Breastfeeding… What I wish I Had Known

WRITTEN BY ALI SCHWEITZER | PHOTO ADP STUDIO

I always imagined breastfeeding would be an enjoyable experience creating a bond between my babies and me, one that would just come naturally and leave a smile on my face. This turned out not to be the case for me, and I know it is not the case for many women out there. The truth is that many of us aren’t warned about how hard breastfeeding can be before we have our babies.

As a pediatric chiropractor, I often see moms in my office who are struggling with breastfeeding. When I first started my practice, tongue and lip ties seemed to be a huge part of feeding struggles, and the cranial work I did on these babies really seemed to help along with lactation consulting and tongue/lip releases. As I treated these moms and babies, I just assumed that most breastfeeding struggles were related to tongue and lip ties – boy, was I wrong.

Two years into practice, I found out I was pregnant and felt fully prepared for the breastfeeding journey ahead. Well let me tell you, it was not easy. My son did not have a tongue or lip tie, and – since he was adjusted 20 mintues after he was born and frequently after that – I couldn’t understand why breastfeeding was so hard. My cracked and bleeding nipples were just the start; I also suffered from clogged ducts, what I thought was a low milk supply, and I doubted myself repeatedly for not being able to do something that was supposedly so natural.

What I wouldn’t do to go back and tell my first-time mama self that it was OK, that everything I was doing was perfect and that breastfeeding is hard. I felt alone, and while I had amazing support and even saw a few lactation consultants along the way, I never got to a point with my first baby where I thought breastfeeding was easy and that I had a good grip on it. Eventually my nipples stopped cracking and bleeding, I was able to manage the clogged ducts and I found some good foods and oils that helped with my milk supply. Around 11 months, however, I was done and so was my son. He weaned himself and I just didn’t want to deal with the constant battle about whether I was enough, so our breastfeeding journey ended.

While I was glad it was over and proud that I had lasted as long as I had, I still felt a bit defeated, and had a hard time believing that I was the only one who struggled with breastfeeding. I was right, and as soon as my journey ended, my practice seemed to explode with moms experiencing similar struggles. Of course I dove in headfirst and took all the courses I could on tongue/lip ties, cranial work and just the biomechanics of breastfeeding in general. What I learned over the course of the next four years was astonishing.

Here are a few of my favorite tidbits that I now share with every mama (new, veteraned, breastfeeder, bottle-feeder, tongue tied baby or not) that I wish I had known when I was a new mom.

1. Your nipples have to form callouses to help protect them from all the suckling.

What?! Yep, so those first few weeks of breastfeeding when your nipples are sore and may crack or bleed...normal. Your nipples are not used to all that sucking and pulling every few hours, so like any body part they have to toughen up, and they do so by forming callouses. These callouses go away after you have weaned, so each time you start the journey over again...you guessed it, more callouses need to form. And for those mamas with inverted nipples, it can take a bit longer to form those callouses and really draw the nipple out.

2. Clogged ducts happen a lot due to thicker, more viscous milk. So if you produce thick milk and are prone to clogged ducts, try using sunflower lecithin to thin out your milk, without decreasing any fat content and help keep those clogged ducts at bay. (Please talk to your health care provider about how to properly use sunflower lecithin).

3. The let-down reflex is not a tried-and-true sign of milk production. Some women never experience let-down, and for most women it completely goes away after three to six months. I was always afraid I wasn’t producing anything because my let-down stopped after three months and I was convinced that no let-down meant no milk.

4. Pumping does not always indicate how much milk you are producing or how much your baby is getting. The truth is most babies are way more efficient than any pump, and while they may nurse and get 6 ounces in 20 minutes, a pump may get 2 ounces in the same amount of time. DO NOT let that pump discourage you and make you feel like you are not producing enough.

These four tips were game changers for me as I learned all I could about breastfeeding and how to help other moms not feel so defeated by the process. So when that second baby came along, I was more prepared and ready to take on the whole breastfeeding process. It was still a struggle; again, my daughter did not have any tongue or lip ties, but she was very lazy and, again, I experienced a lot of pain at first. I kept reassuring myself about all I had learned, and as my baby gained more experience on my breast and her latch became stronger, I felt myself enjoying the journey a bit more this time around. I started having clogged ducts again and the sunflower lecithin changed my life. I pumped only when I really needed to and never looked at the amount that came out, and I stopped focusing on the feeling of let-down and just focused on being in the moment when I was feeding her. And you know what? I successfully breastfed her for two full years, in fact she would still be breastfeeding today if I’d let her. Since I didn’t have to wean my son, I was lost at how to wean her, but that’s another story for another day.

Now, with two breastfed babies under my belt, I still enjoy helping those moms and babies who struggle with nursing and I want every mama out there to know that you are not alone. There are so many of us who have not found it easy or enjoyable to breastfeed. And whether your baby is tongue-tied or not, seeking out the right team for support is crucial. Take advantage of the knowledge your midwife, lactation consultant, chiropractor or breastfeeding friend has and know that you are not alone. My office door is always open and I not only love to help those struggling with breastfeeding using chiropractic care, but also love helping you find the team that is going to help you create that success story for yourself.

Dr. Ali Schweitzer is owner/chiropractor at Active Family Chiropractic & Wellness. She enjoys helping moms and babies find their breastfeeding groove and enjoys working along side all other breastfeeding specialists.