So like said article says, I too do not speak for all the breastfeeding ladies, but at times I am jealous of the normal bras, the flexible schedule, and that....
1) You have the ability to leave your baby for more than a couple of hours with someone else. I seriously think my husband believes that baby needs milk access (even if he just ate and I am just running to the drive-thru pharmacy) at all times and a bottle just isn't the same....it really isn't to our son.
2) You don't have to worry about getting an infection in your breast. I didn't have the pleasure of experiencing mastitis with my first child, but the second time around I got a terrible infection and there were moments when I thought I would just pass out from the pain. I am not even exaggerating a little. I had to go to walk-in urgent care and they kept me under observation for a couple of hours before letting me go home. Seek treatment immediately if you suspect you are getting mastitis. You'll know because in addition to the breast pain, you feel like you have a really bad flu, complete with chills, fever, and aches all over.
3) You don't have to worry about checking to see if you have your nursing pads in before you leave home. Nobody wants to be at the store and start having a leaky situation. I keep spares in the car just in case. I've had to use them too.
4) You don't have to pump, label with name and date, and prepare bottles for baby to go to daycare the next day. Thankfully, I am not having to experience this again. It was a lot of work to get the bottles washed and filled and then I had to actually label them too with name and date. Too much extra work for a new mommy who wasn't getting much sleep to begin with.
5) You don't have to cry over spilt milk. Yes, I really did cry over this once with my first son. I had just spent my lunch hour at work pumping a good 16 ounces...only to spill it all over my pants. Since, I didn't have a spare pair in the car I just went home for the rest of the day. What a waste of good milk and of half a day of vacation time!
6) You don't have to monitor your diet for effects on baby. Once all the vomiting of pregnancy was over, I was ready to get back to eating again...only to find out that certain things (like chocolate) that I craved were still off of the menu because they upset little guy's tummy. I'd never seen projectile spit-up before baby boy #2. No chocolate milk for him...
7) You will never have to milk yourself in a public bathroom. Yes, I know this was on the original author's list, but it happened to me too. I had a terrible time with morning sickness during my pregnancy so when my first son was about 2 months old, we decided to go out to dinner at a popular Italian restaurant. I was thrilled to go out in public and to get to EAT!! yay! Well, halfway through the meal, I am about to burst. I seriously thought my chest might explode from the pain and pressure. So yeah, I resorted to leaving my lasagna to milk myself in a bathroom stall. I promised myself I would never let that happen again. It hasn't. The lasagna was so worth it though.
Okay....so now you are wondering why in the world I would put myself through all of that. Well, the benefits for baby having breast milk are proven. But I feel like I am blessed to actually be able to do this for my son so I should. Breastfeeding protects baby from viruses, reduces a child's risk of developing childhood cancers, decrease chance of baby getting allergies, and may actually help children avoid diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension later in life. Breastfed babies also have a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). What about benefits to mom? I have to mention that it was super nice to be able to lose the pregnancy weight within only a couple of months (I dropped 30lbs by the time baby was 8 weeks old). Also, breastfeeding may help protect against ovarian cancer and can reduce stress levels. I know sometimes it's tough, but the benefits outweigh the awkwardness and occasional inconveniences. If you can do it and it works for your family situation then try. There will be moments when you want to quit (I've had several). I only wish society didn't make it such an awkward topic/thing. But that's another issue to talk about for another post.
Happy National Breastfeeding Month.
Happy National Breastfeeding Month.
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