Breast Feeding

When I became pregnant after a mastectomy, I began to wonder if I could successfully breastfeed my child. I started asking everyone...the pediatrician, my obstetrician, the internet...the only one with a definite "Yes!" was my OB's nurse. She told me it would be no different from a mother with twins nursing her babies.

At the hospital, the lactation consultant told me to use a breast pump frequently at home to build up my milk supply. I also needed to supplement my baby's feedings with formula. My husband would give the baby a bottle and I would nurse the baby. By doing this, the baby didn't have nipple confusion. After two months, I was breastfeeding my daughter exclusively.

With my second daughter, I used a supplemental nursing system from Medela. When I ran out of milk, I would put formula in a bottle attached to a very small tube, which I put next to my nipple. The baby sucked on my nipple and the tube, stimulating my milk production naturally and also receiving formula, so that her sucking was rewarded. This method was frustrating to learn, but very successful once we got the hang of it! By the time the baby was one month old, we were breastfeeding exclusively.