Bye-Bye Breastfeeding.....
Jun 14 '00
I recently quit breastfeeding my second, and possibly last, child. As I packed away the pump, pads, nursing bras and those "oh so attractive" nursing shirts with slits, I began to get a bit reflective and sentimental. It's a little hard to grasp that what has become a major bodily function, may not ever function again.
I was not always enthusiastic about breastfeeding. I did it with my first child because I felt guilty about not doing it. While still in the hospital, a nurse told me I had "perfect breasts for nursing". With a compliment like that, how could I not at least try it? It was not an easy process. I had cracked and bleeding nipples and the only thing that really helped with just sticking with it. Fortunately Adam nursed quickly - 7 minutes total, 6 times a day. And those middle of the night feedings were a breeze with no bottles to prepare. I stopped at 3 months when I went back to work. It was a new job, so pumping was not really an option.
Four years later, when my daughter was born, my motivation for breastfeeding was purely economical. I estimated that formula for a year would have cost more than $600.00. Katie ended up spending the first week of her life in the NICU, drinking formula. So, we began breastfeeding at a week old and without much help. We eventually figured it out, though I don't think she ever latched on perfectly. She also took FOREVER to nurse - about 45 minutes. Amazingly, we kept it up for almost 7 months, and I think that the decision to wean was fairly mutually exclusive between me and Katie.
Both experiences have given me great insight into the pros and cons of breastfeeding . Here are several things that were considerations in my breastfeeding decisions.
COST: Breastfeeding is a lot cheaper than formula! Or course, once I added up the cost of a breast pump, nursing pads and nursing bras, it might have been a toss up.
LEAKING: I personally leaked like a sieve! For several months I slept with 2 sets of breast pads and a cloth diaper under my bra, and woke up in puddles every morning. My husband commented that if he could just spin around in the front yard, we would never have to water our grass again. Now, most women don't leak quite this bad; I'm the exception to the rule. But it was frustrating enough to make me question weather I wanted to continue breastfeeding and being continually soaked. I did finally stop spraying, but I still drenched several pads throughout the day.
CONVENIENCE: No bottles, no mixing, no measuring, no warming! You can't beat breastfeeding for convenience, especially in the middle of the night. My youngest didn't sleep through the night until she was 5 months old, and there was nothing simpler than nursing her back to sleep. Who wants to fix a bottle at 3:00 am?
HEALTH BENEFITS: No one can disagree that breastfeeding is best for babies. Even formula makers admit to this. It boosts immunity and contains many things that scientists just haven't been able to duplicate. I know of many breastfed toddlers who have never been sick. However, I also know of other breastfed babies who have had many ear infections and several sets of tubes. While breastfeeding does not guarantee perfect health, if you don't at least give it a try, you won't ever know what could have been.
PUBLIC BREASTFEEDING: I HATED this! When my second child was born I promised myself I would learn to nurse in public and just get over it! I didn't! I don't mind other people breastfeeding in public, but I'm much too self-conscious. I'm not a small girl, and maybe that was my biggest (no pun intended) problem. And no kind of special blanket or nursing clothing helped alleviate my shyness. Blankets seemed to draw more attention to me and those shirts were just complicated (although my husband did find them interesting). For feeding on-the-go I relied on supplementing with either pumped breast milk or formula.
SUPPLEMENTING: I was a big pumper with my second child, so we almost always had breast milk for a supplementary bottle. And if I didn't have any frozen breast milk, I was lucky enough that Katie would accept formula. These options were a lifesaver on the weekends when my husband would get up at night with the baby. I did try giving Katie formula bottles in the evening for a while, hoping it would help her sleep through the night. It didn't! I believe that the option of supplementing really helped my breastfeed longer than I might have otherwise, and helped me retain my sanity by letting me out of the house all by myself a couple times a week.
BONDING: I do believe that breastfeeding helped Katie and I bond - especially after a week in NICU. I suspect that my feelings stem mostly from the skin-to-skin contact that you get with breastfeeding . One of my sweetest memories is just gazing at my daughter's little face in the middle of the night, as she drank and took comfort directly from me. I suppose that the downside to the skin-to-skin contact is the hot, humid Texas weather.
BUT MOM, I JUST WANT TO SEE THE WORLD: Katie and I eventually gave up breastfeeding because she wanted to look around more than eat. She would take 2 sucks, then turn around (with my nipple still in her mouth!) to see what was happening behind her. It hurt, it took forever to feed her, and we were both frustrated. I suppose I could have gone into a dark room to feed her or banished my family from the house, but that didn't seem like the right decision for any of us. So, at 7 months, we weaned. It was a fairly painless process for both of us.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I was never one of those mom's that just fell in love with breastfeeding . I did it because it was cheap and good for Adam and Katie. I will admit that I grew to like it and that if I have any more children, I will do it again. My above list seems to include more cons than pros, but I really do believe that all moms should at least give it a try. Lactation consultants say to give it 6 weeks to really get the hang of it. It took me more like 10 weeks. Always keep in contact with your baby's doctor to make sure he is gaining enough weight and is having enough wet diapers.
My advise is to give breastfeeding a fair try. Seek help if you need it. Take it one day, or one feeding, at a time and be patient. Even if you eventually go with formula, you will at least have make an educated decision. Now that my breastfeeding days are most likely over, I hope my experiences can help someone pondering this decision!
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Member: Shelly Loving
Location: Richardson, Texas
Reviews written: 192
Trusted by: 212 members
About Me:
I'm a busy SAHM still trying to teach my 6-year-old how to tie his shoes!
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