Breastfeeding as a First time Mom

As a first time Mother, my breastfeeding journey started off on a slippery slope.

I remember being taken to the Maternity Ward from Theatre with the drugs still wearing off my body - I couldn't feel my legs!😩😩 The [womxn] doctor who'd left the Theatre room with my baby came back with her so beautYfully wrapped up (something I sucked at even after BoMma patiently showed me how to in 3 easy steps🤣🤣). She showed me how to hold baby against my body cum breast, and feed her. It sounded as easy as she showed me until I had to try it myself.🙆🏽‍♀️🙆🏽‍♀️ She put LESEDI besides me and left; I asked the nurse who came in to help me lie down probably and gurl did she not tell me how it wasn't her job.😩😩 I turned slowly until LESEDI seemed well positioned to start latching and feeding. I felt like a pro, but was I??

The next morning, the old nurses came in shouting through corridors about how "Baby shouldn't be making sounds during a feed - You're doing it wrong!" Mine made "mxwaa-mxwaa" sounds since we met...so much for being pro!🤫🤫 For those few days I was at the hospital, I would put my entire breast inside LESEDI's mouth for her to not make any "mxwaa-mxwaa" sounds whenever those old, grumpy Gogos came into our room or went past the corridors so as to appear to be doing it right. A young nurse noticed and helped me; I got it right when she was around because I felt safer, and it all went south with the end of her shift. Roomie -a mother of now 4 - also tried helping. I got frustrated. I wasn't even producing enough milk. The stress!😭😭

The day BoMma picked me up I was thrilled because I knew I was going to now learn in a safe space and yes, my mother's patience saw me through. ❤️❤️ My now big breasts still produced little milk but with time, it got better, and LESEDI was feeding well - we were all doing grEAT. 😍😍

8 months and 19 days later, this likkle ngwana does somersaults during feeds 🤣🤣 and fuckin' bites my nipples!😭😭 It's been amazing seeing her push me to new, greater heights. Everyday, we're growing in Love. 💜💜❤❤

#WorldBreastfeedingWeek2020 #BreastfeedingMoms #BreastIsBest #FirstTimeMom #BlackMothers #YoungMom #LearningThroughMotherhood #NursingBabies #Nursing #Nurses #RaisingBabies101 #Health #EBF #EatRightFeedRight #FreeTheNipple #Teething #ProjectL #LESEDIwaPHUTI #MyNura #LLBK #Phutigraphy #PhutiKoBoratas

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