October Carnival of Breastfeeding: What I Wish I'd Known Then

Welcome to the October Carnival of Breastfeeding. This month the theme is What I Wish I'd Known Then.

Don't forget to check out all the other fantastic posts at the bottom of the page!

Here's mine:

15 Breastfeeding Facts I Wish I'd Known as a First Time Breastfeeding Mum

When I first became a mother I wish I'd known that breastfeeding would be exhausting but oh so worth the tiredness.
I wish I'd known just how much satisfaction I would feel from being able to instantaneously sate my baby's hunger.

I wish I'd known just how deep the breastfeeding bond between mother and child is.

I wish I'd known about growth spurts and not felt something was wrong every time one happened.

I wish I'd understood reflux better and had known to wind my baby frequently during feeds!

I wish I'd known just how special the shared time breastfeeding my baby would be and for how long I'd treasure the moments we spent gazing into one another's eyes in the stillness of the night.

I wish I'd known that breastfeeding positions and getting the right latch were all-important and that I'd not suffered for months in ignorance of these facts, suffering from endless bouts of mastitis.

I wish I'd known how important it was to buy the right breast pads and that getting a comfortable breastfeeding bra would be crucial to my own comfort.

I wish I'd known about the wealth of free information availbe to breastfeeding mothers online!

I wish I'd known it would be important during, rather than after pregnancy, to stock up on a few worthy breastfeeding books!

I wish I'd known that there was more than one way to express breastmilk and that the Medela Mini Electric Breast Pump would be so much more efficient than manual for me.

I wish I'd known that other people would be unable to resist passing comment and that I'd been more prepared for responding to the question, 'When will you stop?'

I wish I'd known about nursing strikes and had continued to breastfeed after my daughter self-weaned (or so I believed).

I wish I'd known just how quickly the time would pass and how soon breastfeeding would become just another memory in my life's path.

I wish I'd known so much more than I did - but I'm glad above all else that I did know that breast is best so my children all got the opportunity to breastfeed - unlike so many whose mothers still don't know what I did!

Now read the following contributions to the Carnival of Breastfeeding (check for updates through the day!):

Fancy Pancakes: Wish I'd Heard More Good Things

The Milk Mama: When breastfeeding begins badly, and what I should have done about it

Hobo Mama: AP Principle #2: What I wish I'd known when I started breastfeeding

My World Edenwild: What I Wish I'd Known Then: A Poem

Happy Bambino: I wish I had known then…that it wasn’t up to me alone

Three Girl Pile-Up: 4 things I wish I’d known about breastfeeding

Birth Activist: What I Wish I Would Have Known About Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding 1-2-3: Trust Yourself and Your Body

Breastfeeding Moms Unite!: You Don't Have to Grin and Bear It

Momma's Angel: What I Wish I’d Known Then – My List For Next Time

The Starr Family Blogg: I Wish I Would Have Known