Is knowledge everything?

What difference knowledge can make. When I had Liljana I was uneducated about the process of breastfeeding. Sure it was my responsibility to look into it myself, but one would have thought the doctors would have attempted to educate a first time mother a little more.

So as I was pumping this morning, (Amelia didn’t want to wake up) I began thinking about the day Liljana was born and my nursing experience with her. If I knew the things I know now how long our nursing relationship would have lasted?

I feel like the hospital set me up for failure when she was born. They didn’t have a lactation consultant come in at all, they didn’t help me latch her one after my C-section for that matter they almost promoted formula feeding.

Four years isn’t that long for things to change so much is it? I look back to when I was pregnant with Liljana the type of care I got with her, the information that wasn’t pushed at me, the whole nine yards of ass backwards medical treatment.

Don’t get me wrong I had an horrible pregnancy with Liljana, I knew almost instantly that I was pregnant, and boy oh boy, that made the pregnancy seem even longer! I had four bouts of bleeding with her to where the doctors and I both didn’t think she would have made it. I actually almost hemorrhaged with her the second time. But they said it was something to do with the placenta and put me on bed rest. NOT AS FUN AS ONE MIGHT THINK!!

It was a very scary ride that’s for sure! Then to be told I had to have a C-section because she was breech kind of disappointed me a tad. Sure I opted to try a version, something I would NEVER recommend to anyone! OUCH!

But she arrived a beautiful 6 pounds 14 ounces and 21 inches long. And she is definitely my miracle baby! Now she is a healthy four year old, who is the light of my life. It amazes me how loving and caring she really is.

Anyway it brings me back to my topic, of the hospital setting me up for failure to nurse her longer.  When she was born they gave her a pacifier which I requested not to happen, a bottle of formula before they gave her a Hepatitis B shot (that I didn’t know about until after it was given). Then told me if I were going to nurse her I had to nurse her and then pump right after.

Now when Amelia was born, it was the exact opposite. My Ob/Gyn provider didn’t give formula or anything like that. They gave me a packet on breastfeeding and offered me plenty of classes to educate expectant mothers. That’s an A+ service in my book.  

So when going in to have my repeat C-section, (Yes, totally opted for this one; I figured I was done having kids so why not kill two birds with one stone. Have baby and get tubes tied). I made a birthing plan yet again but put in big bold capital letters “NO BOTTLES, NO SHOTS, NO BATHS, BABY DOES NOT LEAVE MY SIDE” It seemed to work. Amelia NEVER left my side, From the OR to the recovery room to my actual room the girl was with me. I nursed her the entire time while I was in recovery all the way up to my room.

So what was so different? Did the hospitals finally get educated on breastfeeding? I was surprised that’s for sure, Although the hospital could have stepped it up a notch and had the lactation consultant come visit be before I was about to leave. I mean why send someone in 5 minutes before they are going to walk out the door. You would think that they would want them to come in the first or second day to make sure everything was going okay. I don’t know, but hopefully they will keep improving the service. KNOWLEDGE is EVERYTHING!