What I love about breastfeeding

[evgreen]

Wanted to start this thread and see how many things we can add on about what breastfeeding moms love about breastfeeding. As a new mom, I think a thread like this would've been really helpful and encouraging during the first few rough weeks of breastfeeding - especially when you feel like you want to reach for a bottle of formula because you feel like baby isn't 'getting enough' or you're just too exhausted from sleepless nights. I'm really happy that I stuck with it. My goal at first was to breastfeed for 6 months, but I'm enjoying it so much that I want to keep going for at least a year!

The most rewarding moment of breastfeeding to me is when my little one looks up and beams at me mid-feeding. Wouldn't trade that smile for the world :lovedface:

 

[Lali07]

What a lovely thread!

As well as the sweet smile that evgreen describes above, I love it how it calms him down when he's had a fright or fall, the tension disappears and his whole body relaxes when he nurses..

 

[TNT]

Both of the above! How I didn't have to take bottles etc when we were out and about, or worry about the temperature, water etc; my milk was always there. Especially when travelling long haul when you have so many other things to carry! It comforts and sooths as much as it provides fluids and food...

 

[carang]

i liked what i found to be the humorous side of things:

-- my let down was so powerful that baby ALWAYS started spluttering and had to pull off.... i would LITERALLY spray across the living room!
--showering, or rather, getting out of the shower clean was a challenge... the warm water would cause a "let down" and so, getting out of the shower without being covered in milk was a difficult challenge
--i would let down when MY DOGS would whine at me!

 

[thanka2]

I like the cuddling part. My second child is a cuddly baby unlike my first child--her personality is more suitable to breastfeeding than my first child's was.

As a working mother I find that breastfeeding is good for me as it helps me feel good about myself--I just feel good providing for my child this way and also the bits of quality, focused time here and there are good. It's good for my mental health. It's something I can encourage myself with when I get down on myself about all my faults (or when others do). I can say, "Gold star for me, I'm still breastfeeding even though it's not always easy." It probably doesn't mean anything to anyone else but it's helpful to me. Also, my daughter's health is awesome--hasn't had any illnesses beyond a mild fever when she was teething once in 10 months.

If you go back and read this thread you can see it hasn't been easy. My goal was eight weeks this time around. I told myself I'd give it eight weeks because of what I put myself through with my son and breastfeeding (six months of misery pretty much). But, yes, my daughter turned 10-months-old yesterday and we're still breastfeeding 3-4 times/day.

 

[catan]

Breastfeeding makes things so easy! No hassle with bottles or formula or temperature. No worries about quantity. Poops aren't smelly (well, before solids, lol). Nice cuddle time. And easy at night-- I don't have to get up, I just latch my daughter on and we fall back asleep. At 7 months, she's still waking every 2-3 hours to nurse, but I don't feel tired or sleep-deprived.

 

[genkimom]

What a nice idea to start this thread! it's so encouraging.

The truth is, I don't love breastfeeding, but carting around pumped milk and pump supplies and figuring out a way to carry it all while on the go while relying on public transportation (and needing an hour to get to anywhere I need to go) is just too much for me. And I just don't trust formula companies to create 100% worry free products. So I breastfeed. Perhaps reading other people's comments on why they love it might help me find something to love about it. Thanks for starting the thread!

 

[erina320]

I loved it because:

-It is the best/ safest food for my babies.
-After giving them life in my tummy for 9 months I could still give them what they needed to survive.
-holding them in such a sweet embrace.
-knowing I'm lowering mine and their chances of developing breast cancer (as well as a whole host of other issues.)
-breast fed babies don't poop that much! ;-)
-Always having milk easily ready and available
-calming them after a vaccine or other painful experience
-not having to worry about formula contamination or running out of formula
-not having to heat a bottle EVER, but especially in the middle of the night...

That's just a few.

 

[carang]

my totally breastfed babies pooped EVERY single nappy!

 

[Koan]

Everything! Well, almost everything. I don't love pumping at work but I don't hate it either.

I love the contented smiles, milk drunk comas, drops of milk on his lips and face, sleep, lack of periods, and the time that is just ours to snuggle and feed. I could go on and on, but i won't. ;-)