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Saturday, August 7, 2010

Breastfeeding = Best feeding

This week is/has been National Breastfeeding Awareness week.... or something along those lines. Honestly? I had a sick baby, I have barely turned on the TV (at Mom's house, because we don't have TV), and I haven't checked my Mommy boards, nor, really, read any blogs.

But I wanted to write a small post about how breastfeeding has changed my life, and how it's my favorite part of Mommyhood.

It really, really has changed my life. I used to be selfish, I used to be modest, and I used to be timid. When you breastfeed, you can't be selfish. Your little sweetie has to come first in EVERYTHING. You have to watch what you eat (will that make him/her gassy?), you have to watch what you drink. Doctors appointments (for the mom) become tedious because you have to repeatedly ask "Can I take that while nursing?" and when they tell you no, you have to tell them to find another option. You have to be proactive (notice I said I used to be timid), and speak up when you don't think that they're making much of an effort. You have to be informed.

And modesty (at least on my part), went flying out the window. Oh, I tried at first. I did the whole blanket thing. But then about 9 weeks, I had an undiagnosed oversupply of milk and Keevia had colic. And she screamed. Constantly. And she was was starving, but she'd scream at the boob, and the ONLY THING I wanted was for her to latch on and nurse because that was all I could do to make it better. I didn't give a flying flip if I was sitting in an easy chair in my living room, in the baby section of Wal-Mart, or in a five star restaurant. My baby was hungry. She needed to eat. I wore two shirts so I could pull one up, one down, and I nursed. And sometimes I'm sure my boob was exposed (for short amounts of time), but it was that, or have my baby scream... and I'm sorry y'all, I chose the unmodest responses.

I know there is a ton of controversy around the topic of breastfeeding recently... and I honestly try and stay away from it. I turn away from news stories about it, because I would probably, in all honesty, chuck something at the tv. And since it would be my parents TV, I don't think that would be a good thing.

This is getting off topic. I digress.

Breastfeeding has molded me into a better mother. It's calming for Keevia, but it's also calming for me. It soothes me. It relaxes me. It makes everything else float away for a moment, and the world suddenly revolves around me and my baby -- just as it should at all times.

It reconnects us. Even on the days (like last Wednesday), when she's fussy and clingy and nurses around 30 times a day... it still reconnects us, because I know she needs that comfort. She needs that nourishment, and she needs the love that I can feel pour through me as she nurses. She doesn't just get milk as nourishment, she gets love. And I love giving it to her.

I wouldn't be the Mom I am if I didn't nurse her. I plan on continuing until she decides to stop. Weird? Maybe... but this is our relationship, our bond, and whats best for my baby.... it can't get any more natural than that!

1 comment:

  1. Great post! I actually nursed our biological child (Holden) and one of our adopted children (Cash). It was such an amazing experience. For some reason, nursing meant more to me than being pregnant and more than the biology of our child. Don't know why, but feel so blessed to have shared this experience with at least two of my littles!

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