I was nursing my 2 month old ds at a Mexican restaurant today when our very sweet and friendly waitress walked up, and commented on how happy he looked.
She went on to tell me that she tried nursing her two daughters, ages 3 and 1 but with the first her milk "didn't come in until the second week and by then the baby was used to the bottle" and that with her second, she was able to bf for 3 months but "it hurt constantly, and I just couldn't take the pain."
She then said that when she had her next one, she would just go straight to formula.
I feel SO BAD for not knowing the right thing to say. I just smiled sympathetically and told her that it took me and my ds about 3 weeks to get a proper latch figured out and for my nipples to get used to the constant attention. I kept telling her how easy it has gotten now, that I never have to get up in the middle of the night to feed him, I just roll over and lift my shirt... everything thing I could think of to make bfing sound appealing.
I wanted to explain to her about proper latch, about how milk production works... there were so many things I wanted to say, I just couldn't figure out how. It so hard to come off as caring, tactful and properly informed without being preachy or arrogant (esp. on about 4 hours sleep a night
).
I feel like I should start carrying around copies of TWA, because this kind of situation happens to me all the time.
This girl seemed like a wonderful, loving mother, who just didn't have the information and support needed to breastfeed her children. So, what should I have said? How do y'all handle situations such as this?
I don't participate in LLL, so I didn't have any info about that to give her, btw.
She went on to tell me that she tried nursing her two daughters, ages 3 and 1 but with the first her milk "didn't come in until the second week and by then the baby was used to the bottle" and that with her second, she was able to bf for 3 months but "it hurt constantly, and I just couldn't take the pain."
She then said that when she had her next one, she would just go straight to formula.
I feel SO BAD for not knowing the right thing to say. I just smiled sympathetically and told her that it took me and my ds about 3 weeks to get a proper latch figured out and for my nipples to get used to the constant attention. I kept telling her how easy it has gotten now, that I never have to get up in the middle of the night to feed him, I just roll over and lift my shirt... everything thing I could think of to make bfing sound appealing.
I wanted to explain to her about proper latch, about how milk production works... there were so many things I wanted to say, I just couldn't figure out how. It so hard to come off as caring, tactful and properly informed without being preachy or arrogant (esp. on about 4 hours sleep a night
).I feel like I should start carrying around copies of TWA, because this kind of situation happens to me all the time.
This girl seemed like a wonderful, loving mother, who just didn't have the information and support needed to breastfeed her children. So, what should I have said? How do y'all handle situations such as this?
I don't participate in LLL, so I didn't have any info about that to give her, btw.
My bad, sorta missed that. I agree. She's hoping for another. And therefore my response is inadequate. As I think about one for a mom intending to having a third, I think my original response is OK for a mom who isn't.
