I cannot believe I have a 2 year old! It seems just yesterday I was popping my boob out, any and everywhere to feed my son. When I tell you I would feed him ANYWHERE I mean ANYWHERE and in front of anyone. I had became that public breastfeeding mom …YUP that was me sometimes and I could careless how anyone felt as long as my baby was fed. Although I had become nursing pro it didn’t start off that way! My son’s and I initial breastfeeding encounter did not go so well. I ended up having a breakdown while awkardly holding a newborn baby in my arms, as my husband was trying to push my engorged boob into my son’s mouth to help the baby latch. Sounds terrible right? Well it was a rough start seeing that it was both of our first times, and we were learning each other. If you are thinking of nursing just be patient with yourself and your baby and don’t give up. Eventually you both will get it and it will feel natural and easy.
My son was dependent on me and I felt so empowered being his sole supply of nutrition.
Being a nursing mom is similar to having a full time job and being on call for 24 hours at another job! Lol! Looking back at it I am not sure how I did it, but I did, and I enjoyed every moment. For 18 months my body soul purpose was to produce milk. My son was dependent on me and I felt so empowered being his sole supply of nutrition. I took it very seriously I slept, ate and drank to fuel my body for nursing. I was determined to breastfeed my son for as long as I could to provide him with all of the benefits I knew breastfeeding would. What I didn’t know prior to nursing was that there were benefits for both him and I. Here are three reasons why breastfeeding is not only best for your baby but for mommy too:
Helps you to bond…..
Nursing helped me bond with my son. For women who may struggle with post partum or like myself the” baby blues” nursing forces you to spend time with your new baby. Since we are the only one’s who can nurse, unless were pumping we have to tend to the baby. Although I had the baby blues I found myself spending hours a day holding and nursing my son constantly especially in the first two weeks. After my baby blues passed my son and I connection grew stronger especially during nursing. It was during this time I would stare in his eyes and I fell in love with his face. Often times I would feel so relaxed that I would dose off shortly catching myself before falling into a deep sleep. A hormone called oxytocin is to blame for my increased relaxation because it is released during nursing. As he got older the bonding time from nursing grew shorter and shorter. I eventually found my self wishing I could have those sweet times back of my infant laying in my arms and nursing for 20 to 30 minutes. Mommies who nurse enjoy your bonding times, because it creates moments with your baby that you will forever cherish.
Saves you money……
Okay so anyone who knows me knows I am cheap. I love saving money. So when I heard the prices of formula and calculated how much I would have been saving by breastfeeding I knew nursing was the way to go! Did you know the cost of formula ranges from $58 to $198 per month depending on the brand? Yeahhhh breast milk is free99. Lol Besides the cost of some breast feeding materials and bras I didn’t have to buy anything else. I was a mommy on a budget so nursing was the best thing I could have done for our household. It allowed me to remove another bill and price tag that came with the baby. After 18 hard fought months of nursing I am proud to say I did not have to spend a penny on formula. New mommies save your coins for what really matters like diapers,wipes and the countless clothes you will buy when they become a toddler and grow every six months lol.
Healthy Baby = Happy Mommy….
Mothers want nothing more for their children then for them to be healthy. My son grew perfectly while exclusively being breastfed for 6 months. Regardless of how many family members urged me to feed him table food at 4 months or give him water (Don’t do it) my son was the perfect size. He was always within a healthy height and weight range during our Well Child Visits and he is still growing big and strong. Breast milk also provided my son with protection from a wide variety of diseases and infections that formula could never because of the antibodies from my body I pass on to him. There are also immune factors, enzymes and white blood cells that benefit the baby’s immune system. My son would catch the common cold here and there but his symptoms were mild and it would never last more than 3 to 4 days. His immune system was impeccable I felt proud that my breast milk and I were the reason. Breast feeding also stimulates brain growth and development. Research has found that breast fed babies extra growth was most pronounced in parts of the brain associated with language, emotional function, and cognition. This is very evident for my son who is now 2 years old and very advanced for his age. My son speaks in full sentences, knows his ABC’s and is able to do a 24 piece puzzle without any help. Check out the video below:
If you are debating on giving breastfeeding a try don’t. It is so worth the hard work and sleepless nights. Give it your best shot and understand that everyone is different. So if you are unable to breastfeed for one reason or another don’t be down on yourself or worry. Do whats best for your baby and your situation.
References: https://news.brown.edu/articles/2013/06/breastfeeding
A Natural Journey to Love 