*I'm tired....a lot. Matt can't just get up and feed him for me unless I thaw milk.
*Good GRAVY did my nipples ever hurt.
*I've had mastitis before and thrush.....both= muey ouch!
*I sometimes have to nurse in front of others who give me the Stinky eye (to which I flip them off with my eyes in return..lol)
*I have to wear nursing bra's, which on the whole.....aren't all that sexy (I do have one that's
sexy though )
But this..........................this is why I breastfeed............~
First of all.....that. That picture...how is that not beautiful? Yes, that's my boob! You'll survive. Your retina isn't burning yet so simmer down, it's just a breast.
*I'm selfish! I loved being pregnant, as a whole. Sure there were moments and days when I was so tired I couldn't see straight. The nonstop peeing, gets annoying, the nausea isn't fun....but I get so used to knowing how safe my child is inside me, feeling him move, frankly having him all to myself, that once he is born breastfeeding is personal one on one time NO one else gets! He's mine! ALLLLL mine!
* There is something so amazing about the fact that my body can feed him! The way his little eyes roll back in bliss when he starts to feed.
*The fact that I just stopped typing, fed him, burped him and layed him back down without having to leave the couch to do it. Convenience much!
*The smell of breast milk on a babies breath is sweet. Formula....not so much.
*Breast milk is far more easily absorbed into a baby's body, so the poo...once again, less of it and smells less offensive.
*Nutrition. It is scientifically proven to be better for your child than formula. Science has yet to be able to replicate the antibodies a Mother's breast milk gives her infant. Sure they can give the baby a lot.....the antibodies and immunities.....nope.
*Breast fed babies have lower risks of dieing from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), have higher IQ's on average, lower risk of obesity, and get sick less often than formula fed babies.
*The touch of his skin to mine, his little hand holding onto me.
*It's what my breasts and yours are FOR.
*I never have to pack bottles or formula with me.
* I have not yet had to wash a single bottle! And at 7 weeks old I would have had to have washed approximately 310 bottles to date!
* The lowest costing formula cost approximately $1,500.00 per year and double that and more for the premium formulas.
*My body benefits as well.
~Women who breastfed for at least 6 months have lower risks of:
*Ovarian cancer, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and more.
*Breastfeeding helps the Mother's body to go back to it's pre-pregnancy shape easier and faster.
Breastfeeding or formula feeding is a very personal choice. For us, it's the best choice. Sure there are plenty of nights I wake up and think..."gaaaaaah, I am so tired I wish Matt could just feed Aidan for me, just this once" which he could were I not so lazy and had milk thawed for him to use, however I also know it's saving us money, time, work and over all makes me so happy, fills me with purpose and I feel it's the best thing as a Mother that I can do. It fits into our lives. There are plenty of women who choose otherwise and that's what is best for THEM, however I do not appreciate people who base their decision as to whether or not they agree with breastfeeding on the fact that they find it "gross" or "offensive". There is nothing gross or offensive about it. Sure I haven't yet mastered the knack of feeding gracefully in public, however I do it as modestly as I can, not because I feel worried someone else might see my breast and that it would bother me but because people this day in age see breast feeding as something offensive somehow and give you nasty looks or comments, so for those ignorant morons, I cover up. Lastly...............if you don't have any kids.......your opinion on it is moot. Until you have adopted, and loved a child of your own, or carried a child inside you for those long months, and held a living breathing child in your hands and had that "WOW", shear moment of pure amazement, where your world suddenly revolves around someone other than yourself. Where you would do anything you thought was best for them your opinion just doesn't really matter.
Now...will I exclusively breast feed for 6 months, a year? Who knows. Depends on our lives at the time, my health, his needs and so on. Did I give him the best start possible in life that I could give? Yes. Will I continue as long as I can or as long as it's whats best for our family? You bet! Will I judge my friends and family for not breastfeeding? Never. So don't judge me for doing it. Breastfeeding is a wonderful, and amazing part of Motherhood, but it's work and that's for sure, it requires support too! So please. If you have a friend or family member who is considering breastfeeding, or is currently doing it.........support them. Don't roll your eyes when it's time for them to feed their child in front of you. Don't shun them from activities because they may have to feed in public while you are with them. There is nothing wrong with it, it's natural, and the more we educate one another the less those of who choose to breast feed will get those obnoxious looks and comments.
Educate yourself
http://www.kellymom.com/index.html
http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/infants/breast_bottle_feeding.html
Heck....just google it..lol
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