The First Two Weeks passed and the discomfort went away. I was more easily able to enjoy our moments of breastfeeding but there was another struggle to overcome. I think many new mothers face it. The amazing, overwhelming responsibility of nursing and caring for a newborn. While pregnant we get our first taste of responsibility but it is so different when our baby leaves the womb. The umbilical cord is no longer providing constant nourishment. Instead, we are now honored with the responsibility of bringing our baby to our chest to nurse.
Ezra was nursed about every 1 1/2 hours. I fed her whenever she communicated she was hungry rather than according to a time schedule. The only exception would be if she didn't wake to feed after 3-4 hours of sleep at night. Babies should not go longer than four hours between feedings and should be fed 8-12 times in 24 hours. This schedule is challenging. After a few weeks it occurred to me that I had not slept for longer than four hours continuously. Like many newborns, Ezra slept for many hours each day. Her alert time was minimal and she used it mostly to eat. I took advantage of her sleep time to rest myself. It is a real gift to yourself to relax and allow your body the time it needs to recover. John was so supportive and enjoyed helping me during this time. I believe many husbands are willing and eager to care for their wives and really enjoy being needed.
This stage was far less challenging than the first two weeks and taught me to embrace the new responsibility of motherhood. As we entered the sixth week a shift began to take place. Over the next month we found our rhythm.
Six Through Ten Weeks will be coming soon.Labels: Breastfeeding
