When Breastfeeding is Not Working: A Note by Beverly Curtis
by Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh on Friday, September 14, 2012 at 8:22am ·
When Breastfeeding is Not Working
Clinical research shows that 76.8% of mothers in the United States start out breastfeeding their babies. Most women intend to breastfeed and most women want to breastfeed. Unfortunately, despite our wishes, hopes and efforts, sometimes the breastfeeding experience becomes disappointing or frustrating.
If you are reading this and your breastfeeding experience is not all you hoped it would be, please know that The Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh is here for you. Our lactation consultants have helped countless mothers and their babies meet their breastfeeding goals or accept their breastfeeding challenges. Without skilled help mothers may find breastfeeding challenging overwhelming. With skilled help, breastfeeding may be learned by both mother and baby. The Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh provides support, no matter what your parenting or feeding decisions are.
Breastfeeding failure?
Mothers, naturally, may feel a deep sense of regret when breastfeeding ends too soon or is not what one had hoped. It is important to allow yourself to accept these emotions. However, it is equally important not to think of yourself as failing. You may not be satisfied with your experience and things may not have gone as planned, but there is no failure when it comes to breastfeeding. It is likely that you have given everything you have and done everything you could to breastfeed. Even if your child breastfed for just 24 hours, you have given your self and your baby an important opportunity, and that is something in which to be proud.
Often mothers may feel guilty about not breastfeeding longer. Guilt comes with motherhood. It is a motivating force for us to do something different next time we have the opportunity. Guilt directs us to focus on what we did not do rather than on what we accomplished. It tends to make us look backward instead of forward! Focus on what was accomplished: time with your baby, time focused on mothering, time discovering your babies needs and your family’s needs, time nurturing and nourishing your infant. Celebrate these victories and channel your energy into the next chapter of your life and focus on your baby. Moving forward and enjoying your infant and your mothering experience is an important part of acceptance and healing. Health care professionals meeting the needs of breastfeeding mothers and infants during pregnancy, delivery and beyond with skilled breastfeeding advice can help prevent breastfeeding difficulties and guide mothers into breastfeeding experiences which are enjoyable and meet their goals.
If you are not breastfeeding
It is important to remember that infants under one year require breastmilk or artificial baby milk (formula) to grow and develop. If you are not actively feeding your baby at the breast, your baby can be fed using expressed breastmilk, donor milk if your baby is in the NICU or PICU or artificial baby milk(formula) or a combination of any or all of the above.
Sometimes a mother decides to resume breastfeeding after deciding to wean or stopping breastfeeding for a short period of time. With patience and determination a mother can rebuild a milk supply. Contact us for more information...
Breastfeeding Second Time Around
The vast majority of women, can breastfeed their next baby, even if breastfeeding did not work out with previous children. Things that can help are:
Clinical research shows that 76.8% of mothers in the United States start out breastfeeding their babies. Most women intend to breastfeed and most women want to breastfeed. Unfortunately, despite our wishes, hopes and efforts, sometimes the breastfeeding experience becomes disappointing or frustrating.
If you are reading this and your breastfeeding experience is not all you hoped it would be, please know that The Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh is here for you. Our lactation consultants have helped countless mothers and their babies meet their breastfeeding goals or accept their breastfeeding challenges. Without skilled help mothers may find breastfeeding challenging overwhelming. With skilled help, breastfeeding may be learned by both mother and baby. The Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh provides support, no matter what your parenting or feeding decisions are.
Breastfeeding failure?
Mothers, naturally, may feel a deep sense of regret when breastfeeding ends too soon or is not what one had hoped. It is important to allow yourself to accept these emotions. However, it is equally important not to think of yourself as failing. You may not be satisfied with your experience and things may not have gone as planned, but there is no failure when it comes to breastfeeding. It is likely that you have given everything you have and done everything you could to breastfeed. Even if your child breastfed for just 24 hours, you have given your self and your baby an important opportunity, and that is something in which to be proud.
Often mothers may feel guilty about not breastfeeding longer. Guilt comes with motherhood. It is a motivating force for us to do something different next time we have the opportunity. Guilt directs us to focus on what we did not do rather than on what we accomplished. It tends to make us look backward instead of forward! Focus on what was accomplished: time with your baby, time focused on mothering, time discovering your babies needs and your family’s needs, time nurturing and nourishing your infant. Celebrate these victories and channel your energy into the next chapter of your life and focus on your baby. Moving forward and enjoying your infant and your mothering experience is an important part of acceptance and healing. Health care professionals meeting the needs of breastfeeding mothers and infants during pregnancy, delivery and beyond with skilled breastfeeding advice can help prevent breastfeeding difficulties and guide mothers into breastfeeding experiences which are enjoyable and meet their goals.
If you are not breastfeeding
It is important to remember that infants under one year require breastmilk or artificial baby milk (formula) to grow and develop. If you are not actively feeding your baby at the breast, your baby can be fed using expressed breastmilk, donor milk if your baby is in the NICU or PICU or artificial baby milk(formula) or a combination of any or all of the above.
Sometimes a mother decides to resume breastfeeding after deciding to wean or stopping breastfeeding for a short period of time. With patience and determination a mother can rebuild a milk supply. Contact us for more information...
Breastfeeding Second Time Around
The vast majority of women, can breastfeed their next baby, even if breastfeeding did not work out with previous children. Things that can help are:
- talking over your previous breastfeeding experience with a Lactation Consultant or a trained health care professional
- attending a prenatal breastfeeding class http://breastfeedingcenterofpittsburgh.com/services/classes/
- preparing a breastfeeding plan so that you and your health care providers understand your breastfeeding goals.
- attending a prenatal breastfeeding support groups such as La Leche League. Here's one in East Pittsburgh http://www.lllusa.org/web/PittsburghEastPA.html
- And, when your baby is born, offer the breast early and often, and ask for help from a Lactation Consultant
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