How Breastfeeding Has Been Different The Second Time
When Sophie was born I was learning everything for the first time (and I was blogging much more frequently already), so I had a lot more baby content (and just content in general) on my blog. I’ve always loved sharing my experiences here because I know how helpful it can be to hear from someone else who is going through the same thing you are, whether it’s getting married, moving across the country, having kids, or tough stuff like having a sick family member, navigating your parents divorce as an adult, hair loss or other health issues, etc.
Even though I haven’t been posting as frequently in the past year or so, I hope to always maintain this space to share my life and let you know that you are never alone in your experiences.
That’s quite an introduction to basically just say that this week I wanted to share some ways my breastfeeding journey has been different the second time. I know that a lot of this is just because I have a bit more experience this time, and even more of it is because we’re in a pandemic and rarely leave the house. But I thought it was worth sharing!
So without further ado, here are a few ways that breastfeeding has been different for me with a second baby:
MASTITIS/CLOGS: I still got mastitis a few weeks after Gideon was born, which is what happened with Sophie too. I think establishing a supply and figuring everything out initially makes it hard to avoid sometimes, but this time luckily I knew exactly what was happening and was able to get on top of it right away. I got antibiotics and started taking sunflower lecithin regularly for a few weeks, and I’m so happy to say that I haven’t gotten it again! I did feel a clogged duct coming on one other time but felt like I knew what to do to prevent it from turning into mastitis (warm compress, extra pumping/nursing, more sunflower lecithin).
LATCHING: No nipple shield for us this time! I used a nipple shield with Sophie for almost 6 months and it was brutal. It made it really hard to nurse at night and in public, but I couldn’t seem to get her to latch without it. I would always try to get her to latch without it first and then grab it, but that was so frustrating so I really just stayed committed to the shield because in many ways it was a lot easier. One day she just figured it out, but it really did take months.
With Gideon I used it for a week or two but I found that the lactation support here was much better than I had in California. Our pediatrician automatically made me an appointment with the lactation consultant at Gideon’s first checkup and it made all the difference. After two appointments, she had us nursing without the shield and it has been so nice.
PUMPING: Because I’m not working right now, I never really have to pump, which has actually helped my supply so much. When Sophie was about 4 months old I went back to teaching Pure Barre, so I did a lot more pumping. I remember constantly stressing about pumping enough on top of nursing her and wondering if I was going to be able to maintain my supply for a year. I even took a bunch of different supplements that were supposed to help increase your supply. This time around I haven’t had to think about it, which was a big relief.
Gideon and I pretty much just nurse exclusively and he will only sometimes get a bottle if we are on a trip or if I have somewhere to be and Rob needs to feed him. It’s hard sometimes to be the only person who can feed the baby but for me it was really worth it to not ever have to think about my supply, or have pump parts and bottles taking over the kitchen counter. Now that he’s older he’s eating some solid food and I do leave him with the nanny a few times a week, but I really only pump at night and then occasionally during the day if I’ve been away from him.
I know some people who pump and bottle feed exclusively, and I did that for three or four months with Sophie, but I personally find nursing to be a lot more straightforward and definitely prefer it.
GEAR: A few things I used this time around that I didn’t the first are this nursing pillow and this hand pump, which works just as well and sometimes even better than an electric pump (plus it doesn’t include the mental block that I feel when it’s time to pump and I feel like I have to stop everything I’m doing to get all hooked up).
NURSING IN PUBLIC: I used to pump and bring bottles if we were going to be out, but this time around I just don’t care about nursing in public. We don’t go out very often but I have nursed in coffee shops, at lunch, at parks, friends houses—if Gideon is there and hungry, my boob is coming out!
Overall, my second time as a nursing mom has been a lot easier and I have found it to be a lot more enjoyable so far. I loved breastfeeding Sophie but I had a lot to learn and it was stressful at times. From supply issues to latching and not knowing where or when or to whom to go for help, she definitely helped me pave the way for a smoother second go-around. One of my best friends had her second baby a few months before we did, and she told me that she felt a lot less stressed this time. I crossed my fingers to have the same experience and so far I have, which has been so great. There are a lot more aspects of my motherhood experience that I would be happy to share, but for now I will just say that while two kids is definitely more work, having a second baby didn’t shake up my life and change everything the way having a first baby did.
MY ADVICE TO NURSING PEOPLE: If you are having trouble, definitely see if you can get an appointment with a lactation consultant. Those two appointments I had after Gideon’s birth really made all the difference and gave me the confidence to feel like I knew what I was doing.
I also know that this probably sounds silly since I just wrote an entire blog post about my own experience, but you really can’t compare your experience to others. If something is or isn’t working for you, don’t worry about what other people are doing. Pumping exclusively? Never given your baby a bottle? Switching to formula? Doing something in between? You do you! We all have different lives and schedules and situations—remember that fed is best. You’re doing great.
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