Susan’s Breastfeeding Story.
My firstborn: Jasmine
Jasmine was an intuitive nurser from the start. I had read several books and carefully studied the pictures, but I was still a little
nervous when I went to latch her on. She knew just what to do. It didn't hurt. It was so easy I couldn't believe it. I wondered
why any mother would choose bottle feeding over this convenient and clearly superior way to nurture a baby. Jasmine nursed
until she was 13 months old. Even though I had planned to nurse her much longer, she weaned herself. I cried a little when she
weaned, but I knew that I had given her the best start in life. Maya and Dylan When I found out I was having twins, I assumed that I was capable of making enough milk for two. I read a lot of information
on how to do it and make it work. I was sure I'd have plenty of milk, and that nursing two was simply a matter of management.
Then the twins were born. Maya had a minor problem beginning to nurse. She was a tongue sucker and had trouble keeping
her tongue down as she started to latch on. It took me a couple of days to train her, then she was fine. She had a deep,
drawing suck, and because she was a high needs baby, nursing often (12-14 times per day) suited her.
Before you read any further, I want to emphasize that the vast majority of babies have no problems or minor
problems nursing. The only equipment most mothers need to nurse a baby is the breast itself. When problems
arise, they should be addressed as quickly as possible, so they can be solved quickly. The most common problem is
simply improper positioning of the baby at the breast, which can lead to nipple soreness.
And then there was Dylan. I now know Dylan has severe food allergies. At three and a half, she is healthy and happy. But at
one week, my nipples were shredded and it hurt every time I nursed. I assigned each twin her "own" breast, so I could figure
out what the cause was (it was Dylan). I kept at it, determined that my babies would not be fed artificial milk. Dylan nursed like
clockwork thirteen times per day. At one month postpartum I was frantic. The pain was incredible. Every time Dylan nursed I
cried. But I knew nursing wasn't supposed to hurt. I called my local LLL Leader, who was reluctant to rent me a pump, but I
was desperate. I took Dylan off the breast and fed her pumped milk while I started to heal.
I called my OB, who referred me to Alison Hazelbaker, IBCLC. At the first assessment, Alison declared, "This baby has a
milk allergy." I went off all dairy products. Gradually Dylan's rigid suck started to ease. After two weeks I felt I was ready to
go back to nursing, but Dylan had become nipple confused. It took another two weeks of pumping and finger feeding before
Dylan came back to nursing at my breast. I didn't know then that Dylan might have gone into anaphylactic shock from the
artificial stuff. Had I "chosen" artificial feeding, I very well might have two children instead of three.
Nursing strikes!
Twins are especially prone to nursing strikes. Unlike weaning, a strike occurs suddenly, and the baby refuses to nurse at the
breast. Unlike weaning, a baby is unhappy about a strike. It is an infant's way of telling mother she is not happy with the
relationship for some reason. It is up to the mother to figure out what is wrong and fix the situation.
At 9 1/2 months, Maya went on a nursing strike. It was a classic, textbook strike. It lasted four days. She would nurse if she
was sleepy. Since she was a finger sucker, I would wait until she was almost asleep, pull out her fingers and give her the breast.
We maintained lots of skin to skin contact during this time. She came back to the breast when I tried a different nursing
position. I usually nursed both Dylan and Maya in the football hold, and just switching to the cradle hold for a few nursings
persuaded her. Everything was back to normal.
And then there was Dylan. At 10 months, Dylan went on her strike. Since my experience with Maya was fresh on my mind, I
knew how to react: no panic, lots of skin to skin contact. Dylan was not a finger sucker, and would not take the breast even in
her sleep. I started hand pumping my milk, thinking it would only be for a few days. After five days, my milk supply started to
diminish, so I once again rented a piston pump. I pumped and cup fed my milk to Dylan. I called my local La Leche League
Leader, Pam, for support. She assured me that strikes can last longer than five days and I was doing the right thing. Five days
turned into 10. I knew Dylan was the most strong-headed of my children even when she was at the tender age of 10 months,
so I was only beginning to get a little worried. I continued lots of skin to skin contact. I took baths with just Dylan. I stayed in
the room as much as possible when she played. I made sure she slept in my arms as much as possible. I kept her close to the
breast, offering only when she seemed very sleepy.
Ten days turned into 13. Pam called and asked me if I would like to review Karen Gromada's book "Mothering Multiples" for
the group. I told her I didn't feel like a very successful nursing mother right now but I would take a look at it. Here I found the
information about twins and nursing strikes. It gave me some comfort knowing I wasn't alone, but I knew some babies wean at
the age of 10 months--was this the situation with Dylan?
I talked to Pam that day. "What do you think?:" I asked. "What do you really think? Has she weaned?" Pam gently replied that
it looked that way, but that didn't mean I had to stop trying to coax her back if that's what I wanted. That night after I put the
babies to bed, I sat down on the stairs and cried. My oldest, Jasmine, came and held me. "Why are you crying, Mom?" she
asked. I replied, "I'm afraid Dylan has weaned." But it felt right, having my first weanling holding me while I worried that I might
have two now.
I didn't give up. I knew that Dylan had food allergies. I had already seen reactions. At this point in her life I had no idea how
severe they were, because she had been fed mostly breastmilk, with only a few other foods like meats, fruits, and vegetables.
So I persevered. I knew that my milk was the safest food Dylan could consume. I started calling lactation consultants, trying to
pick the brain of every one for some suggestion I hadn't already tried. On day 16, while I was holding Dylan, asleep, close to
me in the cradle hold, I watched her open her mouth wide and turn toward me like she wanted to latch on. I tried to give her
my breast but she turned away again. I called Pam the next day, excited about what I had seen Dylan do. I started to let myself
hope that it would be over soon.
On day 20, I reached a lactation consultant at Alison Hazelbaker's office who was visiting from another city. Although now I
can't remember her name, she will always have a special place in my heart because she gave me the key. "Put a little bit of
breastmilk on your nipple when you see the turning behavior," she advised. I wondered if at ten months Dylan was too old for
this trick (this is a common cure for strikes in the early months). But I was willing to try. I had nothing to lose. After two tries, it
worked. After she latched on, Dylan nursed for three hours straight. I didn't even get up to go to the bathroom, I was so afraid
of losing her again. Finally I took her up to bed. The next morning, very early, when she woke up, I took Dylan downstairs to
nurse. She hesitated for only a second, then came back to the breast for good.
During the strike, my milk supply was fine. Between Maya and a good pump, I had plenty of milk for my babies. I believed
that my body could provide everything they needed.
This strike happened three years ago. I can only now write about it, it was such an emotional experience. My relationship with
Dylan changed during this time. We became much closer and more in tune with each other. I don't know what things would
have been like if I had cut her loose after the first few days. I am grateful for all the help I received during this stressful time and
have tried to give back as much as I am able.
Please visit me home page at http://www.ecr.net/betz/index.htm
