[blparent] Sensitive breast feeding concern, ladies only

[Erin Rumer]

Hello Bridget,

I would advise you strongly not to set a feeding plan until you've really
met your baby and tried several different methods.  Right now you're in over
thinking pregnant mode which is something us moms all do as we plan and nest
for our little ones, but often times it interferes with reality.  It's not
until we're really doing it that we can see what truly works and doesn't
work.

Just so you know I am extremely well endowed and I too was concerned with
certain aspects of nursing like suffocation and not being able to see my
baby latch on.  Well, my breast feeding nurses in the hospital were truly my
"Boobie Angels" and I had them come into my room whenever possible so that I
could practice and get advise as much as I could before going home.  They
encouraged me and also informed me that breast feeding is not a visual thing
at all once you get the hang of how proper nursing is supposed to feel and
they were 100% correct.  Nursing is not harder for us who are blind but just
like every new mom we must learn how to do something we've never done
before.  We can't even relate breast feeding to anything we've ever done in
our lives so that makes it so challenging at first.  Like all moms though,
if you can get through the first week or so it's really second nature after
that.  The good Lord made our breasts to do this wonderful and miraculous
thing to feed and nurture our babies and it's truly a gift.  I wouldn't
throw that out until you've really given it all you can because it's an
amazing and wonderful bonding method that you will look back on as something
very special between you and your baby.  I'll never forget when one of my
lactation nurses in the hospital came in right before I left to go home.
She asked me if I had any last concerns or questions before I headed home.
I told her how worried I was about my baby suffocating under the breast.
She smiled and told me that new born babies are like little Pugs and that
like the dog, they can breathe out the sides of their nostrils as they flare
out from the breast.  She showed me what she was talking about as my son
nursed and his little nostrils flared out to the sides to breath.
Additionally, you'll get to know very quickly how your baby sounds as they
breast feed and like this nurse told me, a baby will pull away with their
head if they truly aren't getting air.  It's more about being in tune to
your baby's cues more than anything.  Pumping is so much harder than natural
nursing, especially at first so I really encourage you to allow yourself
that close, skin on skin, bonding time with your baby and go from there.
It's frustrating at first because you feel like your baby is starving to
death but they really aren't and practice makes perfect and utilizing those
lactation nurses is key.

Erin

From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Bridgit Pollpeter
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2012 2:09 PM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blparent] Sensitive breast feeding concern, ladies only

Hello, guys may not want to continue along further here, though I certainly
welcome any advice. My concern is not so much about breast feeding itself,
but the concern of hospital staff when attempting it.
Here is my issue:

Women in my family tend to become rather well-endowed when pregnant and
nursing. After a recent convo with my mom about breast feeding, I have
decided it will work best from a physical stand point as well as a nonvisual
one to pump and bottle feed rather than actually breast feed naturally. My
mom and one of my sisters opted for this method instead of struggling with
large breast and feeding a small being.

So, I know they typically want mothers to breast feed naturally while in
hospital, and I know some of the issues most women face with this on top of
the pressure of being "supervised" while trying, then add on the blind
factor and well... I'm just concerned if I have too many problems, whether
they be related to blindness or not, it could lead to some problems with
people questioning my ability once home. Bottle feeding has never been an
issue for me, but I know breast feeding may present problems both blind
related as well as physical- the blind-related ones being connected to my
personal method with bottle feeding and the few differences breast feeding
will present. I'm not worried about my ability, but worry about others
questioning me and not giving me an opportunity.

So far none of our medical team has given us the impression that they doubt
our ability to care for a child without vision, but I know some people are
challenged during their hospital stay. This is what I worry about. Am I
concerned needlessly, and what advice and suggestions, if any, do any of you
have? I appreciate all responses. I just don't want this one factor weighing
heavily against us when I don't even intend to use my actual breast to feed
once home, and my bottle method is pretty solid. Perhaps I'm worried for no
reason, but I do want to be prepared for potential situations since the
months are passing quickly. I'm five months along now and thinking literally
of everything both good and bad.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
 
"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan



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