Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Baby item #2

The baby item of the day is the Boppy pillow. I bought one with my first daughter in hopes that it would aid in breastfeeding. I took it to the hospital so the nurses could help me when I was figuring out how to breastfeed. I only made it six months. For my second daughter, we used the Boppy to prop her up while her sister fed her a bottle. I only made it six weeks due to a terrible yeast infection in my breasts that caused immense pain and bleeding, the baby developed thrush, and we were both miserable. In order to clear up the infection I had to use a pump and sterilize it after every use. I cried a lot during that six weeks. Third time around I still don't know what I am doing. I can't say for sure if I will get the hang of breastfeeding, but I won't be disappointed if I can't. I am going to need all the help I can get and I am bringing out the Boppy.

7 comments:

Jalene said...

I never did get the hang of it either, though sometimes I wished I could have.

Lucky Starfish said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lucky Starfish said...

If at first you don't succeed, bring out the boppy!

Lorinda said...

Good for you for trying again. Breast feeding can be a tough thing to master. You'd think something so natural would be, well, more natural! Don't let yourself get down if it doesn't work for you. I never made it much past the 6 month mark even though I would have liked to go longer.

Infections are the worst and very difficult to continue to nurse through even when they are not very severe and yours sounded awful! So sorry! It may happen again, so my best recommendation would be to be very aware of the condition of your breasts and talk to your doctor at the slightest hint of a possible infection (tender, firm, or hot spot on your breast; a slight unusual pain when breastfeeding; etc.) so you can get it treated early.

I've also heard, but don't know if it is true, that changing the baby's position from one nursing session to the next is a good idea (standard way, football hold, etc.). The theory being that sometimes an infection begins with a clogged duct which can come from the baby's chin always causing pressure in the same spot if you always nurse the same way. Sounds kind of crazy, but I was up for trying anything to avoid another infection when I was nursing.

whew, long one. sorry.

Minnette said...

I hope it workouts for you this time :) I've enjoyed nursing all of my babies for a year and you will definatly need the boppy, it can do a number on your back if you don't have the extra support of a good pillow (actually any pillow works.) My advice would be don't be afraid to work with the nurse to get the baby to latch correctly. I know it's exciting when they finally latch but don't be afraid to take her off if it is uncomfortable for you. Ask your nurse for some cream and use the breast milk on the area and air dry for a few seconds to keep the skin healthy. Oh, and drink tons and tons of water and eat well! Good luck, nursing is a time saver, and can some bucks!

Kt said...

What was item #1? I missed it.

snappy said...

item #1 was the alcohol and cotton balls!!!