it's morning already?
2006-01-17 - 7:41 a.m.

It took me a week to realize that the discomfort of breastfeeding was because of a poor latch. What a completely bizarre judgement on Nature's part to create a system with about a million incorrect ways to do something and only one right way. The discomfort has turned into all out shooting pains though my bosom. I'd put up with it if Ryan was at least getting nourished, but he's not.

I'm more than a little frustrated that the hospital where I delivered, world reknown though it is, had pretty crappy lactation consultation. A nurse came in in the middle of the night, hours after I delivered, put the baby to my bosom went put her hand on my breast, clamped the kid's head down, and basically went "ok, that's how you do it" and that was that. Other nurses would come periodically, ask if it was hurting, take a glance at the latch, and tell me all was well, since I always answered "a little uncomfortable". There was a little discussion group I could have attended at 11am the following morning. But since that was 12 hours after I delivered wasn't really any more awake then than I was when the nurse came in and gave the quickie demonstration. Sigh. I called this morning to try to get an outpatient consultation, but the service has been halted due to staffing shortages.

Let's hope someone at the local La Leche checks email at 7:30 in the morning. I'm nearly desperate enough to call them at home...

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Update: Hooray, the La Leche lady does check her email -- in fact both of the ones I emailed do and called straight away. I got some tips that the videos and other things didn't cover. The class I'd taken 6 weeks ago didn't exactly give you any practice, because practicing on a teddy bear that doesn't move, buck, scream, cry, put it's hands in it's mouth, etc. isn't really practice. I got at least one excellent tip that helped right away to calm the baby down. It's not perfect yet, but we're moving in a better direction at least. Hooray!

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