Breastfeeding!!!!!!

Let me begin by saying that being a Mommy of two is HARD WORK!!! lol...but I am loving every minute.

In August of 1999 I had a breast reduction...that was much needed. And at that time children and breast feeding were VERY far off of my radar. So when I got pregnant with Aiden I knew that being able to breast feed was something that was up in the air and I would not know if I was able to do so until after he was born. While I was pregnant I did TONS of research about breastfeeding after a breast reduction and basically everything told me what I already knew...it was going to be a crap shoot.

Most of the research said that if the reduction was done more than 5 years before the birth of the child then you had a greater risk of being able to. And that if you pump or attempt to breast feed with your first child then you will more than likely have more milk for the children that follow.

Well with Aiden I had milk...but not much of it, and Aiden was greedy so when he latched on and it was not shooting out he was not having that!!! So I pumped for about a month and then my little bit of milk went bye bye. Even with pumping I only got 4oz out of one breast ONCE...and I was too excited. Most commonly I was getting about 1.5oz out of each breast. So he was at least getting a little bit. It was really hard to be pumping every time I fed Aiden. I mean I would pump for 30 minutes right after I fed Aiden...then it felt like by the time I was done it was time to feed him again!!!!! I was exhausted!!! But I did what I had to do.

And I am glad that I did because with Noah I CAN BREASTFEED!!! YAY!!!! Noah is much more patient than Aiden. Noah latched on in the hospital and has worked with me from day one...lol. I felt my milk coming in the day I was being discharged so I pumped a little bit, but by the time I got home I was FULLY engorged and in agonizing pain. Poor Noah tried to help Mommy out but my breasts were so hard that he could not latch on. I felt so much better when my mommy brought the pump and I relieved that pressure.

I knew that I would not be able to exclusively breast feed but Noah has gotten quite a bit of breast milk. There was even an instance where I was naked and my milk was shooting out of one of my breasts...I was SOOOOOO excited...lol. He normally gets breast milk all through the night and formula during the day. Which works for me and him. But I think he is getting lazy and not wanting to latch...either way I am MORE than happy that I have been able to give him SOME breast milk for the past 9 weeks!!!

So for all you mommy's out there that have had some type of breast surgery dont be discouraged. Pump pump pump and it will give you a better chance of producing more the second time around. And if you are going to have some surgery done and have yet to have any children express your interest in being able to breast feed in the future. That way they can be cautious around your milk ducks.

If you want more information go to Breast Feeding After Breast and Nipple Surgeries and if you want information on increasing your milk supply go to Low Milk Supply.

Knowledge is Power with stuff like this!!!