Vivian and I are not so graceful when it comes to breastfeeding. I say "we" because the nurse in the hospital explained to me breast feeding is like learning a dance and your baby has two left feet. Viv is a very lively baby and kicks and moves her arms like an air traffic controller while eating her "meals". The hooter hider becomes completely useless. One day there was an old man full on staring while I was nursing in the middle of a department store. He looked so concerned. I'm sure he thought a squirrel crawled up my shirt or something.
You would think after a few months we would get the beat of this dance and the squirreling would stop-but it's not stoped she is just getting bigger! So you can only imagine. I have two sisters-in-law who are currently b-feeding their infants and are total professionals. I had in my mind after watching both of them for the past 6 years on and off feeding each of their 3 children-that breastfeeding is a breeze. Not for me! My Mom also BF me for 18 months. She always reminisces on how sweet of a bonding time it was and how memorable. I can say this time will definitely be memorable.
Bottle line of this story.... I have given up being an exhibitonist. The pump has become my best friend.
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I breastfed for 22 months and I couldn't use a hooter hider either, she was too "squirrely" as you put it. But I would have given up if pumping was required! I lasted 22 months so I would say that made me a "professional" but seriously, it was the baby, not me, it never got better.
ReplyDeleteMy girl would only eat if 1) not covered and 2) in the most boring place possible. At home, it was in my bedroom, curtains closed, facing a plain blank wall. If we were on the road, I would steal a bathroom even at a hotel or something, lock the entire bathroom, shut off the lights and sit on the toilet and feed in total darkness. Or she just went hungry until I could find such a place or we arrived at our destination. Once while visiting someone all day and the baby getting really hungry but refusing to eat when there were things to look at, being dark was the best place, and since every room in the house had huge picture windows, I asked the woman if I could go into her closet. She thought I was weird, but I bedded down between all her shoes, closed the door and turned off the lights. Oh yeah, it was best to breastfeed while lying down, if I could do that if all possible, flailing limbs were less of a hindrance that way.
My baby was cranky for the same reason I think she was hard to get her to sit still to feed. She was too interested in the world around her to satisfy even hunger. Maybe trying something like that might help?
The thought of your child as a squirrel totally made me crack up! Good luck, Jill and Viv!
ReplyDeleteWe're so pumped to follow along.
ReplyDeleteWe just need more pics of our sweet Viv so we can see how big she is getting.
Love you guys
Alison
Don't feel bad about pumping. My second child was not a good breastfeeder. Especially when I became pregnant with my third. I guess the milk tasted differently. She would wiggle in my arms, pinch me, stick her finger in her mouth, etc. I would get so frustrated because my first child loved to nurse and was so sweet and cuddly when she nursed. I guess they are all different.
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