Last Wednesday Will and I had our second official visit with our doula, Deb Rhizal of Pregnancy Arts. The first visit was a few months ago, at our house in Milford, and served as a meet and get-ta-know-ya/let's talk about expectations. This visit was in Ann Arbor, at Deb's house, and marked the official start of our childbirth ed classes.Our doula package includes two prenatal meetings, birth services and two postpartum visits. We added a couple extra sessions to go over childbirth, breastfeeding and parenting basics. Though we're still debating a formal/traditional group class, with our busy schedules these one-on-two lessons, scheduled at our convenience, are fabulous.
The plan for Wednesday was to review life-after-baby-basics. What the first two weeks will look and feel like, and what steps Will and I can take to preserve and nurture our bond as a couple, while simultaneously welcoming our new little lady.
Needless to say, we got off track. Early in the "now you're home" convo, which took place over raspberry tea and muffins, the subject of every-two-hour feedings arose, which naturally led to a breastfeeding question. Which led to another breastfeeding question, which led to another, and pretty soon we mutually decided to ditch the plan and focus on breastfeeding basics.
Which is when . . . drumroll please . . . the crochet boobs made their appearance. Why, you might ask, were crochet boobs included in the prop list? Well, Deb had to demonstrate a proper "latch," and how I will be able to help Baby S get the most out of her time with my boob. Though the knit boobies were a bit strange, they were perfect props, and decidedly less awkward than using a live model. Sadly, Will and I didn't get to actually handle the crochet boobs, but we did get our own baby dolls.
Though there's not a whole lot we can do to prepare for the breastfeeding part of bringin' the baby home (except to buy a nursing chair - I have a few in mind - stay tuned for pics) I feel much more prepared to tackle the breastfeeding challenge. I understand the mechanics and why, when the mechanics are a bit off, everything is that much more difficult.
The other awesome takeaway from the meeting? The tips Deb provided Will for supporting me during the breastfeeding challenge. He asked, being boob-less (or rather, having non-milk-producing-boobs), what he could do. Her answer - for the first two weeks, get up with me. Make sure I have plenty of water and snacks handy. Help me position myself with pillows. And when I'm done feeding, take the baby and perform all the after feeding tasks (burping, changing, putting her back to bed). Eventually, she explained, when we start using bottles, we can split the night feedings, but until then, he is my wing man. I like.
