Well I have been doing somethinking latey and thought I would write about my battle with Breastfeeding and that Day 3 hump that i had a problem with and having to bottle feed.

Baby is born and the midwife/OB/Gyno puts bubs on your tummy. They weight them and test

them and put them back in a baby blanket and nappy. The midwife askes you to sit up slightly and see if bubs will attack. This was a great experience for me as Alex attached straight away and drank for quite some time.

Colostrum. The lovely nector you produce the first few days after birth. also known as the immune milk. it is full of carbs ,protien and low in fats. This milk also helps prevent jaundice.

By about day 3 your milk is starting to come through and some woman find this very painfull. I did. My breasts went from being a E cup to a F and they were so hard if I fell over I would bounce back. They were so big that Alex couldnt attach and I got a mild case of mastitis. This is the hard part of Breastfeeding in my opinion. I went to Nagala ( which is a parenting organisation in Perth) and got some tips on feeding and having to use a breast pump for a bit before feeding Alex (which was hard when he was crying for a feed) In the end I managed to do it but it only lasted 6 weeks as my PND got really bad ( will write about that another time)

Things I have found very usefull in this difficult time was.

• Always ask for help. I got my MIL to show me how to attach Alex Properly as she successfully feed all 4 of her kids.
• Have a bottle of water with you at all times. I didnt do this for my daughter and she was underfed because of this.
• If your baby is screaming and stressing you out you cant feed, it just doesnt work.
• Always wear comfortable clothing as a tight shirt isnt helpfull when you have to pop it out too feed. i found loose shirts the best.
• Dont be afraid to feed baby when they need it no matter where you are. I was in the shopping center and Charlie needed a feed and they didnt have a baby room so i plonked my but on a seat and blanket over her head and fed away.
• dont let people pressure you to do anything. If you feel you cant do it bottle feed. you need to do what is best for you.

After 6 weeks with Alex my breasts became so engorged that Alex couldnt feed at all. as I said before the were a F cup, so I gave up and coped alot of crap for it from my in laws as they dont believe in bottle feeding. Mind you they were more than happy to have Alex over night not long after when they found out i had PND. Even though it was a difficult desion to make i made it with Alex and my health the main factors.

• Don not let anyone put you down or tell you that you are a bad parent for your choice.

I hope this helps some people out there.

Liz