What they don't tell you about breast feeding

If you're thinking about taking up breast feeding (like I keep recommending), there are a few annoying things that they don't tell you in the books...*

1. You never know how much Baby eats. Really, the only way to determine if she is getting enough food is to verify she's gaining weight. Trust me, regardless of how much you try to reassure yourself, this is always in question.

2. Your baby will most likely not sleep through the night without waking for 1 or 2 feeds until (enter unknown age here), even though his bottle-fed babies do at a much earlier age. Babies need about 30 oz of milk a day, and it's easy to make sure a bottle-fed babies get this amount while the sun is out. If only the breasts worked the same way.

3. Even when your baby DOES finally sleep more, you will not. You will be in lumpy pain. And if not, you will be lying in a wet puddle. Neither are as much fun as they sound.

4. Teething is more painful for the baby. What? Huh? Yes. You heard me. Apparently sucking at the breast makes the already sensitive gums hurt more than a bottle does. I guess it makes sense because sucking at the breast is more difficult. It requires more effort, so maybe more suction? Either way, your heart will be broken when your baby looks at you with the "Mommy, I'm hungry, but it hurts!" look.


* and of course, subject to my own opinion.