BREASTFEEDING IS COMPLEX

As a new mom I was determined to breastfeed my baby come hell or high water.

From what I’d read online, the struggle most breastfeeding moms faced was that of having low milk supply. So, in order to make sure I didn’t have the same problem, I got myself ready to boost my milk supply should the need arise. Before the baby arrived, I had bought all the ingredients for jungle juice as well as for lactation cookies – I was prepared!

To my surprise, I had nothing to worry about. From day one I did not just have milk, I had bucket loads of it. While I was extremely grateful that this was the case, it was not without its own challenges – rock-hard, painful breasts, endless expressing of milk in the middle of the night to release pressure, as well as the baby struggling to latch due to full breasts. A strong let-down, which meant lots of spit-ups and leakage... Why didn’t anyone speak about this online?

I feel that what new moms need to know is that your breastfeeding experience is as unique as your own body. It is complex and wonderful, easy some days and hard on others.

But, whatever your challenges, don’t give up if this is something that you really want to do. Know that there is help available! We saw a wonderful lactation consultant while we were still in hospital, and that really helped me get the latch right as well as make the most of my milk supply.

While I don’t know what the future will hold when I head back to work in three months’ time and have to start pumping to maintain my supply, this experience has taught me to persevere and take these challenges in my stride, while enjoying the hours spent breastfeeding as a chance to bond with my little one. KRISTIN LOUW, JOHANNESBURG