First Time Breastfeeding

The benefits of breastfeeding are undeniable, starting with protecting baby and mother from some illnesses. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least six months and then continued with solid foods up to age two and beyond. The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees.

Before giving birth, I imagined breastfeeding to be an idyllic and tender moment between mother and child (unlike these strange Victorian images.) I was convinced of the medical importance and beauty of it all. 

I wasn't prepared for how difficult it would be and I haven't even tried to breastfeed in public yet. It has taken the bambino and I some time to figure out how to breastfeed. And, even with the time and coaching from lactation specialists at the hospital, the Breastfeeding Center of D.C. and our pediatrician's office, we still have some trouble here and there. 

It has been hard to remember that we are both new to this process. He's new to eating and I'm new to feeding. Luckily, there is a lot of help out there (including very generous friends who have shared their stories.)

For more resources, I recommend the La Leche League International and the Breastfeeding Center of D.C.