Breastfeeding is HARD!

What to feed our child was never a point of debate for Luciano and I.  We both knew that we wanted him to grow up on breast milk if at all possible.  What I didn't realize was that it's hard work.

When my milk came in (3 days after he was born), I got so engorged that I thought I was going to burst.

The first couple weeks, my nipples were so sore that I would cringe every time he latched on.  I had to talk myself through it and try to stay calm so the milk would let down.

At 5 weeks old, we went to visit my parents for a long weekend.  My supply wasn't quite regulated yet and there was one night Giovanni went to sleep hungry because we hadn't thought to bring along extra milk from the freezer.

But it gets better.  Lanolin helps soothe and heal sore nipples.  A good breast pump helps bridge the gaps between supply and demand.  It gets better.  These are the words I shared with my girlfriend after her son was born two weeks ago.  Stay with it.  All the pain and struggle is worthwhile in the end.  My son is getting the best possible nutrition and we're saving hundreds of dollars on formula.  Yes, I still sometimes get frustrated, especially when he's on a growth spurt like he is this week and wants to eat every two hours.  But then he falls asleep, full and content, on my chest.  Then I know that I can do this and it's all worth it!