Just When You Get Used To Something, It Changes!!

Think of stretch marks as pregnancy service stripes.  ~Joyce Armor

Pregnancy is not for the weak or faint of heart. Childbirth is a marathon. There is no word adequate to describe motherhood. It is at times the most joyful experience, the most painful experience, and a hundred things in between. You can do it.

Pregnancy gives you a run for your money. Your hormones are shifting your body is changing, you feel like you will never be yourself again. It’s a good thing you have a cute baby to look forward too.

Labor and childbirth take those feelings and add contractions, bleeding, and more intense hormones and emotions than you have previously ever thought possible. It is a good thing you have a cute baby to look forward too.

The postpartum period, again, can put you through the wringer. It is a good thing babies are cute! Pregnancy, labor, and birth are often not easy, but they can be and often are the most wonderful, empowering experiences. Think about it, people do it over and over and over, there has to be some good about it!

Adjusting to Motherhood

The first few weeks can kind of feel like and out of body experience. Lost between breastfeeding and diapers, diapers, and yes- more diapers, you may feel like some sort of sleep deprived crazy person. It is okay! It does get better.

It is a Pain in the Butt (or Boob)!

One of the things that I cried the most over was my sore and bloody nipples. For not having any teeth babies can really pack a punch in their latch- actually the most developed muscles in a newborn’s body is the mouth and jaw.

Some soreness is normal. You and your baby have to learn how to work together. Once you and your baby get it all figured it will not be painful. Literally, I saved my big pain killers for when I needed to nurse.

In time it got better, but there are some tricks and tips to get it make it better.

• Nipple cream is a heaven sent blessing. There are several kinds of nipple cream available over the counter or by prescription to help ease the discomfort and chapped nipple issues. Coconut Oil is also a good thing to use.
• I like All Purpose Nipple Ointment, Earth Mama Angel Baby, and EasyNurse nipple creams. These really can be a lifesaver.
• Lactation Consultants are the guardian angels of nursing mothers. They can save the day with advice to help ease the discomfort. Lactation consultants can offer positioning as well as latching advice. 
• Nipple shields can be used occasionally, but are often over used. Or used as a temporary fix without addressing the root problem. Nipple shields are fantastic for premature babies or sick babies. They often lack the fat pockets in their cheeks to get a good latch or grip on the nipple. Using the nipple shield to help them until their mouths have grown and strengthened is a great thing. 
• However you have to be somewhat careful that your baby and you do not become dependent on it. It can be hard to wean a baby from the nipple shield if your baby or you have become dependent. This can lead to another issue down the road and no one really needs that.
• Some lactation consultants will advise using a nipple shield to allow for a particularly injured nipple to heal. But most often once the problem is corrected things heal pretty quickly.
• Doctors and most nurses do not get education on breastfeeding. You need to find a doctor who is educated in Breastfeeding Medicine or a Lactation Consultant (or similar) for problems with breastfeeding.

Babies are born to breastfeed. You can do this. Women have been nursing their babies for millennia- and almost every woman is able to breastfeed. One woman’s breast-feeding may look different from another though- the frequency and length of nursing sessions are just as individual as babies and mothers.

Christobel seeks to empower women to make the best choices possible for their babies. By providing them with non-judgmental support and advice on everything from diapers to breastfeeding, Christobel helps mothers decide what is best for them. She is a loving grandmother, based in London, England.