This is more of a reminder for me. I LOVE BREAST-FEEDING! I love it! It was REALLY difficult at first, but I am so glad I am doing something so rewarding for my little one. I'm not going to lie, I wanted to give up several times, but E was the smart one and refused to take a bottle. :) I'm glad she's so smart. (Seriously, though she really is smart. She's going to be a child prodigy, I'm pretty sure.) :)
Since, I'm not lying (I'm actually sitting up...you've got to love my husband's humor.) :) Sorry...like I said before, it's tough. It's a very big time commitment on the mother's part, it's painful in the very beginning, and it's not the norm. Maybe it's my insecurity, but I usually feel really weird when I breastfeed in public. Those are all the cons I can think of.
Here's my list of pros:
NOTE: I do feed E formula. I'm not a big fan of pumping, so when we go somewhere or when I make her cereal I use formula. I'm not hating on formula...I'm just reminding myself of why I still breastfeed...
Why I love breast-feeding
1. It's my cuddle time. I love holding E close. I love it when she looks up at me while she eats, and I can stare into her beautiful eye's as she stares into mine. I know she likes it and feels loved. The other day I was giving her a bottle of formula and I found myself getting impatient. I wanted her to take the bottle and hold on to it herself. (She's getting pretty good at doing that.) But, when I'm breastfeeding, my time is hers. It's a great time-out from the world.
2. The obvious...breast is best! Have you looked at the ingredients in formula? In 3 of the formula's I have, the first ingredient is Corn syrup. One of them has the second ingredient listed as SUGAR! YUCK! (Maybe that's why our kids have so many health problems...)
3. My little one hasn't been sick yet. We've gone through flu season, and Will and I both have been sick several times, and E has had hardly any problems. (She got stuffy once, and a runny nose a few times.)
4. It's FREE!!!! Have you looked at how much a can of formula costs? For 15 bottles, it costs $13!
5. No clean up...and I hate doing dishes...
6. If some big disaster happened & the grocery stores were empty, I would still have a way to feed E. Yeah, I could stock up, but food storage for Will & I is tough enough...
Well, here's another random post about something that has been tough, but so wonderful. Hope you enjoyed.
7 comments:
I can attest that stocking up on food storage is tough. :)
I find it a bit ironic that people try to make their lives and the world out to be something different that it is meant for. To be able to feed a baby who needs such a basic food as milk, from your own body, really is something great. It is giving of yourself in a way. But that is the way life is meant to be. We are to give our all to our children and to the ones we love. Parents providing for their children is a great gift of love. There are many people who do not even have love enough to have children, let alone provide for them.
Cudos for brestfeeding! There are many blessing that come from giving even when you are not looking for those blessings.
Glen, that's a very good point. We do tend to make life more difficult than it needs to be. And a very good reminder that it is another way we can give of ourselves. Hope you guys are well!
Sandy, I was having a battle today about giving up breastfeeding because Grace has decided to eat only in a weird position that is KILLING ME. But as Justin and I talked about it today, I thought about the very same pros that you listed and thought I will stick with it because it is best for both of us (plus I don't know if Grace will even take a bottle)...not that I hate on formula either. If it makes you feel any more motivated for baby number two, I have enjoyed breastfeeding Grace much more than I did with Katie for different reasons, but mostly because with two little ones, that cuddle time is some of the only one on one time I get with grace each day, and I CHERISH it.
That comment was actually from Jill...I guess Justin was still signed in
Jill, you're stronger than me. I would probably give up if Evelyn was hurting me. Don't you love the cuddle time? It's worth it just for that. That's good to hear that it's more enjoyable. :)
Thanks for the post. I think after the La Leche League stormed in and started telling everyone how horrible they were for bottle-feeding their babies, there's been a little anti-breast-feeding backlash, which means that breastfeeding needs as much good press as it can get!
I nursed both my kids for the first 13 months of their lives and absolutely have never regretted it. Especially with my first, it was painful and at times awkward, but so worth it. I'm grateful for all the nutritional benefits/cuddling benefits/etc, but
I must confess my favorite reason for breastfeeding was the abject convenience: you don't have to find/wash bottles, you don't have to mix anything, you don't have to carry feeding equipment with you, you save time and money, if the baby ends up being not hungry, there's nothing wasted, etc, etc.
(This is Will's coworker, btw...)
My mom breast fed me for 12 months. I am so GRATEFUL! I needed all the help I could get, to be healthy. I look forward to having my own kids and experiencing the bonding time. I'm glad you're a normal breastfeeder. I have a co-worker who is so Pro breastfeeding that she refuses to cover up when she feeds her son because "it will never become normal to people if we always make it something to hide, and there fore the breasts remain a sex symbol." Meh, I still want to cover my breast, even if I am not ashamed of feeding my children. But I have religious reasons for that. Anyway, it's a blessing Heavenly Father gave us to take care of our kids. Glad you're doing well and taking mother-hood in stride, the good and the frustrating. :)
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