So, it was a goal of mine to breastfeed Isabel for the first year of her life. I read a lot of things about the benefits of breastfeeding and there is a real push to breastfeed for the entire first year and that the most benefits are gained early on and through the first year.
And even if someone is not sure if they want to breastfeed or not, they say that any amount of breastfeeding is beneficial, especially if you breastfeed during the first two weeks when it's colostrum (or a mix with milk) that the baby is getting.
Now the first year has come and gone and I have to say, I never once thought about quitting it. It was really hard, REALLY HARD, sometimes. Plugged ducts and mastitis is painful and very uncomfortable, but I pushed through it. It sucked having to get up in the middle of the night (many, many times) because she needed to nurse or at least needed the comforting that nursing from mommy brought. It was very frustrating and worried me a lot when she wouldn't take a bottle for so long. It was really not fun leaking all over the place, and for the first 4 months I did have to wear nursing pads all the time and then again when I got mastitis. And it was inconvenient having to go to my office to pump twice a day. And it was frustrating sometimes that I couldn't go out & have a drink after work with friends because I was going to nurse her soon or that I couldn't play volleyball because that game schedule interfered with Isabel's schedule.
With that said, I never once thought about quitting breastfeeding. I believe all the benefits they say breastfeeding has and even if they all don't prove to be scientifically true, I do know this; that Isabel & I have this wonderful strong bond. She has a great bond with her daddy, but I have all those special moments of just the two of us nursing and no one else can have those moments with us. Even though night feedings were not on the top of my fun list, I loved knowing that I could provide nourishment and comfort to her. The plugged ducts & mastitis were even less fun, but she had to nurse more to help free the blockage and I liked knowing that she could help me as I helped her. It was to give & take like that.
And even though it was inconvenient to pump twice a day, I was able to pump enough so that we didn't have to supplement with formula and then at around a year we started giving her whole milk. And the stifling to my social life, actually saved us money and if I am being honest, after spending all day away from her I didn't want to spend any more time away from her. And if I am being really honest, I probably enjoyed spending more time with her.
I am still breastfeeding her, but only three times a day, right after she wakes up, at nap time and at bedtime. Although, last night she was so tired, she went to bed after just being rocked for a while and not nursing. I am not sure exactly when I will completely wean her, but for now I think we both still need it. With moving and all the changes, we both need the comfort and something that hasn't changed yet and since there is no more pumping, no leaky breasts, and no getting up in the middle of the night, and she's drinking milk, water & juice from a sippy cup -- it's all good now.
So, that's what I have to say. I have had people ask me when I am stopping or seem surprised that I haven't stopped yet. I have received encouragement that I was still continuing from one person, which was nice. I don't know when we'll be done, I guess when it's right for both of us.
3 comments:
If I had to work FT out of the home I dont think Id be using cloth diapers either.. so I dont blame you for that. Thats to much to deal with when your balancing home and work.
I applaud you for b.feeding for a year plus! thats awesome.. I hope to do that w/ our third.. but we shall see :-)
My SIL Carol sent me an email with her support and that was very nice of her.
I guess it's not that people are not supportive, (BTW - daddy is, so that makes three, if we are counting), it's that in our country no one really talks about breastfeeding at all. It's like it's this big secretive thing.
Boobs have been objectified so much in our culture that they seem to serve only for the purpose of sexual gratification and not for what they were really intended - NOURISHMENT for younglings.
It's why when we were in school and we watched PBS shows about Aborigines and they were topless and feeding their young, we just starred because we were curious but were ashamed at the same time. We paid no attention that she was feeding her child.....we were starring at her "privates".
I don't know whow we fix any of this. I never once hid that I was breastfeeding. If we were in public, I would go somewhere out of the way rather than sit in the middle of a crowd....but I only once nursed in a bathroom....and I only did that because we were at the fairgrounds and kids I work with were there, otherwise I might have plunked down on a bench and fed my child.
And when I am in my own home, I certainly don't care who is around. It's my home and I was going to feed my child right there in the middle of everyone. My house, my rules. If I was visiting someone else, I might go to another room depending upon who was there.
There are people who ask questions about when I will stop, as if they are inferring that I should have stopped already.
I am not looking for a pat on the back or for all these people to tell me keep it up. I guess I just want people to start talking about breatfeeding as a normal part of raising a young child.
I tried to breastfeed Tye, but by 2 months old, he was too hungry for me to feed him well enough.
With Bodie, I breastfed him for his first 2 years! Alot of it was more the bonding time than the food aspect of it. I never regretted doing it that long, especially since he is still a boy that likes to snuggle up to me. I think it really benefitted us both!
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