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I thought I would share my experience of breastfeeding as a mother of two children - one with Down Syndrome - to encourage more mother's to do likewise.
Kayla was diagnosed with Down Syndrome (DS) when she was around three days old and everyone warned me how hard it would be to breastfeed. I never wanted to use formula so I read all the booklets with suggestions for making breastfeeding with DS easier as her overall muscle tone was lower, causing the sucking reflex to be much more of an effort. I was lucky she latched on quite well and seemed to suck well but just like a lot of other mums with DS kids tell me they also experienced, she took around an hour to feed to satisfaction and kept falling asleep half way through - try that 6-8 feeds a day! I gradually got used to the time I had to spend and helping her attach properly and we were off. Everyone supported my choice and I never thought twice about it.
I breastfed exclusively for 6 months then complimented it with solids till around 12 months and even then I wasn't ready to let go. Luckily she took herself off the breast quite easily at 12 months and onto a bottle as she got sick with Leukemia and spent the next 6 months in and out of hospital and I don't know if I could have coped staying with her every night and not handing over to my hubby and mum every now and then. It was also at this time I found out I was pregnant so I wondered if the change in hormones might have put her off breast milk as I hear can happen.Kayla never really seemed interested in a bottle and we bought a lot of different ones before finding the peristaltic nipple teat best, even getting her to hold it herself was a long learning process for her but we got there. When I look back at the photos she was quite chubby so I guess I must have been doing something right! So baby two? He was big, strong and hungry and in 10 minutes was done feeding. Geez what a change! I got a few blocked ducts and my nipples were sore but luckliy no mastitis or severe chaffing like some of the stories I hear. The only challenge this time around was the worry was I feeding him enough. Such a hard thing as you really don't know what quantity they are getting. He was a colicy, vomity baby which I wasn't used to and I was concerned I wasn't burping him properly but I stuck with it and he grew out of it at around 6 months. Again I breastfed exclusively for 6 months and then started solid food also which he took to very easily. 11 months on and I am still feeding around 4 times a day and trying to get him out of the habit of waking at night for a feed. He can sleep though but just as I think we are onto a great routine, he goes and changes it. Typical man. I find routine really makes a difference and taking the child to a quiet space, without distraction, to calm yourself and your baby all helps for a good feed. A bit hard when the older child is demanding your attention, I know, but try this as often as you can. Breastfeeding really is a great experience, especially knowing your child is depending on you. |
