"BF" Has a New Meaning

1) That is my arm  and  2) Milk Coma!! That is one happy baby.

"BF" - as in breastfeeding. Welcome to the new world of being a Momma to me! Men (dads), this post is not for you...sorry...but you have been forewarned!

My entire pregnancy I planned on breastfeeding our baby, but was nervous about it working out. Would he latch? Would I produce enough milk? How long would it last? What if it doesn't work? Like most women, I really wanted to breastfeed my baby exclusively. We all know so many things can go wrong though...and for no particular reason.

Thankfully, so far - breastfeeding has been great for Dayton and I. I am so incredibly thankful that breastfeeding has been so successful. I am also pretty happy about how I've taken to it. Nursing is a natural reaction for a baby, but I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it. Well, it's safe to say it's one of my most favorite times of the day. I absolutely love the bond I've formed with my baby, as well as the time to snuggle with him, provide for him, talk to him, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the idea of having that special relationship with my baby that no one else gets.

I'm sure everyone has heard of the many benefits of breastfeeding, but here are some of my reasons (both for Dayton and for me) for wanting to exclusively breastfeed:

• promotes bonding between mother and baby
• satisfies baby's emotional needs
• breast milk provides the perfect infant nutrition
• breast milk changes to your baby's needs as they grow
• decreases mother's risk of breast and ovarian cancer
• breast milk aids in development of baby's immune system
• breast milk is more digestible than formula
• breast milk is proven to increase I.Q. and academic achievement
• decreases risks for allergies, some diseases, and asthma
• and a million more reasons

Can you see why I was anxious about it?! I wanted and still want the best for our little man. Like I said, thankfully we have been successful at nursing and I have over 75 6 oz. bags of breast milk in my supply. Some days, yes, I feel like a cow. However, I would rather feel like a cow than be disappointed in myself if breastfeeding hadn't worked out.

Is breastfeeding easy? Um, I would say not the easiest. Especially not the first 2 weeks. Dayton got a good latch the 2nd night after his birth. We started doing a lot better after that. However, it took him and me about 2 weeks to really get the hang of it. Now he "gets on and gets off" (for lack of better words) in about 20 minutes. From what I can tell, he's eating between 4-5 oz. at each feeding. He's a little piggie...just like his Daddy was! There are quite a few things new Mommas and babies have to work through those first 2 weeks like latching, milk supply, engorged boobs, pumping, soreness, frustration, full feedings, etc.

My advice? Be patient with your baby and yourself. Get through those first 2 weeks and I promise, it will get better! All of my mommy friends told me - just get through those first 2 weeks - and they were right!

Here are a few things that I have done and continue to do to keep my milk supply up.

• Pumping...pump, pump, pump  - If you take it out, your body will put it back. 
• Schedule - Dayton ate on an every 2 hour schedule. It helped my body get used to getting enough milk to be ready for him at each feeding.
• Water - Plan on drinking more water during the day that you thought possible.
• Healthy Calories - Your body works, a lot, to produce your milk. Eating plenty of healthy calories will help your body put the nutrition your baby needs into your milk without depleting your supply.
• Wake up Baby! - In our house, we like to eat naked! No, not the adults, just the baby. He wakes up more when he's naked. I think the skin to skin contact is helpful as well. None the less, baby needs to be awake to get a good feeding. 

My milk supply...after less than a week!

Here are a few other things that I think have helped!

• Oatmeal - From what I researched oatmeal is a natural food that helps increase your milk supply.
• Herbs - Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, Red Raspberry, and Brewers Yeast (containing B vitamins). None of these are research proven, but they have been used my moms for hundreds of years. I currently take Fenugreek (just to be safe).
• Chia Seeds - A friend put me onto to Chia seeds to keep up or increase milk supply. Chia seeds are one of the easiest most healthy foods that you can easily add to anything you eat!
•  Lactation Cookies - Yep, I said cookies. Don't worry, I have a healthified version that I make! (recipe below)

Good luck Mommas! I hope your breastfeeding experiences are as successful as mine! And I hope and pray that my good experience continues - please, please, please!!


~ Lactation Cookie Bar Recipe
(In parenthesis, I wrote how I changed the recipe to make it more healthy).

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup butter (organic butter)
• 1 cup sugar (stevia)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar (splenda brown sugar)
• 4 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
• 2 eggs (organic eggs)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour (whole grain flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups rolled/non-instant oats
• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (dark chocolate chips)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
•  4 tablespoons brewers yeast
• 1 cup nuts of your choice (almonds)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 350.
2. Mix flaxseed meal and water, set aside 3-5 minutes.
3. Cream butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs to butter and sugar.
5. Stir flaxseed mix into butter mix and add vanilla.
6. Beat until well blended and mixture turns a pale yellow.
7. Mix dry ingredients, except oats and choc chips.
8. Add butter mix to dry ingredients.
9. Stir in the oats and then the choc chips.
10. If mixture seems dry add in a little more water 1 tablespoon at a time.
11. Spread evenly in a 9x13 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.