Made it to 6 months EBF here’s what I wish I knew when I gave birth

I joked I went into breastfeeding as a FTM with vibes only. In hindsight I really had no idea what I was doing, and really didn’t know what to expect. I was blessed with a baby who latched damn near perfect from the get-go, a great supply and wonderful support from my husband but here’s what I wish I would have known. Babies are fussy, regardless of their food source. I always see lots of moms on here upset or pushed to formula because their baby was fussy. More commonly, people assuming their supply is low because of fusiness. But this is just part of it, and it gets better. Track wet diapers, and if they are having enough you gotta trust your body is doing it’s thing. I know how hard it can be to not SEE how much your baby is getting when you are nursing. But as long as they are growing on their curve, and having enough wet diapers, trust yourself EVEN if they fuss (see #1) The 6 week growth spurt is hell..I heard soooo much about the 4 month sleep regression on tik Tok, but absolutely nothing about those first few big growth spurts..omg. my baby cried for hours every night and was inconsolable until she magically was fine. Newborns also have a lot of gas. You don’t need to cut out diary, soy, etc etc at the first sign of a gassy baby. Breastfeeding is a lot of hard work, and having a supportive partner really could make or break the journey for you. I could not have made it to 6 months without a wonderful husband who took care of the dogs, brought me drinks, snacks and helped take care of me post c-section. And finally, I also saw a lot on tik Tok about how people stopped breastfeeding to save their mental health. & I respect those women, we gotta take care of ourselves. But it scared me, but honestly breastfeeding HELPED my mental health post-partum. I still had post-partum anxiety and depression, and am doing much better on an SSRI BUT getting so many quiet moments, just me and my baby, nursing her made me feel so so much better. I think it’s important to share how beneficial breastfeeding can be for your mental health too. Now onto my next goal, 1 year EBFing! via /r/breastfeeding https://ift.tt/StylP5T