Breastfeeding

I always knew that I was going to breastfeed. The problem was, I couldn't breastfeed my first two kids. It wasn't for lack of wanting. I desperately wanted to; I just didn't know that what the so-called lactation consultant told me was complete hooey. She said that I was too "firm and perky" to breastfeed.( I didn't know that was a bad thing.) She also said not to worry about breastfeeding but to just get weight on the babies. Ha! Some support. Reluctantly I followed her advice, not knowing any better, and struggled with guilt over not having been able to nurse my first two.

Enter Ella… I made sure I was educated before I had her. I switched to a wonderful midwife who had successfully breastfed three children of her own and who promised me round-the-clock support, should we need it. I also read up on a lot of information. Turns out that almost all the advice I got from that hospital lactation consultant, and I use that term very loosely, was completely incorrect. Yes, I'm still bitter. I would love to rant and rave about that incompetent person offering lactation advice to hundreds of women, but I actually intended this blog to be informational. I wanted to offer hope.
Breastfeeding your baby is the best thing for them and, after some difficult practice, completely easy and convenient. Educate yourself first on any obstacles that may need to be overcome and know the solutions before your baby is born. Otherwise, you may end up in a moron's office watching helplessly as they shove a bottle of formula in your babies mouth and tell you that you're incapable of keeping your baby alive without manufactured milk. Ah, I digress…
Dr. Jack Newman has a fantastic book out that lists all of the obstacles women face when breastfeeding called The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers. He also has several articles on his website that are yours to do with as you please. www.drjacknewman.com. (I just learned that they will have to shut down soon due to lack of funding. Please help if you can, this is an invaluable resource!)
Also, Carrie Lauth has an 84-page e-book available called the Happy Breastfeeder that is available for download for $1. No strings. She's very adamant about breastfeeding and wants to give hope and advice to mothers. Click Here to download the Happy Breastfeeder ebook. .
Finally, make sure you have lots of support. Good support. You can check out La Leche League's website for breastfeeding help in your area www.llli.org. Take it from me, good support makes all the difference in the world.