Back in late February I had signed up for a class on breastfeeding multiples. Although our "baby 101" class covered breastfeeding, I figured it would not be super helpful for me. Both my peri and the instructor of our childbirth class recommended the multiples class too.
After my good report last week, and given that the class was held at the hospital, I figured we'd still go. Dave could drop me off at the door and I'd be sitting with my feet up the whole time.
There were six other women in the class, five having twins and one having triplets. NONE of them had partners with them. David was the only guy. He figured all the rest had begged off to watch the NCAA Championship. At first I felt kind of guilty for asking him to come with me, but now I feel worse for the other women whose partners weren't there to support them. A lot of the instructor's emphasis was on how much help we're going to need to get both babies fed, and I think it was important for David to hear so he understands. The instructor praised him for being there and thanked him for being committed to breastfeeding, and I think he did like that.
It's going to be tough. I am basically going to be feeding babies around the clock at the beginning. I'm going to have to drink so much water and have so much protein and be super careful not to get sore nipples because I won't be able to switch. But I'm committed and so long as my body cooperates, I want to do this. I know all the "breast is best" stuff, but I also want to do this because my body is meant to do this and I hope it will cooperate. Plus it will save so much money and be much better environmentally.
I'm really glad the instructor was different than the instructor who taught the breastfeeding part of our babycare class. That woman....was kind of horrible. She was of the militant breastfeeding variety, the "if you give your child formula you may as well give them poison" school. I was able to tune her out as soon as I noticed that was how it was going to go, but David wasn't. He just kept getting angrier and angrier and was so irate on the way home. He does not get angry often or easily, but he was really upset. He kept asking what that woman was thinking and how dare she make women feel bad if for some reason they couldn't breastfeed. I thought it was actually really sweet of him to take it so personally. But listening to that woman convinced me that if she's the LC on duty when I'm in the hospital, I'm going to have to ask for someone else. She seemed like she would relish making a woman feel guilty for breastfeeding not working out. The thing that is saddest about it is that her message--which is important, I know; you shouldn't just give up if it's tough but rather try to figure out solutions--isn't reaching the people who need to hear it. Couples who have signed up for a babycare class clearly have the time and means to think about these things ahead of time and have more than likely done the research to know the benefits of breastfeeding. What about all the poor women who think they need to buy formula? I swear formula companies are probably WIC's biggest lobby.
In any event, it was nice not feeling like the freak for once. I felt the same thing at the MoM twin book club I went to at the beginning of March. These people get it. They know what I'm in for and what I've been going through. They don't look at me like I'm a curiosity or with pity or ask all the "twin" questions: identical? IVF? boy/girl? are they both yours? I suppose those questions will be special the first time or ten, but after that.....snarky responses to follow!
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