, but it is fun to be reminded what it’s like to have bigger and fuller boobs.

Cue the tent like nursing bras and breast pads. Speaking of which, there’s nothing quite like a fresh breast pad is there? One of the things I forgot about breastfeeding was how many you go through in the first few days while your milk supply sorts itself out. It’s not so bad once you’re routinely feeding, although Teddy is a bit of a dribbler and still manages to soak them at almost every feed. And is it just my child, but as soon as the flow gets going, he pulls away so that I’m left squirting breastmilk into his eye, on to my arm, Jamie’s pillow and god knows where else? I’ve taken to holding a muslin over it because it’s a force of nature! That’ll be a funny one to see in public..

The last thing I forgot about breastfeeding is just how relentless and tough it can be. When they’re going through a growth spurt, decide to cluster feed, are just super hungry or you just need a break – you can’t! Unless you’re expressing, and I don’t tend to be able to express that much, then it’s all on you every minute of every day (and night.. every single second of the night). But you know what? It’s SO damn worth it that I’d do it a hundred times over.

I can’t believe some of the things I forgot about breastfeeding! If you’re a second time (or more) parent, what are some of the things you forgot about breastfeeding from the first time?

Jade x