BREAKING NEWS!!!

Some of you may know about my breastfeeding frustrations. Maybe it's TMI, so I guess if it is, you don't have to read this.

BUT, last night, something clicked for Sara, and she has been nursing!!!!! I never thought this day would come. Every doctor and lactation nurse even gave up on her nursing successfully. BUT I DIDN'T! Neither did Tyler. It was his idea to try last night.

For the past 9 weeks, I pump every 3-5 hours and then bottle feed her. Sometimes she'd latch on with a nipple shield, but they don't get very much milk that way, so I would still have to pump afterwards. The nights were hard, I would be so tired, she was so hungry, and would lay next to me as I pumped, sucking on her binkie in rhythm with my pump. Then one of us would have to stay awake long enough to feed and burp her.

I have had to plan my outings around pumping, since it's ok to breastfeed in public, but have you ever seen someone pump in public?

Certain things have been nice, of course. First of all, the girls and Tyler love to feed her. The other two girls didn't take a bottle or a binkie, and both are so nice! But, this bond that I feel when I nurse my babies is the most amazing thing ever, and quite simply, it's easy. (Not easy to teach them, but easy to feed them wherever/whenever)

Maybe I should call the lactation nurse and I could be her poster child. And to the mean doctor who told me in the hospital "if babies don't learn to nurse within a week, they never will." Well, Shanna took a few weeks to learn, Kaci took a month, and Sara took 9 weeks. Take that, Mr. High-And-Mighty!

So, it's progressively getting better and easier. Last night, I was able to nurse her on one side, starting with the shield and then taking it away. Then, I fed her a bottle after. She also had a bottle during the night. Today, she has had ONE BOTTLE! I haven't had to use the shield at all for the last 2 feedings!

I am so happy! Thank you, Sara!