The midwife had no sooner left the house when I felt this strange,
unfamiliar tingling. I consulted Dr Google who suggested it was probably my
milk coming in. Hooray!
My little piranha seemed as relieved as I was at this new development; so
much so that he pretty much fed every 2 hours, sometimes every hour just to be
sure. Over the next few days the pain and discomfort eased and I found it
really helpful to count back from 10 to 1 after the inital latch to distract
myself from the feeling. Each feed, by the time I got to 1, the pain had
subsided and Starfish fed happily for anywhere from 15-40 minutes at a time.
The next midwife visit around 3 days later was a much happier occassion.
Starfish had gained weight, 1 oz per day to be exact. And so it has continued
since. Each time he gets on the scales we beam with pride to hear his new
weight.
I have to confess, one night in week 2 I was completely knackered and
Starfish wanted to feed constantly. In a stupor I relented and let hubby make
up a bottle of formula. Starfish was none too pleased and literally looked like
he was being poisoned but eventually gave in and drank it. Let's just say, with
the rancid smell of his nappies the next day we vowed (much to Starfish's
delight) that formula would never again pass his lips and the tub was
unceremoniously dumped. Not only that but trying to pacify a hungry baby for
the eternity it takes to make up a formula bottle (the boiling and cooling,
mixing and testing) completely defeats the purpose as far from giving me a
rest, it just stressed out all 3 of us.
After just 2 weeks I was really enjoying each feed and was totally
pain free. It is an amazing way to bond with Starfish, especially as there are
some things that I was unable to do for him without help, especially in the
first few weeks following the c section. I feel like Supermum when he gets
grizzly but instantly settles when he starts to feed. I'm even more chuffed
when he feeds and drifts off into a peaceful sleep! Get this, at just 8 weeks
he was sleeping through the night! A full, blissful 8 hours (that's 7 more than
I was getting when I was pregnant!)
Everyone who meets Starfish comments that he has beautiful skin. He's
thankfully not had a cough, cold or any sickness so far; he's tipping the
scales at well over 14lbs now and has grown a staggering 12.5cm in length since
birth. All this thanks to Momma Milk. No words can describe the sense of pride
and accomplishment that gives me. Not only that but my milk adapts in content
and temperature automatically to be EXACTLY what Starfish needs at any given
moment, no notice required. (How cool is that?)
It's not all about Starfish either. Despite having developed the appetite of
a hippo (a common side effect of breastfeeding it seems) I am actually lighter
now than before I got pregnant! Yes, you read that correctly; I've not just
lost all my "baby weight” within a few weeks of having Starfish but I've
lost more besides. And that's not to mention the pounds we've saved not having
to buy formula.
Fast forward 13 weeks and I got a call I never in a million years expected.
SureStart asking Starfish and I to come in and speak to an ante natal group
about breastfeeding. Even more shockingly, I readily accepted the invitation
and spoke with gushing enthusiasm about the benefits of the magic milk. (Did
you know that a little dab of it cures everything from sticky eye to nappy
rash?) We finished our talk saying "If someone had told me 13 weeks ago
that we'd be hear tonight speaking to you all, I'd have laughed in their
face" and Starfish giggled right on cue!
We still had some challenges to overcome, not least feeding in public and
when in my wheelchair out and about. I wasn't feeling at all brave about either
of these things. Starfish, much like his mum, is prone to quite vocal outburstS
when he gets hangry (hungry and angry) and the last thing I wanted was a public
meltdown if I couldn't get us both positioned properly to feed in the chair. To
get around this I expressed milk before going out and hubby fed Starfish from a
bottle when out. This was necessary because Starfish is no fool; he knows if I
try to give him a bottle that I have the original 'equipment' for feeding and
refuses the bottle from me. This solution is not without its drawbacks; gone
are the days when we could take spontaneous trips because expressing enough
needs about 2 days notice; but at least it saved any tantrums from either
Starfish or me!
This routine continued until a few weeks ago when we were on one of our
trips out with our trusty bottles as normal. However Starfish is teething and
began to cry inconsolably and refused the bottle from even his Dad as his
little mouth was so sore. Seeing him in such a state I had to do something; I
took the proverbial bull by the horns (or in this case the Starfish by the
waist) and attempted to feed him in my chair. He cried for a few more seconds,
then realised where he was, latched on and fed like a pro! He stopped crying
almost straight away, (Momma Milk has natural pain relieving properties; the
stuff is truly magic) fed for about 10 minutes then (I kid you not) looked up
at me and smiled! It was almost as if he realised the milestone we had reached
together and we were sharing a proud moment.
Hooray for Starfish and Wheelie Momma, there'll be no stopping us now!
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