Miraculously, you were able to latch on and we were able to successfully breastfeed!!! I couldn't believe it! I was so proud of you and I felt a huge sense of relief. Being unable to breastfeed you was my only issue with enjoying motherhood.
We had so much difficulty getting you to latch at the hospital and at home that I almost gave up. Our previous attempts were so traumatic - with you clawing, punching, and scratching me while you cried and howled red-faced as if you were being tortured every time I tried to breastfeed you. I felt so rejected that you preferred the bottle over me. Only when the lactation consultants came over during our 3-night hospital stay did you latch on successfully about 50% of the time. However, yesterday you took to the breast so naturally as if we never had a problem with it at all.
All this time, I read everything I could about breastfeeding and felt like I was missing out on a terrific bonding experience by not nursing you. These past few weeks, I did the next best thing and pumped every 3 hours around the clock so that you received the benefits of breast milk. However, washing all the pump equipment and bottles and even the pumping itself meant time away from you. I heard other babies that wouldn't take the bottle and needed to be nursed by their mom exclusively. I tried to comfort myself with the thought that at least others like Daddy, Grandma, our nanny Gloria, and our friends could feed you instead of me being the only one to feed you.
Now that we were able to successfully breastfeed at home on our own, without the aid of lactation consultants, I feel more at peace. It's strange, but I finally felt accepted by you as a mother and it gave me a boost of confidence that we could do it again if we wanted to. I was beyond happy!
Here you are, passed out after half an hour of breastfeeding:
Another milestone was achieved yesterday - I was back at my pre-pregnancy weight!
Just for fun, here's a toe-to-toe comparison of my left foot with your right one:
Here are some photos from today, Day 25: Sleepy yawn...
Your usual furrowed-brow look:
Your hands-up! style of sleeping:
"Who me? Are you talking about me?"
Making silly faces with Grandma:
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