Why Debate? Make Well Informed Choices Based On Your Lifestyle
Jul 20 '00 (Updated Sep 02 '00)
I'm not sure why, but I suddenly feel compelled to write on this topic. I have read countless epinions regarding this "debate" and I now feel ready to put in my three cents worth!
WHY IS THIS A DEBATE?
Ok, I will start off with the question that troubles me most. Debate? I guess in my life as a mother I've never felt the need to debate breastfeeding with anyone. We all have to feed our children, I can't think of anyone who would choose not to feed their baby. Our choices amount to two. We can either feed our baby using formula or breast milk. No debate there. I suppose the debate lies in the individual decision each of us must make. I chose breast feeding for my children. It was a no-brainer for me from the moment of my first positive pregnancy test. For others, the decision does not come easily, but a decision is made. I imagine it's the people who have some doubt as to how they will feed their babies who spark debate. We want these people to know our choice and why we made the choices we did. We have a innate desire to win people over to our way of thinking or doing things. When we have opposing views, we have a debate.
THE FACTS
I present the facts as I know them based on my experience with breastfeeding. I have successfully nursed three children for the first year of their lives. I'm not a member of La Leche League or some militant nurser who would choose to nurse no matter the circumstance or consequence. I'm a mommy who was glad to nurse for practical reasons and wound up loving it.
One fact that I will share is that for me and most I know nursing will hurt at first. I've read and heard so many times that if your baby is positioned properly, nursing will not hurt. Sorry believers, that is BUNK! With each of my babies came at least two weeks of pain, not unlike the excruciating pain of labor, with each baby. These babies were positioned correctly at my breast and thrived. For that two week interval, I would have tears running down my face as my baby latched on, telling myself, "It gets easier, it gets easier." The bottom line is that your breast tissue is very sensitive and having something akin to a Hoover positioned on it every two hours or so will hurt at first. It is a temporary condition for most, but it is a HUGE hurdle to overcome if you are not 100% sure nursing is for you.
One wonderful way to help ease this pain is by using breast shells. Most hospitals have them on hand and if you are lucky, your insurance might even pay for them when they receive your hospital bill. The shells are plastic domes that you place over your nipples after nursing. They allow air to circulate around your nipples and I found them a wonderful remedy. They cost me about $9.00, an investment well worth it.
DRIP, DRIP, DRIP
Another unpleasant side effect for many women is that your breasts may become an annoying, leaking faucet. Aside from the initial pain, this is my least favorite aspect of nursing. I can leak through any breast pad I have ever tried and usually have to resort to cloth diapers to keep my shirt dry. Leaking can be VERY embarrassing if you are so unfortunate to have "let down" in public. At the first tingle you will see my arms across my chest, making a bee-line for the bathroom. There is no hiding the perfect, tell-tale circles on your chest and this, too is yucky. But, like the pain, it gets better with time. I have to wear a bra all the time to help, but once the baby's schedule gets set, leaking improves.
OUCH!!
One more pain in the... well you know, will begin as your baby teethes. Not all babies use mommy as a human teething ring. My first two never had a biting problem but my third is challenging me daily. Teething hurts babies and it's natural for them to want to gnaw on whatever is in their mouth. My son is just shy of 11 months and I'm debating weaning him a little early since my yelps of pain cause him to giggle with delight. That's not a good game when your breasts are at risk!
HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF
This is so very important for the success of a nursing relationship. Many women are inhibited for many reasons and for them the thought of a nurse handling their breasts or even the actual nursing causes them anxiety. Our society has only recently adjusted to the fact that breasts are for nursing and many grow up in homes with grown-ups letting them know either directly or indirectly that breasts are sexual organs and any woman who nurses is a pervert. If you grow up that way, those feelings are difficult to overcome. I was fortunate in that my mother was never modest and in our home, breasts were just another body part.
IN CONCLUSION
Breast feeding has been a wonderful experience for my family. We have been able to enjoy healthy babies and no worries about the expense of formula. I encourage the women I talk to about this issue to give it a try if they aren't sure. Any time spent nursing will benefit your baby and that time will be a success because you did try. I know I did discuss some not so glamorous aspects of nursing here, but I did that to illustrate that even though these are not pleasant situations, they can be overcome. There are many other situations that can arise when you choose to nurse, but these are the main problems I faced.
As we all know, millions of babies are brought up on formula and suffer no ill effects. The truth of the matter is that a baby requires nutrition of some sort and a loving home to thrive. You cannot tell me that a mother who chooses to bottle feed is somehow harming her child. I've read one epinion stating that babies who are formula fed have a higher instance of leukemia. I've never heard that and wonder if this is just another example of statistical error. I would think that since so many babies are formula fed, it would stand to reason that one factor in childhood leukemia might be that the majority of these children were formula fed. Do a study with only breast fed children and compare the data. I'm no scientist, but I bet the results would be similar. Don't scare people with horror stories of leukemia to get them to nurse. Provide facts and enable them to make their own decisions based on FACT.
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Epinions.com ID:
willeftk
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Member: Kelly
Location: Chaos Central
Reviews written: 171
Trusted by: 163 members
About Me:
Mother of 4 seeking quiet and solace...
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