Why I Love Breastfeeding

All the talk and publicity of World Breastfeeding Week got me thinking.  I have loved breastfeeding James over the past 8 months and I could probably go on and on about it, but I just figured I'd write about a few reasons-

- I'm Giving James the Best - It's well known that breast milk is the best thing that you can give your child during their first months and possibly years.  I am so thankful that I've been able to nourish him with my milk for so long.  It is wonderful to know that I am giving him the best that I possibly can.  

- It Helps With Bonding - There is a close bond that comes with breastfeeding.  I felt bonded to James when I was pregnant and then that bond became so strong once he was born.  After he was born, my midwife put him on my chest and my life was changed forever.  I was so in love!  Every time I feed him (even in the wee hours of the morning), I am in love with him all over again and in awe of the miracle that he is.  There's a hormonal reason why I feel this way - the hormone oxytocin is released during childbirth and every time a woman breastfeeds.  It's sometimes referred to as the "love hormone" because of how it makes people feel.  I think that a near constant flow of this hormone helped me a lot in the transition to motherhood. 

-  It's Easy (After the Learning Curve) - At nearly 8 months in, breastfeeding is probably the easiest thing that I do in caring for James.  It was not always this easy though!  The first month involved soreness, a questionable milk supply, weigh loss for James, and a major change in diet for me.  I worked closely with a lactation consultant during this month and I went to a breastfeeding support group at the hospital.  Support is so important for women to breastfeed successfully!  Sure, I've had to sacrifice some - I changed my diet to going completely dairy free and gluten free for the first 6 months in an attempt to get rid of thrush and avoid it in the future.  I also still wake up every time James needs to eat at night, but I even have great support at night.  James still wakes up 2 times a night to eat.  But when he wakes up, Ray gets him and brings him to me.  All I do is turn to my side and feed him without ever leaving the bed or even opening my eyes.  Ray is very generous to bring James to me.  Ray has the gift of being able to fall back to sleep immediately after his head his the pillow while it takes me awhile to go back to sleep if I get up.  Additionally, when we go places, I don't have to take anything and I can still feed him.  I don't take a bag, bottle, or anything.  It's great to have everything I need for him with me at all times.  So for me, it was tough to learn how to feed James the first month of his life, but ever since then, it's been easy and fun! 

- Breastfeeding is Free!  As a stay at home home mom, I am all about trying to save money.  I bought a Medela pump and a few bottles to use when I'm away from James on the rare occasion that we're separated, but other than that, it's free!  When you compare this to the cost of formula, it's a lot of money that we're saving.  I am so thankful that we don't have the expense of formula. 

- I Can Share With Others - When James was only 2 weeks old, we had to supplement James with donor milk for about 2 weeks.  Since then, I've had a desire to provide milk to other moms who need it for their babies.  James has shared my milk with 3 other moms.  We haven't donated a ton, but we're doing what we can.  I pump every morning after James eats his breakfast.  So far, I've donated around 14 gallons of milk to 3 different babies. 

So this is what I want to say to women who are considering breastfeeding -

- It's so worth it!  Work through the issues (because you will have issues) and hopefully you'll be able to breastfeed for at least a year and experience some of the benefits I've mentioned above plus more.

- Get support!  Because unless you're Wonder Woman, you will need some people who know what they're doing to help you a ton - especially in the beginning. 

- Consider sharing your milk with other women if you have a good enough supply.  I take about 5 minutes of my day to pump and another 5 minutes of my dad to wash the pump and store the milk.  It's the least I can do to give 10 minutes of my day to another baby in need.  If you're wondering - who would want my milk?  Just ask me or research for yourself - people want it!  

- If you can't breastfeed - even when you've tried everything - it's not the end of the world.  My heart seriously aches for moms who don't get to experience the breastfeeding relationship that I've been able to experience with James.  I hate it for women who try and try and it just doesn't work.  But - thank goodness formula does exist!  It saves so many babies!  And there is always going to be a special bond between mom and baby, even if it doesn't involve breat milk.

And James says, "Happy Breastfeeding Week to All!"

 

Side note - I'm pretty convinced that my milk also helped with all his cute rolls.  Just another reason why we've both loved breastfeeding.