La Leche

Before Piper's birth I had decided that I was going to breast feed. I knew that breast milk was best for babies, it was just the natural choice. I'm certinly not against formula and from time to time have supplimented however I have no hang-ups about breast feeding so wanted to give it my best shot. When Piper was born, she had the natural instinct to suck like any baby, however she would suck in such a strange way that she struggled to latch on properly. While in the hospital I was visited by the lactation specialist who showed me some techniques that would help Piper latch on properly. Of course when the consultant was present Piper did great but sods law dictated that as soon as she left Piper continued to struggle.

Once we left the hospital I found pumping and bottle feeding the breast milk the easiest as Piper continued to struggle to latch on. Soon my days became consumed with pumping then feeding then writing down how much and when she fed and then changing diapers. It started to feel redundant to pump then feed. I felt like I a doing twice the work.

So today I went to my first La Leche League meeting, I really wished I had gone before Piper was born. It was helpful to hear from other mothers what their experiences have been like so far. It was also a chance for me to ask questions. I left feeling a new sense of "I can do this" and I wished I could go back in time and start from the beginning with Piper and try the new techniques I learned from other mothers. Needless to say I went home and decided enough with the pump (well almost......I still pump at night). Piper and I would do what is natural. I was going to bond with my daughter through breast feeding. Both of us will learn how to do this together.

Even though this posting is all about breast feeding, I took this picture and video of Piper just before we left. I was so proud that she was able to hold the bottle all by herself (well...kind of...she's propping up the bottle in the video...a little to early for grasping it).