Breastfeeding, Continued

So Wednesday after my midwife appointment I had an appointment with one of the lactation consultants on staff at the office. My OB recommended it because last time I saw her, I mentioned some of the issues I brought up in my last breastfeeding post, namely, HI I HAVE THYROID PROBLEMS.

I actually really liked the LC, who is apparently also a nurse, etc. and so on. 

Things we agreed on:

1. Baby getting fed is the absolute most important thing. No, seriously, that is it. Cut line.
2. Because of my thyroid issues, I am way more likely to have supply issues.

She also had some recommendations, including making sure to try and put The Kid to breast as soon and as often as possible, to try to stimulate as much supply as possible. And to keep an eye on my thyroid, because any fluctuation in that is going to affect supply - which, I kind of figured, and we'll be keeping a close watch on it anyway. Also she recommended a hospital-grade pump, which if my insurance doesn't cover that like they're supposed to I will BURN THEIR SHIT DOWN.

We also talked about the potential supplementation options, including supplements for me, and supplementing with formula. Basically, she agrees that the odds of my being able to exclusively breast-feed are low. I can likely do some breastfeeding, but we won't know how much or for how long until we try.

She just seemed very down to earth and pragmatic, which I appreciated. Yes, she's definitely pro-breastfeeding, but she actually acknowledged and validated my concerns, WHICH IS HUGE AND DOESN'T HAPPEN MUCH IN THE BREASTFEEDING SPHERE. She also acknowledged that sometimes the struggle to breastfeed just is not worth it, which is also huge. So much pro-breastfeeding rhetoric really just does not acknowledge that there are costs to the person breastfeeding, and sometimes it is not worth it. (Just wait until I write up a post about this pin I saw, "101 reasons to breastfeed"... oh my holy fucking dark lord.)

So basically, yes, I was right, I am likely to have supply problems, there are potentially some things we can do about them, but, as she said, we go in to it knowing in advance what the potential problems will be and work with them as they come up. And whatever winds up happening, winds up  happening, and if I switch to part or even all formula, hey, so long as the baby is getting enough food, we're all good.

THANK FUCK.