I am proud of you for acknowledging the many benefits to both mother and baby of breastfeeding. And, if you are reading this, you realize that there are also challenges that go along with breastfeeding, especially if you have older children in the house.

Welcome to the conflicting feelings of motherhood. From here on out you will never feel quite like you are meeting all of your children's needs all of the time. The sooner you can come to terms with the realities of motherhood, the sooner you can give yourself a break, enjoy your children and be the best mother that you can be.

The unfortunate part of nursing a new baby with an older sibling in the house is the fact that you are not completely alone gazing into the eyes of your precious new baby. In many ways you may feel cheated of this time, while also feeling that your older child is being neglected.

My first word of advice for a mother planning on nursing a subsequent baby is to stay at the hospital as long as your insurance will allow. This length of time is generally 48 hours for a vaginal birth and 72 hours for a Cesarean section. The reason for this is twofold. You are going to be tired, exhausted even. I realize that the nurses at the hospital can be annoying, taking your temperature every few hours, and pressing on your uterus as if it were a pile of playdoh, but they also change diapers, swaddle a baby better than you can ever do for yourself and they not only will bring you a meal, but clear the table afterward. Take this help, you'll need it. And even the most annoying nursing disturbance is better than a three year old waking you at 3 am because he has to go potty...NOW! The other reason for staying at the hospital the full time allowed is to give your milk a chance to come in. If you nurse around the clock while in the hospital, chances are, your milk will come in and you will be able to consult with a lactation consultant to head off any problems. You will be getting off on the right foot with breastfeeding.

Things will be very different when you get home. You will have an older child or children who will have missed you for several days. There will be varying degrees of sibling rivalry occurring. Do not be fooled. Even the child who cannot get enough of the new baby and cannot let him out of his sight because he is so cute, sweet, etc. is demonstrating sibling rivalry behavior, just in a more passive manner. The first order of business is to hand new baby

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