I feel like this topic is controversial.  But, I really don’t get why.

Maybe because the decision is so personal.  To me though, it really boils down to the mother, or even the couple.  What do I mean?

Um… before I get into it, I want to explain a few things. I’m going to spell out words that might invite spammers.  Also, this is my story, and my feelings, and my experience… It’s not meant to be offensive.

Starting from the begining,

I used to think that it was gross.  I would see women doing it in public, and I thought, I couldn’t do that.  My “ladies” had always been more of a attention grabber, (not by my choice), and not so much of a feeding mechanism.  Not that I would give them dirty looks or anything, but more like “um, that’s not for me.”

Then I got preggers…. I was told by friends about their issues with nursing.  From the   n i p p l e   shield that had to be used or trouble with latches. Most of their issues then became fears of mine.  The longer I was prego, the more I wanted to know more about it.  I discussed it with Joe, and we decided to try it.  We are cheap, and it’s free

We read up on all the no-no’s.  Like, don’t let the hospital give the baby a nuk.  Or don’t let them give the baby sugar water… or, they need to latch asap, or if they come early…they have a harder time latching.

In taking all this into consideration (like any new, freaked out mom) I had a plan.  My baby would be born naturally or with an epidural, and I would hold, and nurse him on the spot.

But,

that’s not what happened.  Not even close.

Jack was born via c-section, due to my lack of dilation and his heart rate dipping way too low.

He was born, and I didn’t see him again for an hour and 45 mins.

Luckily, my husband is a semi-God, and held him off from the stated no-no’s above.  I found him in his little hospital bed, sucking the hell out of his hands.  The poor kid was STARVING.

I put him on, and it was like it was meant to be.

But,

He was a week late.  (Yes, I buy into the b.s. about if the baby’s born early, their latch is poorer)

My  n i p p l e s   are “ideal for nursing” (per the lactation consultant)

I had UBER support.  I wanted to give up around day 2, and again the God husband stepped in and said, lets just try it again.  He helped me work the udders, and made me keep at it when I was feeling like I was horrible at it.

Let’s keep it real though.

It hurt.  For about the 1st 2 weeks.

I was doing it wrong, and thankfully I had a nurse come out after he was born to help correct the issue.

I also had no clue about pumping out the other side to avoid engorgement.  (at the time, Jack would eat off only one side and be full)

That’s what I went through the first time.  But not all of what I went through.

There’s more…. way more.  Maybe you don’t want to even know, and maybe someone will find it helpful.

*****Why do I think it depends on the mother or couple?  Because the mother has to want to even give it one try.  That still doesn’t mean it will work.  If it’s not working, and it’s what she wants to really do, she needs support.  Even then, it may not work.  This makes her still as amazing and wonderful a mother as she was the day before she delivered.  Being a mom who nurses her baby doesn’t make you better or special.  It makes you the same as a mom who formula feeds.  Just like being a mom who delivers “the old fashioned way” versus one who has a c-section.    Therefor, if the mom wants to, and her partner helps her, it might work.  But it might not.  If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t matter.