breastfeeding bliss.

Breastfeeding my second baby is what you could call 'breastfeeding bliss'. He was so much easier to breastfeed and he latched on without any problem. This doesn't mean it was perfect... I still had moments of frustration and dealt with a lot of pain, but I can honestly say that I loved it from the very beginning!

Breastfeeding my first was a completely different story. She wouldn't latch on and I couldn't produce enough milk. We got hooked on the nipple shield and I had the hardest time getting her off of it. And then because I was using it, I wasn't being stimulated enough to product enough milk for her. I was a mess and she was a mess... it was a disaster. It was so hard that I wanted to quit! It wasn't until around 9 months when I really started to love it.

​Why such a drastic difference?!

I think about this almost every time I nurse my little boy. There are so many things I did differently this time around. I have listed them below with hopes to help others as well as remember them myself.

1. Breastfeed right when they are born.
When my little boy was born, I brought him to my chest and nursed him right after the umbilical cord was cut. He latched on right away without any problems. Amazingly enough, this is actually a natural instinct right after they are born! How incredible!

2. Nurse nonstop!
For the first little bit I nursed nonstop! This healed me physically, mentally, and emotionally in so many different ways! AND not to mention it kicked my body into gear and told it that it needed to produce milk, milk, and more MILK!

3. Get a good nipple butter cream. 
Regardless of how much easier my little man was compared to my first, I was still in PAIN! My nipples were so raw and I was so afraid they would crack and bleed. A friend of mine gave me a natural nipple butter cream that I used every time after I nursed and it saved my life!! (click here to see what I used... I buy it now as a gift for every new mom I know!)

4.  Get a portable hand pump.
With my first I had an electric breast pump and I had to hook myself up to the wall, put on my bra, and sit there for 15 mins or more each time. This was ridiculous and it made me loose my mind! With my second, I had a friend give me a portable hand pump to try instead (thank goodness for these good friends of mine.. notice the trend? haha). I literally would take it in the car with me and pump as we drove. Also, because it was a hand pump, there was more stimulation, so I was able to get more milk in a smaller amount of time! (click here for the pump I use)

5. If you choose to cover in public, get a 'FULL coverage' nursing cover.
I tried everything with my first to cover up in public and I ended up only frustrated and spending too many hours hiding out in the car. With my second I found a nursing cover that wrapped completely around me! This was a GAME CHANGER! I had no problem after that! (here is the link to the nursing/car seat covers I use)

My little man is now one year old and my goal was to nurse him for the full year like I did my first. I am at the point now where we are ready to wean (like we had promised)... but I am really struggling with it! Not because he is resisting the wean... but because I don't want it to happen yet! I have been loving it so much with this little guy that I am really going to miss it when that time does come.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.