hey yall, i saw this thing on the learning channel called "bringing home baby" and the mom used formula even though she wanted to breastfeed, because they gave the baby formula at the hospital and then he wouldnt nurse. it really upset me, because i know i wouldnt have been able to breastfeed if i didnt learn a lot first. i couldnt get her to latch on correctly, and ive had 4 breast infections, etc. they didnt know crap at the hospital. even the lactation lady didnt help me and im glad to have figured it out myself because its sooo worth everything.
so i thought it would be rad to make a thread about what we love about nursing. to celebrate it, and to encourage other mamas to learn a lot, and seek support if they need it!
heres mine...
- i love when she smiles with the nipple in her mouth.
- its free. even when im low on food, she isnt.
- nursing lets me sit down (or lay down) and relax. i used to read, eat, or whatever while nursing, but lately she gets distracted and latches off to try and take whatever i have out of my hands! its hella cute.
- i love how she likes to touch my face while she nurses. her little hand will just be up in the air until she finds my face.
- the drunken sailor look...
- how it puts her to sleep!
- i love how friggen cute she is when she drinks her milk.
- i like how it puts me more in tune with her elimination patterns. we practice elimination communication and i KNOW she'll pee twice after nursing. i also know easier if she has to go while nursing because she always squirms and latches on and off.
- it makes co-sleeping really fun. its adorable to wake up to her trying to latch on.
- i love how it comforts her when shes sad or hurt.
okay phew, i'll stop there.
have at it!
i was going to say the drunk sailor looks as well.... the look they get when they are totally full and about to pass out!!!!! i wish i would of continues past 6 weeks
I love the bond, the time we share, the way she breathes as her eyes flutter closed...
I love how economical is it. I love knowing I'm protecting him from illnesss and allergys, and really helping his brain develope. As a matter of fact, my son who is 8 monts old, has never had a fever or been sick. The closest he's come is a stuffy nose a few times that didn't really bother him. I Also love that he doesn't poop as often as formula fed babies. I love the lack of bottles I have to wash (especially when they're young enough to need sterilized water and utelsils and stuff).
When my son nurses, I love the way he hums rythmicly (like nahnahnahnahnah). It's cute. I love that it makes me the most important person to him. I love that it calms him down when he's stressed and helps him sleep. I love how attached he is to his nursing pillow.
That drunken look, the way she plays with my boobs and strokes them like they are her favourite things, how at nights I can pop the tit in her mouth and sleep while she feeds.
i love how it can calm almost any temper tantrum. or if she gets a booboo usually the boob will fix anything.
and if shes overtired, its great too.
i haven't breastfed for 2 years now and i still really miss the closeness of breastfeeding, and have on occasion wished i still had milk so that i could still share that with him. Though, i liked breastfeeding more toward the end, where we were nursing more when we both felt like it and not just when he he wanted it.
Im not breastfeeding anymore but I loved being able to cuddle her all the time, even when she was walking and stuff and would be wild running around as soon as I would take my boob out she would come right up and lie down and nurse. I loved letting her fall asleep nursing and like others have said the smile with the nipple in her mouth still, awww. This is making me miss it even more than I already do. It was also the best way to fix an ouchy, I would just let her have "nursies" and she would feel better. Also like Jube said protection from illness and allergies and not having to pay for formula ever. The list could go on and on forever I think.
I love how excited he is when I offer the breast, like he'll stop dead in his busy one year old tracks and come rushing my way.
I love the way he curls up to my chest when he's sad or tired or wanting comfort, and how he just feels better with a hand down my shirt, heh.
Also, it forces me to sit down and snuggle with my babe no matter how busy or hectic life gets
I don't bf anymore, but I loved the noises Zoe would make while bfing. The little grunts, and gulps.
I love the "milk drunk" look, he would always have a little dribble coming out and just be like ahhhh. I think its totally awesome that just by feeding them you are not only making them healthier but also reducing your risk of breast cancer and losing weight!
I love all of those things...but I also love the fact that Zeke used to get, and Xanthe is now getting their exact needs met in terms of immunities, and growth hormones and all those different things that formula can't provide.
I love the way breast fed babies smell! They keep the "new baby" smell longer than formula fed babies. And it is so nice not to prepare, wash or bring bottles along on outings!
I love how cuddly Jane is when she nurses, the rest of the time she wants freedom, but when she nurses, she's a cuddle-bug!
As mentioned, the 'drunken sailor' look, the nutrients offered, they way it calms.
edit:
the way*
my girls a lil over 2 weeks and i love the way she holds my breast and throws her hands everywhere and smiles and then passes out lol :lol: its our time together , something that noone else can give her .
^both the best blessing and worst curse, no?
oh man, I love how kennedy will smile huge right before she takes it in her mouth like she's so excited to eat, and how she makes little gobbling sounds. haha! and when she stops mid- feeding just to look up at me and smile, and gets excited and gobbles more milk down when she sees me smile back at her.I also love that breastfeeding is a bond that no one has or will ever share with my kid, just me. AND I love that I have a healthy 15 pound 3 month old that is thriving just from my milk.
the part that i love and that i really miss is the way she looked up at me and gave a half smile. or the way she had that sweet milky smell. and i really miss the way she looked right after nursing.
I loved being the only one that could feed him. I loved it from the beginning to the last drop. I did something for him NOBODY else could do. It was our magic. I never got tired of that, especially once I learned to sleep and feed, and how to nurse in a sling.
I love the way before he could really talk, how he'd crawl over to me and just climb in my lap and lay down. I loved when he got older and would tell me he wanted "boooooobie!" I loved coming home from work and having that super active toddler settle down the minute I walked in. I loved the way it reconnected us after a 9 hour separation.
Aaaah! Now I want another baby!
I love how my little guy will stop what he's doing for a little nursing just to have some snuggle time, I love how it calms him when he's hurt or tantruming, and how (most of the time) it'll get him right to sleep with ease.
I love how she pops off it and gives me a big smile with milk dribbling out.
The sweet smell of her breath.
The fact that she hates the bottle and loves the boob is so satisfying.
It keeps me from starting smoking ciggarettes again.
When I was w/ my bf and we were cleaning or something it gave me an excuse to sit down for a bit and let him do it while I relaxed for a bit, guilt free :wink:
I haven't breastfed in like 6 months or so, but I loved how towards the end Paige would come up to me, squeeze my boob and ask for her "ninny". That was one of my favorite things, that and I could leave without lugging around formula and bottles and all that. Oh, I also love the look my friend gave me when she recently asked me to make her 6 month old a bottle, and I told her that I didn't know how. She thought I was crazy.... it was great.