Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Breastfeeding


Let me start off by saying that this is my opinion and if you do not share the same views on what I'm about to say, that's perfectly fine too.
That having been said, I love breastfeeding. I think it's a natural and beautiful way for a mother to bond with her child and healthy too. However, I did not always feel like this. When I first got pregnant, I decided to breastfeed as a way to save money on formula, plus I'd always heard it was healthier than formula. When my baby girl was born, I just assumed she'd know how to breastfeed and that she and I would be pros in no time. Boy was I wrong. I felt so nervous and uncomfortable holding her to breastfeed her, I felt like any sudden movement would somehow hurt her, and she just did not want to latch. It took days before she would latch long enough to actually eat and even then, we both had some issues sucessfully breastfeeding. My breasts were engorged and in so much pain, they were warm to the touch, leaking, and it felt like my nipples were being lit on fire each time she latched on. Then I started slacking on how much I breastfed her and started letting her be bottle-fed more. Then, a few weeks ago, I realized how much I missed the closeness, the bonding, that I got from the constant breastfeeding. I started feeding her only from the breast except for one bottle of formula after her bath to help her sleep longer. A few days ago, I stopped the bottle completely. Don't get me wrong, breastfeeding takes up a great majority of my time and one of my nipples still hurts quite a bit at times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Plus, it takes less time to get ready to feed her than if I were to get the water ready, then pour the formula, feed her, then sanatize the bottle, and when I look into my little angels beautiful face as she breastfeeds it gives me a since of unshakable love and pride to see how happy and healthy she is. 
Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing mothers who cannot or choose to not breastfeed, it's their right to choose and in some cases, a medical reason prevents mothers from breastfeeding and I understand and respect that. That is the reason so many different types of nutritious formulas out there. Personally, I've found that Similac and Enfamil to be the best brands of formula even though they are quite pricey.

4 comments:

  1. Yay! I guess I am your first follower,all the way from Saudi Arabia.I also love breastfeeding my lil one.I hope it gets easier for you soon.

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  2. Thanks for the support! I hope it does too, although it really has gotten so much better (:

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  3. Way to go. I wish from the bottom of my heart that I would have had your same mindset with my oldest daughter. now she's two and way to late to start over. I am however trying hey hard to efb work my second child and I can say it had been easier to stick with it this time around for some reason. I wish you the best of luck and just don't give up like I did. I'm sure it'll be so worth it in the long run :-)

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  4. Thank you (: I've heard a lot of women say it's easier to stick to the second time around. I'm glad you're finding that to be true in your case (:

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