The OB and Breastfeeding

So today we had another appointment with the OB - Dr. Simon. Everything is going really well, Ernie is measuring right for dates, has a good heart beat and seems to be developing normally. Dr. Simon even managed a bit of a laugh today, normally he is so serious.

After our appointment we wandered around Warragul and decided to have lunch in a Cafe before our Breastfeeding class. Arrh I wish we hadn't. It would have to have been some of the worst food that I have had in a long time and Jochen's wasn't that much better either. We both thought that a hamburger for Jochen and a hot potato with sour cream and colesaw for me, couldn't be that hard to make and would be very hard to stuff up. We were wrong. Apparently it is much easier to make it look uninteresting and unappertising than we had given them credit for. Let's just say we certainly won't be going back there again.

Anyway after our awful lunch, I visited some of my old work colleagues, Vicky and Brooke before we headed off to our breastfeeding class. The class was really interesting although the way the woman who was giving us the information talked.... all with the same tone of voice... I found myself thinking about other things at times and really had to force myself to concentrate on what she was saying. We got to practice how to hold the baby whilst feeding, using little stuffed dolls, which was really funny. Picture Jochen holding a stuffed doll to his breast whilst he was busy fashioning a nipple with his tee-shirt. I had to try so hard not to crack up laughing... and off course the more he saw me trying to get myself under control, the more he continued doing it. Though all this I was also meant to be listening to the presenter give further information - let's just say it was quite difficult. By the time the class was finished - a half an hour or so later than it was meant to I was past concentrating on anything.

I already knew before this class that I was going to try and breastfeed for as long as possible, this class just confirmed my decision. It was also great for showing Jochen that breastfeeding is a skill that needs to be learnt by both the mother and the baby, he was under the impression before the class that it was as simple as just putting the baby to the breast and away you go. I know that it can be that simple for some women but that a lot of women also have trouble and having his support, if it is difficult, could make all the difference between being able to persist or giving up if it just feels too hard.