Welcome to The Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival!
This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe’s Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Claire at clindstrom2 {at} gmail {dot} com. Today’s post is about birth experiences and breastfeeding. Please read the other blogs in today’s carnival listed below and check back for more posts July 18th through the 31st!
Giving birth at home positively affected my breastfeeding experience.
Ella first latched about ten 
or fifteen minutes after she was born.
She didn’t get anything out, but simply having her at my breast was enough.
The entire experience was relaxing. I felt relaxed. My doula helped me position Ella in a way that would make nursing easier for both of us.
After Ella was measured, weighed and had her feet printed, she fell asleep. I took a shower and in fact, the entire house shut down into a deep sleep after being awake through my long labor.
Upon waking, we tried breastfeeding again.
With the observation and occasional suggestion by my doula and midwife, Ella got the hang of things and started suckling happily.
For a moment I felt worried that she wasn’t getting enough milk, but my birth team assured me that my milk would come down and the supply would increase shortly. Relief washed over me when I was reminded how important the colostrum is the first day.
The first few days, and even for the first two weeks, Ella and I stayed planted firmly on our oversized red couch, propped between two big pillows with an automan for my legs.
It was so comfortable! We did a lot of sleeping, and just as much feeding. That was almost all she did! Eat, sleep, potty. And between, she observed the world, (mostly my face) so sweetly.
Our transition into breastfeeding was calm.
There was no anxiety or stress. I think the energy from our peaceful home birth radiated inside of our home in the days after.
It was fantastic staying home; not having to get in the car for two weeks and having family members over to cook meals. My midwife came over the day after my birth and my doula the day after that. I felt very supported by their care.
Ella and I’s breastfeeding relationship has been marvelous, and we’re still going strong at 17 1/2 months.
Here are more posts by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.
- Sylko @ Chaotic Mama—Breastfeeding Carnival: Birth Experience
- Emily @ Baby Dickey—How Ryan’s birth affected breastfeeding
- Kimberly @ Monkey Tales Mama Thoughts—Birth and Boobs
- Timbra @ Bosoms and Babes—Birth Experience
- Shelley @ Lousy Mom—Birth Experience
- Kimberly @ Fertility Flower—Transformative Power of Birth
- Claire @ Geeky Gaming Mama—How did my births affect breastfeeding?
- Natasha @ naturallurbanmama—My birth experiences, also known as Night and Day!
- Kaitlin Rose @ Bring Birth Home—Giving Birth at Home Positively Affected Breastfeeding
- Claire @ The Adventures of Lactating Girl—Dealing With the Opposition
- And of course the guest poster on the Breastfeeding Cafe’s Blog today is Laurel Miller-Jones—Laurel’s Birth Experience and Breastfeeding
How wonderful for you to have had such a beautiful birth and breastfeeding experience!
Loved this post! So few people actually make to connection between breastfeeding and birth! I wonder if there is a study that shows the high correlation of successful, exclusive and extended breastfeeding with homebirth – that would be an interesting read for sure
Congratulations to you and Ella for providing such a great example to other mums, I for one really appreciate it xx