Dear Madeleine. I’m not sure whether you remember me, but I made it to my scheduled C-section without any bleeding!!My daughter is healthy and I’ll be having my stitches taken off 2moro.we’re just having probs latching and I’ve resorted to pumping and supplementing with formula (although it feels more like I’m supplementing with breast milk at times) ppl say that babies don’t need much food but she cries so much and gets really frustrated at my breast. Just wanted to say thanks for ur kind words

Oh, I’m so glad you made it! And huge congratulations on your baby girl! 

Breastfeeding can be tough at the beginning, but hopefully she’ll get the hang of it soon enough. If your milk hasn’t come in yet just keep pumping and letting her nurse as often as you can, and that should help things along – I think that it can take up to five days sometimes. The website KellyMom.com is a great resource if you feel like reading.

Babies also nurse for comfort and stress relief too, so maybe you could try latching her on after she’s had a bit of formula, and that way she won’t be so frantic and frustrated? I’m sure you are getting a million different pieces of advice from everyone you see, so please feel free to just ignore my two cents.

I wish I could give you a hug though, there’s few things worse than feeling like your baby is hungry and not being able to feed them, but you are doing your best to fill that belly whether it be with formula or breast milk, and that’s what’s important. In ten years (or, hell, even three) no one will know, or care, what she ate as an infant. Try your best, but try to stay sane too.  

If you have some free time (ha!) this is an article I wish I had read five months ago, it’s wonderful. 

Congratulations again, and take care of yourself during your c-section recovery! Take your painkillers and go slowly. I felt back to my old self by about 6-7 weeks, so in the meantime sit your butt down with that baby and snuggle. Before you know it she will be too squirmy, with the sticking of fingers up your nose and kicking you all over the place. 

xo
Madeleine