{"id":2303,"date":"2014-08-04T23:35:39","date_gmt":"2014-08-04T23:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebadassbreastfeeder.com\/?p=2303"},"modified":"2015-01-28T00:13:43","modified_gmt":"2015-01-28T00:13:43","slug":"ask-an-expert-nursing-aversion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebadassbreastfeeder.com\/?p=2303","title":{"rendered":"Ask an Expert: Nursing Aversion"},"content":{"rendered":"

***Ask an Expert is a blog feature hosted by a team of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). Once a month each IBCLC randomly chooses a question from The Badass Breastfeeder Facebook wall and provides their response on the blog.<\/em><\/p>\n

By Wendy Wisner, IBCLC<\/p>\n

Fan Question:<\/p>\n

“How do you overcome nursing aversion? I\u2019m 10 weeks pregnant, and when I\u2019m exhausted and my 16 month old nurses, I cringe.\u00a0 I want to throw up, my skin crawls.\u00a0 I end up crying.\u00a0 It\u2019s so uncomfortable.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to quit nursing, but I\u2019m about to because this is miserable!”<\/p>\n

Nursing aversion is something many moms experience when they nurse during pregnancy.\u00a0 Whether it’s from your changing hormones, change in milk volume (a drop in supply is normal during pregnancy), fatigue, or emotions about it all, it is very understandable that the nursing dynamic would change during pregnancy.<\/p>\n

What to do?\u00a0 First, maybe knowing that it’s normal will help some.\u00a0 Also know that it does get better for some women after the hormonal onslaught and fatigue of the first trimester.\u00a0 Some women find that the physical discomfort starts to get better when they start to produce colostrum (around the start of the third trimester).<\/p>\n

Make sure you are taking good care of yourself.\u00a0 Eat well, stay hydrated, make napping or sleeping in (when you can) a priority.\u00a0 While nursing, try deep breathing, meditation, or distraction to get your mind off it.\u00a0\u00a0 Some mothers sneak in a book, a little online time on their phones or computers — whatever works at redirecting your thoughts.<\/p>\n

It’s certainly ok to set limits with your daughter.\u00a0 Some moms will allow their child to nurse to the length of a familiar song, then stop (the ABC’s and Wheels on the Bus are good ones!).\u00a0 Others find counting helps.\u00a0 Both help your child measure time and know what to expect.\u00a0 If you limit nursing times, offer extra snacks and extra cuddles!<\/p>\n

It helps also to take things day by day, since there are constant changes during pregnancy.\u00a0 Be gentle with yourself and with your child.\u00a0 You are just at the beginning of learning to care for yourself and both of your kids.\u00a0 You will find your balance.<\/p>\n

\"unnamed\"<\/a>Wendy Wisner is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), writer, and mother of two amazing boys.\u00a0 In addition to her work with breastfeeding moms, she has published two books of poems, and a handful of articles about mothering and breastfeeding.\u00a0 She blogs at www.nursememama.com<\/a>.
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