Ok, if you don't want to read about breasts anymore, you can skip this post. For some reason, though, I am fascinated by what a woman's body can do in it's quest to nurture new life. Breastfeeding is one of the most amazing biological processes (not counting the actual building of a new life) I've encountered.
When I started breastfeeding Angie, my two older sisters warned me, "If you can make it through the first six weeks, you'll be fine. The first six weeks hurt the most." It was actually more like four for me, but they were right. A lot of pain in the beginning while Angie and I tried to figure out how the process was supposed to work and then, almost miraculously, it didn't hurt anymore.
A while later, aftere the doctor said it was ok to be intimate with my husband again, I discovered that I couldn't really feel even a caress on my breasts. (Sorry if that was too much information.) Disappointed, I experimentedand discovered I could actually pinch my breasts hard and not feel a thing. Curious, I tested various areas of my breasts, and found that this anesthetic effect was strongest near the areola, but extended to most of the breast tissue.
I wonder, do all women experience this? Does baby's sucking release some natural anesthetic? Is that why it no longer hurts after the first few weeks?
Withing two or three weeks of weaning Angie, full sensation returned to my breasts, much to my relief. I'm curious to discover if this same thing happens with future children.
1 comment:
My theory on the pain part is that the baby's mouth is too small in those early weeks to take in enough of the areola to make it comfortable. That's my theory. As to the loss of sensation, I do find it lessened, especially early on when the baby nurses so frequently, but not eliminated. After a few months, the sensation is pretty normal.
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