Yes, you can!
Jan 25 '00
Breast is best!
Okay, so I know many people believe it's not for everybody but from my experience, it usually can be for everyone barring any medical problems.
Most of the people I've known who have opted not to attempt breastfeeding or who have only tried it for a short while had little support and either misinformation or no information helping them make that decision.
Both my children nursed until they chose to stop around 14 months. Their father and most people in both extended families were very supportive, even though some of them could be negative sometimes because they had little experience and plenty of misinformation about breastfeeding. Doesn't matter, I certainly wouldn't let someone else's negative feelings stop me from doing the best thing for my childrens' health. There is no better gift to give your newborn child than as healthy a start on life as possible.
When they were young (to this day, actually) my children were less ill than most other kids I knew. Were we just lucky with that? Maybe I'll never really know but I do know that my friends and in-laws who didn't breastfeed their children spent more time on sick child visits to the doctor than we ever did.
Clean-up is a breeze! What a timesaver! And virtually free! Very few bottles to deal with (we only used some for water and for expressed milk) No fears of running out of formula or mixing it up just right or spoilage.
Growing up, I remember my favorite aunt breastfeeding my young cousins and my mother telling me that she had nursed all of us. Knowing that certainly had a positive effect on me! When I was expecting my first child, I educated myself about nursing and knew there would be no other choice for our family. My husband agreed and was such a great support (hmmmmmmm, he had to get up less during the night, didn't he?!) throughout all the time our children were nursed. He never once expressed any negative opinions about it and he actively encouraged friends and relatives, especially his nieces, to nurse their own children. I'm proud to say that many of them made the decision to try it when their favorite uncle and aunt were encouraging them, even if some other family members didn't. If you're looking for support in your decision to breastfeed and don't have a good support system or friends/relatives who don't know much about it, I encourage you to call La Leche League (it's in your phone book!) or your local hospital. All hospitals have lactation specialists now and they can answer ANY questions you may have.
I've known many parents who announced before their children were born that they were only going to nurse their babies for a certain amount of time, usually something like 4, 6, or 8 weeks. Some stuck to that, most successful nursing mothers didn't. The mothers I've known who 'gave up' on breastfeeding early almost always had little support from their immediate family members, especially older family members. If their own mother, mother-in-law, aunt, or older sisters didn't nurse, sometimes it was hard for them to understand the whole process. I can't tell you how many times I've heard an older family member tell a young nursing mother that their baby was not getting enough food! (like the new mother doesn't already have her own worries!)
Yes, the baby's getting enough food! As a matter of fact, breastfed babies will quit eating when they're full... unlike some formula-fed babies whose parents think that the child HAS to finish a certain amount of formula (X amount of ounces) because that's what their doctor or the formula instructions told them. Many of the babies then end up overweight for awhile when young due to overfeeding.
There are so many great benefits to a child and his nursing mother. It helps the mother's body recover quicker after giving birth. It 'forces' a new mother to stop, take some breaks and put her feet up and enjoy her child in a peaceful way. (not always possible when she's trying to figure out what that newborn's occasional crying means!) No, I never think less of a family who chooses to use formula for their own personal reasons. I only wish some people wouldn't base such an important decision on misinformation, lack of information, or by listening to a bunch of old wives' tales about breastfeeding.
I know some people worry about breast infections, pain, etc. Sure, some women experience that (not me) but any 'pain' is usually only a temporary tenderness and breast infections can be cleared up and nursing can continue. But this isn't a 'fear' that I'd dwell on when making your own personal decision about nursing. How many people tell you horror stories about childbirth? Does that make you give up on the idea having children?!
Yes, I would breastfeed my children wherever needed, often nobody else knew the children were being nursed. I would never allow someone else's nervousness or unfamiliarity about nursing children get in the way of my kids' being fed! They'd never have a problem with a bottle-fed baby having his meal, why make a fuss about mine?! Drape a blanket, end of story.
If you think you can't nurse your children for a long length of time, you don't have to totally give up on the idea. The first few weeks will always be the most important for helping your child's developing immune system. No synthetically produced breast milk (formula) will ever replace what you can give your own child, many of the beneficial properties of breastmilk haven't even been identified or reproduced yet.
Any nursing time that you can give your child will help him and will help bond the two of you even more. No, I'm not saying that babies who aren't breastfed don't bond with their parents, but with a bottle, it can sometimes be easier to give a bottle to a child and walk away. Breastfeeding does 'force' the mother to always hold the baby close during that time.
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Epinions.com ID:
Woody35
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Location: North Texas
Reviews written: 48
Trusted by: 71 members
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