By Dr. Michael Yunaev.
For a lot of new mothers, breastfeeding their baby can be incredibly rewarding because it helps to cement the bond between mother and child.
But if you have had breast surgery, you might be concerned about breastfeeding.
Unfortunately, different types of breast surgeries can affect your ability to breastfeed or make it more difficult.
So if you’ve had these types of surgeries, this is what you need to know.
When I pump—especially when I power pump—it sometimes gets boring.
Breast pumping is a mechanical repetition of hand movements, and even with an electric pump, I still have to sit somewhat stiffly to avoid my breast from slupping off the pump (the plus that comes with having been blessed with big breasts, hahah).
I try to focus on my children, fantasize about the day we’ll share this bond again, watching their photos and remembering the time spent together, but you know what—it doesn’t always work. Being an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), thinking too much of my children ends up getting my levels of nostalgy too high to bear with and that pain triggers a bad kind of anxiety attack (that usually transforms into a meltdown).
Distractions – I need distractions.
Many moms do.
Highly sensitive moms double do.
In this post, you will read about the methods I use to trick my brain into staying calm and enjoy the pumping session despite the low brain stimulation.
I hope you find them helpful!
I first wrote this post on April 17, 2010, after I first tried inducing lactation using breast stimulation only, and failed. The post was worth updating with all the research I’ve done and the new experience I gained over the years. 😉
Perhaps you have heard about adoptive breastfeeding.
Perhaps you’re reading about it for the first time on this blog.
“Adoptive breastfeeding” is the close nursing bond between a mother and her adopted child, a bond that donates the mother-child couple a ‘chunk’ of biological parenthood and helps build attachment and a solid sense of belonging in both the mother and the child, aiding the child’s integration within the new family, and a sense of trust in their parents.
I am a spiritual mother. Like an adoptive mother, I had no biological cord to unite me to my children, so this is what I pursue with adoptive breastfeeding. This bond.
And it’s why in induced lactation in the first place, since I have no biological kids of my own.
