breastfeeding

My breast pump arrived in the mail. Ameda’s Purely Yours. I got a great Ebay deal on a new one.

I really want this bf’ing thing to work out and so I’m setting myself up for success, hopefully. I’ve read books, asked other moms for advice, bought good nursing bras and easy-access tops, bought mother’s milk tea and Guiness beer, etc.

I have PCOS, a metabolic disorder, and although I’ve kept it controlled for the last 5 or 6 years, I have no idea how the sudden crash of hormones after delivery will affect me. Will the PCOS pick up again? If so, it could affect my supply. That worries me. (What works for me to control PCOS is diet and exercise and so I have a freezer full of healthy meals and I have a plan to hit the gym ASAP as soon as I’m cleared to work out.) My midwife says I’m supposed to call her at any time that bf’ing isn’t working and if necessary she will stay at my house until it does work. Isn’t she fabulous?

Also, I can’t remember if I’ve blogged about this before but bf’ing makes me nervous in general. I was not breastfed – it wasn’t fashionable then – and until I was nearly 20 years old all I saw were formula-fed babies. And so bf’ing doesn’t, as odd as this sounds, seem natural to me.
DH, on the other hand, grew up with bf’ing as the only thing to do. He thinks I’m odd for worrying about it. I’m glad – he’ll be my cheerleader.

I suspect that, as soon as baby and I learn what to do, that bf’ing will be easier than I expected but until then I am not taking anything for granted.