Drama of Being Mama (baby goes on strike!)

This picture is especially apt for what I am about to address. Trust me, it is udderly dramatic. Yep, I am going to go there. The whole breastfeeding deal. We have had a bit of trouble the last few days or so. Baby got hungry, baby got severely worked up, and Mommy lost her last nerve. Unfortunately it was all my fault. Fortunately things are now back on track. Here is the whole story.

With the Holiday upon us we spent several days away from the house. We shopped, we visited, we were hardly ever home except to sleep, and even then not much sleep was happening. Well, turns out the pump and bottles are super convenient for travel, but not so good for keeping up with the latching and cuddling. Because we spent so much time away K.B. was becoming very attached to his bottles. He does so well with them, and BONUS, they are the cheap ones from Walmart that work best. Turned out he was getting a little too good at bottle feeding and I found this out the hard way.

So, as the story goes, over the last several days of busy, busy, busy we were doing more and more of the bottle. Not that I wasn't trying to feed him the old fashioned way. We would be out for a little while and when we got home I didn't want to wake the worn out little guy. I did need to pump though, BADLY. So I did and then, just as I put the cap on the little thing to store in the fridge, baby wakes up. Now, I could easily have tried to nurse, but from what I hear and research, a lot of frequent pumping and nursing would increase my supply. Baby boy already has enough trouble chugging back what I produce on the first let down. So, not wanting to make it worse for him I just gave him the bottle. This happened more often than I would have liked. Turns out it was a very bad idea.

Christmas Eve we are spending one last Holiday at my Grandmother's before the house is put up for sale. I try to nurse the little guy and things are not going great. He keeps slipping and gulping down air and is squirming all over. I try to burp him and give him a break, but he gets pissed. I persist for as long as I can, maybe two minutes trying to burp him, but he is a strong little guy and knows what he wants. So we get back to it. Gulp, gulp, gulp. Well, as veteran mothers may know, guess what happens next? The spew happens. It keeps coming and coming. My receiving blanket catches most of it from hitting the bed, but baby is covered and very upset. I am distraught and not a little freaked out, A LOT freaked out. My mother comes in and we get the big messed cleaned up, but what's done is done. I am officially stressed out by trying to feed him ever again.

Turns out K.B. is torked off too. The next time I try and breastfeed it quickly goes from wrestling match to scream fest in a matter of a minute. He arches his little back, scrunches his little face, and wails with his big voice. I have rarely seen him so mad. Again, I persist. I know that he knows that the bottle is easier and more comfortable. I also know that he wants me to give in already. I do, but only because I have to. After several tries over the next hour the baby wins that round. It had been a long while since he last ate and I couldn't starve him any longer. He gets a bottle and I go to pump. This happens several times and I think all is lost! No more traditional breastfeeding ever again, and yes, this made me sad.

Well, it wasn't the end. I found some tips about dealing with breast feeding strikes. Who knew even ones so little get tired of being bullied around by corporate giants like myself. So first we take it slow. I carry him around like I am about to nurse him. I cradle his head in my elbow turn his tummy to mine. He is fine with this so we spend a lot of cuddle time this way. When he gets hungry I always try to nurse first, but more often than not it fails. Then, when I switch to the bottle I hold him the same way. I also make him open his mouth wide before giving it to him. This takes several tires, but he relents after a short while of torment. That's it. Those are the only two things I had to do before he would finally settle down and latch back on properly.

Hip hip hooray! I made it through a breastfeeding strike. It was hard work, I will tell you. I was so sad at the thought of having to give up the real deal breastfeeding. That was a shock to me, because going in to this thing I reveled in the idea of the luxurious pump and not having to have baby latch on to me. I thought I would just use that all the time. Truth be told, there is something kind of special about feeding this little guy. That time is precious to me, and now because of a baby strike, I know that. Thank goodness I have that time back, at least for now I do.