Breastfeeding

4 Thoughts Going Through Her Head As She Watches You Breastfeed


You might be wondering why some women stare at your breast when you are breastfeeding your baby, they aren’t trying to tell you to pack it up and put it away.

As you put the nipple in your baby’s mouth and make him suck there are a lot of thoughts going through their head and I know because here are the thoughts that go through my head when I stare at a woman breastfeeding her baby so you aren’t creep out next time that happens;

1. I’m wondering how you do that 

I never got to nurse my own baby for long but watching you as you tried to pacify your hungry baby by bringing out your breast in full view of everyone while your other toddler is also seated beside you, I wonder where you get the strength to do this day in, day out.


2. Looking at you, I was reminded of how hard it was 

We didn’t have a good start at breastfeeding, it hurt like hell and my boobs were cracked and painful and I felt like they are nailing my nipple every time my child put his mouth to it, yet I had to endure this for some time before things finally got back to normal. Watching you still breastfeeding your 1 year plus baby, I wished I was reminded of how hard it was and I wish I had tried harder with my baby.

3. I miss those moment of bonding with my baby

Although it was crazy and it was tough and I cursed and spanked her every time she bite me now that it’s over and as I watch you and your baby bond, I now realise that I missed those minutes spent holding my baby close to me during feeds while she stares at my face as if to memorise all it’s features.

4. You remind me of how far I went to breastfeed my baby

When I finally went back to work, breastfeeding was not easy, I had to enter one very tiny storeroom that was so tiny it was almost choking to pump so my engorged breast can have some relief and i can have enough feeds for my baby. The only places where I didn’t breastfeed or pump are, the cementary, inside the church, beside the dumpster and inside the toilet, besides these sacred or horrible places, there was no place I couldn’t breastfeed at.

And when I’m staring at you, I’m only amazed at your strength that you wouldn’t mind the 101 eyes that are staring at your beloved breast when you bring it out, your enduring spirit, that you could endure all the breastfeeding problems that came your way and I was hoping I could catch your eye so I could tell you how amazing you are with my gaze.

Seeing that you are in the mood of breastfeeding, I take off my eyes so you can have your privacy.

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Things You Need To Know About Nursing A Premature Baby

Breastfeeding

Things You Need To Know About Nursing A Premature Baby


Pregnancy is a mystery in that you never know when you’ll give birth, how or what you’ll give birth to, if it happens that your baby arrives early will nursing your premature baby be different? Yes and here are the things you need to know;

A premature baby needs breast milk as breast milk has everything a premature baby needs to be nourished especially since premature babies are more prone to infection due to their immature immune system.

Your breast is totally up to the task though, milks produced by moms of preemies are very rich in proteins and has slightly different fats than later breast milk.

Meanwhile your baby won’t be able to unite with your baby immediately as your baby will be placed inside the incubator that means you can’t breastfeed your baby directly but you can pump. After pumping the breast milk an hospital staff will feed the expressed breast milk to your baby through a nasogastric (NG) tube (known as gavage). This ensures your baby take enough breast milk as preemies are usually too small to suck directly from the breast.


At the hospital, the doctors might want to supplement with formula to increase your baby’s calorie intake, if you don’t have a problem with breast milk supply remind your doctor that breast milk is the best for your child and since you don’t have a problem with your flow there’s no need for supplementing feeds. You might want to be expressing and freezing to keep up your breast milk flow (pump every 2-3 hours) and ensuring there’s always milk for your baby.

 

 

When your baby finally starts nursing directly from your breast be prepared for a test. Sucking out milk from your breast won’t be easy since your baby is already used to getting milk from the bottle which is easier. You can try different breastfeeding positions or buy a nursing supplementer (attach the tiny tube to your breast) so your baby can get milk from it and your breast as well until they finally adjust to sucking from just your breast.

If you’re having trouble breastfeeding your premature baby, ask for help from the nurses and doctors in your hospital. Breast milk is the best for preemie babies but your family and friends may not understand and therefore suggest that you switch to formula to save yourself the trouble. If you have to pump round the clock, do it, it’s the best you can do for your preemie baby.

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