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!
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