Breastfeeding! I'd like to wish everyone a happy World Breastfeeding Week. And now is the time to stop reading if you don't want to hear my thoughts on breastfeeding...but maybe you should anyways!
Maybe it's weird to write a blog about breastfeeding, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. When I first began breastfeeding Ian right after he was born, I was a little overwhelmed. He caught on pretty quickly, but the thought of doing it every 2-3 hours around the clock was very tiring, especially since it takes him about 30 minutes every time he eats. It was, and still is, tiring sometimes--especially the middle of the night feedings. Sometimes it would be nice if Troy could just grab a bottle and I could keep sleeping. But the bond I've developed with my son because of it is indescribable. I truly feel like I'm giving him a gift that will benefit him for his whole life.
It's crazy that in a world that is so desensitized to sex because we see it so often that breastfeeding could even be slightly offensive. Our country should celebrate when moms are using their parts in a way that God intended. When we lived in Clarkston last year, a Sudanese Muslim popped out her boob in front of Troy and our other male housemates to nurse her son. We were all shocked that in such a modest culture, breastfeeding would be so nonchalant. While I'm not all for baring naked breasts in public, my view of breastfeeding has certainly changed since I've been doing it. It's truly a miracle that Ian has doubled his birth weight in 4 months, simply by eating mommy's milk. When I'm in public, I try to nurse as discretely as possible. I've nursed in restaurants, bathrooms, malls, at softball games, in the car, at friends' homes, and I'm sure I'll nurse in many more interesting places in the months to come. I haven't received any dirty looks that I've noticed, so I don't think I've flashed anyone too blatantly.
Since I had Ian, I've been attending a weekly breastfeeding support group at St. John's. It's a time where new mom's can sit around and nurse our babies, ooooh and aaah about how big our babies are getting, share stories about lack of sleep and poopy diapers, and just get away from the daily grind for an hour or two. Wednesday night we're having a party in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week. It should be fun :)
So hopefully you don't think I'm a hippie now that I've written a blog about breastfeeding (not that being a hippie is bad--I could just never pull it off!). I almost didn't post this, but I decided to share since I spend a good portion of my time doing it nowadays and because it truly is a miracle. Now, here are a few pics of me breastfeeding Ian...
...just kidding!
Thanks for the milk, mommy!
Good information! I'll still probably come groveling to you in January though....:)
ReplyDelete...ditto everything you just said.. that's why God gave us boobs, so we might as well use them! :) there were many times while i was nursing eden that i absolutely despised it, but when it was time to stop, i honestly think it was harder for me than her. i was so ready to be done, but i did miss the intimacy. so i hope girly #2 is as good of a nurser as eden was!!
ReplyDeleteJoe and I have gotten the hippie stamp steriotype from some people because of several choices we are making with this baby. I agree with you. Breastfeeding is a God given gift and I know some moms have a really hard time with it at first and some give up and start using formula. What happened years ago when formula didn't exist?
ReplyDeleteMelissa...babies died! Seriously. I watched a baby of my friend drop from 5 lbs at birth to just 3lbs.
ReplyDeleteWell, done Katrina! I too used to b/f and did for many months with both mine. I learned that some are fast, some are slow, some wean them selves and some do not! LOL Although all my family b/f I was the first in my huby's and they could not get their heads around the fact that Abigail and Jacob got all they needed from me!
thanks for such lovely thoughts and insights to breastfeeding! hahahha :)
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