Saturday, April 15, 2006

One percenters

One of the many things we've learnt in the last eight days is that breastfeeding is hard. The basic principle is easy but getting JOOB latched exactly right has proven troublesome. Even holding him one centimetre too far to the left or right makes a big difference.

I was surprised at all the breastfeeding support available before JOOB was born. There's associations and child health nurses and 24hour call lines. Now I know why. Small problems and even minor inefficiencies make a big difference to the health of the child. Like they say in footy: it's the one percenters that make all the difference between winning and losing.

3 comments:

The Daily Magnet said...

I'm not sure if I willed it on the poor little blighter or not, but I was blessed with a baby allergic to everything but soy milk - which meant I didn't have to endure these particular difficulties.
Amidst the push for all things natural it is pretty easy for mothers to just feel pressured at a time where they really have rather a lot to juggle.
So in the hope you guys have a variety ideas presented... 'bottle feeding is great.'
Good luck with the bub on the boob, though.

skribe said...

Neither of us feel at all pressured, in fact TP finds the experience very soothing. However it takes practise to get it 'right' and that can cause some minor difficulties. As with most things in life it looks easy but it isn't. TP is managing well btw.

As for bottle vs boob, I've tasted formula and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. It's like drinking powdered milk vs a well-made milkshake (breastmilk is slightly sweet - for those without kids or can't remember back that far =). Expressing is of course an option.

It's all been great fun so far. Even the lack of sleep.

The Daily Magnet said...

That's lovely Scribe, I am so happy for you both.