Originally Posted by
PearlsMom
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The place where I've been really surprised by contradictory information is breastfeeding -- I've been going to LLL meetings and our Lamaze-based childbirth classes does a session on BFing, and I was shocked that there were such different views! Like LLL seems to be all about watching the baby and feeding on demand, while our childbirth lady said it's possible to overfeed a breastfed baby. I think those two views can actually be reconciled (i.e., make sure that baby is actually hungry when you feed him, but go for it if he is)...but it's kind of upsetting to get such different views on something that seems so simple.
FWIW, breastfeeding may be natural but it sure as crap isn't "simple"!
Sometimes you have to work a bit more with your baby to get him/her to feed ... like my nephew was a super high maintenance baby and my sister wasn't up to the patience it would have taken to get him to start feeding. My daughter, on the other hand, had latching problems because she was bottle fed in the hospital due to a medical issue she was born with, so it took us a couple of weeks and a visit with an LC to work out our problem!
In my short experience as an EBF mama, I'd say the best BF advice is to watch the baby for his/her hunger cues. Crying is a super-late cue, so watching for earlier signs - lip smacking, fist chewing, etc. - helps you identify actual hunger rather than generalized discomfort or another issue. My DD's hunger cue is actually a vocalization (eh-eh-eh, like she's trying to say "eat") with a big, wide, open mouth and she gets REALLY pissed if I don't feed her when it's about that time!
Also, to the OP - I wanted to do Bradley classes because of what a good instructor will help you with learning about your own body, but never fully intended on a medication-free birth. I was comfortable with that idea and I don't think I would have been frightened by any well-intended misinformation from an instructor.
When my DD's medical issue was diagnosed at 21 weeks gestation, most of my plans went out the window because I had to learn about her condition and treatment and make plans for her first few days that differed from what I had wanted. My original hospital pretty much insisted that I would HAVE TO HAVE a C-section, which wasn't something I wanted to pursue as an absolute, so we switched hospitals for my OB care. I felt that, at the specialized hospital where DD was born, I had a greater chance of delivering vaginally, so I was more comfortable with whatever would happen there because the docs, midwives and nurses had such a positive outlook that it would be OK to deliver DD vaginally and a C-section would only be used as a last resort intervention, rather than a mandate.
In the end, I was induced and ended up with a C-section after failing to progress beyond 7cm dilation. Because I knew this was a possibility and I liked and trusted my doctors, I felt at peace with this result despite not having planned on it. My doctor also made sure my incision would allow for me to be a good VBAC candidate for my next DC, so I am going to look for an OB/CNM who specializes in VBAC for my continued GYN care.
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Liz
DD (3/2010)
"Make mistakes! Get messy!" - Miss Frizzle