5 Things I’ve Learned About Breastfeeding in the First Four Months

My son is just over four months old now and exclusively breastfed. We’ve been through a lot in our breastfeeding journey, here are five things I’ve learned since we started:

1. Breastfeeding will feel completely normal the moment your child is born. When I was pregnant I honestly wasn’t sure how I would feel about breastfeeding. For my entire life, my breasts belonged to me and only me, so I didn’t know how sharing them with a child would make me feel, and plus it seemed a little…awkward? But at soon as that baby boy was placed on my chest and I got to try to feed him for the first time, I never looked back. Breastfeeding, although difficult at times, was the most natural thing in the world.
2. Breastfeeding is natural but not automatic. I think a lot of people say this, and that’s because it’s true. We place so much emphasis on the labor and delivery of a baby and don’t really think about what comes afterward when we are pregnant. Maybe we think that because our bodies know how to give birth, they also know how to breastfeed. Not true! (At least for me.) I went to one La Leche League meeting while pregnant and thought that was enough to prepare me.  I could have done more research and watched more videos to prepare myself, but at the same time I think you really just have to go through the trials and tribulations yourself in order to learn what works best for your and baby.
3. No one has a perfect, issue-free breastfeeding experience. Of all of my first time mom friends, every single one dealt with one or more of these issues with breastfeeding:
   • Mastitis
   • Bruised or cracked nipples
   • Lack of supply or oversupply
   • Difficulty with latching
   • Clogged ducts
4. You will feed your baby anywhere and everywhere and in front of anyone. I’m sure this isn’t everyone, but I personally found that as soon as I started breastfeeding I really didn’t care if I did it in front of other people. I remember the first day we were home from the hospital one of our male friends came over to meet Asahi. I was in the bedroom nursing and talking to him at the same time without any worry. Since then I’ve nursed in front of male and female family members, friends, in restaurants, parks…basically anywhere! When baby needs to eat that’s your number one priority, not what other people think! As long as you and baby are relaxed and comfortable, that’s all that matters.
5. Breastfeeding gets easier the longer you do it! This is for all of you who are struggling right now…don’t give up! I had very painful nipples for the first two weeks, then at three weeks I got mastitis and felt a dip in my supply which caused Asahi to cry himself to sleep one night. As I cried on my husband’s shoulder, I realized the weight of my role as a mother. Without me (and without access to formula), he would starve. Luckily, my supply normalized and I was able to give him a full feed a few hours later but the lesson stayed with me. I felt so grateful to have milk to feed my baby, but also to live in a place like Japan where I had access to formula if I needed it. Since then I’ve had more periods of painful nipples, poor latching, and clogged ducts, but for some reason those experiences have just made me more committed to continuing to breastfeed. Over the last four months, Asahi and I have worked continuously to build up our breastfeeding relationship, and it is one of the most precious things I have ever done in my life. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to breastfeed, and I hope to continue as long as it still works for us.