Samson is a very aware baby, he gets easily distracted while he is nursing. Whenever my husband (or dog) enters the room, Samson unlatches so he can see what is going on. He is always very happy to see Dad (and his dog).
His thumb is also a distraction. Samson worked hard the first few months of his life to be able to suck his thumb. Now that he can easily get his thumb in his mouth, he likes to squeeze it in while he is nursing.
My milk has been well established and my son is sleeping through the night. I don’t have to use nursing pads anymore. I had no idea that it would be just a phase, but am glad that it was.
There have been a couple times I was engorged, meaning my son did not empty the milk out of my breast. It’s rather painful and not that easy to empty. The other day it happened while we were out shopping. As I carried Samson, he was leaning against the breast that was engorged and it felt bruised. Once we got home, I nursed him, but he wasn’t taking it until I forced him to.
I had this same issue a couple months ago, but Samson was sleeping and I did not want to wake him up. Consequently, I pumped. I couldn’t empty myself well enough while pumping. As a result, my husband soaked a washcloth in warm water and laid it on the top half of my breast. Next he massaged my breast to help me get the milk out while I held the breast pump in place. The process took about 20 minutes, but it was well worth the effort.
I followed the Moms on Call schedule during this time. The schedule for the two months to four months age was basically to nurse every three hours during the day. They recommend starting solids at four months (pediatricians typically recommend starting at six months) and to only nurse every four hours during the day. I enjoyed having those schedules because they helped me stay sane and not feel completely lost in constant breastfeeding. Unfortunately, these schedules did not work out for my son and I do not recommend them.
I recently changed the schedule again, which I will talk about in my next blog and why I do not recommend the Moms on Call schedules.
Did you choose to feed on demand or on a schedule? Let me know in the comments what worked best for you and your child.
