I Breastfeed Because I Can
May 29 '00
I never had any doubt that I would breastfeed my children. My mother breastfed me and my brothers so it was a natural choice for me.My mother-in-law did not breastfeed her children and is fascinated by my breastfeeding. Interestingly enough, my grandmother(my mother's mom) did not breastfeed her 11 children, but my husband's grandmother(his mothers mom) did breastfeed her 8. I do belive it is better for the baby, but I also understand that sometimes its simply not feasible for a woman to breastfeed for personal, health or other reasons.
Breastfeeding my daughter was much easier than breastfeeding my son.When she was born, it was just the three of us-and I was a SAHM. I didn't have to pick a kid up everyday from school, I didn't have to be at gymnastics or ballet on certain nights at certain times.
With my son, I find myself having to nurse in public on a regular basis-I simply have no choice. He gets hungry and he has to eat. He will not take a bottle. He will not take formula. He will not take expressed milk in a bottle-for him its mommy or nothing!
When he was born I was encouraged to let the nurses give him a bottle in the nursery and let him sleep all night in the nursery-so I could get some rest. This advice came from his doctor, my doctor, my nurse. I refused and kept my son in my room the entire time. I was adamant about this.
When my daughter was born nearly 6 years ago, she spent the first 24 hours in the NICU. She was born with a high blood crit-a condition where the baby gets too much blood from the umbilical cord at birth. She spent the first day of her life getting a saline solution pumped into her veins in order to thin out the blood. The hardest thing in the world was leaving for a night without her, and I vowed that I would never leave my son's side while we were in the hospital.
I was still able to breastfeed my daughter exclusively for a year. I was lucky, the nurses in that NICU did not try to give her formula. They waited for me to arrive and breastfeed. The first feeding was perfect-she was starving and took to my breast like a champ. I never had any problems with her.
The nurses did try to give my son formula to get him to sleep the second night so they could do a hearing test. He spit it out and screamed. No formula for him! I did have problems getting him latched on and there were a few days there where I seriously considered quitting, but i kept on trying and eventually the problems worked themselves out.
I know that breastmilk is best. In most cases. But it is hard to breastfeed a baby while trying to watch a 5 year old dance or do cartwheels. When I am in public I breastfeed as discreetly as i can. Most of the time I go into the restroom and nurse in a closed stall. When I can't do that I cover us up with a large, light cotton blanket.
I don't fool anyone. People know exactly what I am doing. But they don't need to see my boobs. Those are for private viewing only.
When I told the nurses and doctors at the hospital where my son was born that I had breastfeed my daughter for a year, and planned on doing so with my son, they were amazed. "That's Wonderful" I was told over and over again. I still plan to breastfeed as long as possible. But I will do so in public carefully and privately.
Breastmilk is best but it does not guarantee that your baby will be protected from sickness. My son is, as I have said, exclusively breastfed-but at 5weeks he ended up in the hospital with a cold/staph infection that kept him there for three days on IV antibiotics. We do not know where or how he got sick. I stayed with him the whole time, breastfeeding him while he was hooked up to cords and iv's and monitors. It was not easy but I would do it again in a minute.
There are people who should not breastfeed. If you smoke, drink too much or do drugs you should not breastfeed. Breast feeding does reduce the chance of SID'S. It does help keep children healthy-but it can't help your baby if you are doing things that can hurt the baby.
There are woman who cannot breastfeed. For personal or physical reasons. I respect the right of all mothers to breastfeed or not. We must always do not only what is best for our babies, but what is best for ourselves.
Most of all we need to be supportive of each individuals choice. Regardless of what that may be. I have friends who breastfeed and friends who formula feed. All our children are healthy, happy and well loved. We should never criticize others choices, but let them make their own choice. I breast feed because I can, and I understand that some women cannot!
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
mtbat
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: USA
Reviews written: 229
Trusted by: 128 members
About Me:
Life is busy
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.