On a personal note it took 7 weeks for my first child and I to get the hang of it and it was so traumatic it can bring me to tears just thinking about it now. Everyone has an opinion! In my case the opinion was I absolutely had to, without question, breastfeed. My tiny baby wouldn't latch, I had a tremendous flow which overwhelmed her. I had no choice but to supplement with formula as her weight started to plummet and my mental health went off course. I am happy to report we got there in the end and she was breastfed until she was 18 months old and I was 3 months pregnant with her little brother who was breastfed until he was 2.
The things I loved about breastfeeding were that it was an instant soother and it was a bond only she and I could share in. I believe her excellent immune system has benefitted from being breastfed. I soon got over breastfeeding in public, which made life a lot easier.
I do think it's important to get as much information prior to baby coming as you can. I truly didn't realise that it's not an instant latch for everyone, although since then I have discovered that many of my friends have struggled in the early days and months. My heart goes out to those mothers that, for a myriad of reasons, cant breastfeed. It's a heartbreaking position to be in but the more we talk about it perhaps the less judgemental we will all become.
Here is a delicious biscuit recipe with ingredients known for their milk boosting properties, and below you'll find some links to relevant articles, and support sites.
Ingredients
* 1 cup butter or margerine * 1 cup sugar * 1 cup brown sugar * 4 tablespoons water * 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal* * 2 large eggs * 1 teaspoon vanilla * 2 cups flour * 1 teaspoon baking soda * 1 teaspoon salt * 3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them * 1 cup or more chocolate chips * 2 tablespoons of brewer's yeast* (be generous)
Directions:
Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Mix together 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes. Cream (beat well) margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix well. Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to the margarine mix. Beat until blended. Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips. Add to margarine mixture. Stir in oats then chips. Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment or silpat. The dough is a little crumbly, so it helps to use a scoop.
Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies.
Makes 6 dozen cookies
Preparation time: 15 minutes
http://www.babble.com/baby/baby-feeding-nutrition/breast-free-breastfeeding-pumping-vs-bottle-feeding/
