Bringing baby home
You did it. You brought life into this world. That is no small feat, and taking a moment to celebrate that is important.
The moment you’re cleared to go home, many different emotions may arise: relief, excitement, uncertainty and fear. I remember the biggest internal shift happened the moment I walked through the front door with my son for the first time. It felt like we had just come home from a weekend getaway, yet everything changed. Our home looked exactly the same as when we left, but nothing felt the same. And the weight of this new responsibility grew heavier in the days that followed.
Once you’re home and left with just you and your new little family, the support of your medical / birth team may no longer feel as accessible. Getting support or getting your questions answered is no longer a call button away, especially when it comes to breastfeeding. For many new mothers, breastfeeding will be a new and foreign experience. Truth is, as natural as it may seem, it doesn’t always come naturally. Breastfeeding will be a learned skill for both you and baby. It will take time, practice, and patience.
As the days go on, you will start to understand your baby’s rhythm. The distinction between night and day will seem nonexistent, baby will have no concept of time. Your baby’s desire to nurse will happen around the clock and sometimes it might feel like you’re just going from one feeding to the next. However, with time, they will begin to develop a rhythm and recognizing those patterns can become the first step toward creating a routine that works for your family.
One thing that often surprises new parents is the cluster feeding. During these periods, your baby may want to nurse every 20 to 60 minutes for several hours, throughout the day, AND night. Needless to say, this can be quite exhausting. As difficult as it may feel, there is a purpose for cluster feeding. They commonly cluster feed when they are experiencing growth spurts and need additional calories.
Frequent nursing is also a signal to your body to make more milk. Breast milk production works on a supply and demand system. The more milk your baby removes, the more milk your body is encouraged to produce. Cluster-feeding is a normal part of the breastfeeding journey, and thankfully it is temporary.
One of the challenges with cluster feeding is that parents may not be aware that it is normal. Without that understanding, it’s easy to wonder if your baby’s is still hungry because you’re not producing enough milk. This is known as as perceived insufficient milk supply and is something I experienced personally.
I constantly wanted reassurance that I was making enough milk and pumped excessively. I also attached so much emotion to the amount that I saw when I pumped, which can be mentally draining. In retrospect, if I could change one thing, it would be to have the knowledge that as long as my baby was getting enough milk and growing well, that was enough.
Much of the focus will be on baby, but keep in mind that while you’re learning how to navigate this new way of life, your body is also healing. Your postpartum recovery needs attention too. Ensure you are staying hydrated, eating enough – getting enough calories will facilitate a good milk supply, rest whenever you can and lastly (but importantly) accept help.
Seeking extra support may be beneficial if you experience severe breast/nipple pain, fewer wet diapers, have concerns about baby’s weight gain and if you feel unable to manage the overwhelming emotions.
(I do believe many breastfeeding challenges are important to discuss and intend to do so in separate blog posts).
The first two weeks are full of learning. There will be moments when it is overwhelming, beautiful, exhausting and rewarding, sometimes all within one nursing session 🙂 give yourself the same patience and compassion you give your baby.