10 Things I Love about Breastfeeding

With the introduction of solid foods coming up soon, I've been doing a lot of reading so we'll know what & how we want to feed Jax. One article refered to starting solids as the beginning of weaning. Oh gosh! Mama's not ready for weaning! This article forced me to face the fact that he is eventually going to have to be weaned and he is going to grow up on me (NOOOOOOO!). That got me to thinking about all the things I love about breastfeeding and I thought I would share some of them here. Especially since those of you following this blog have heard so much about all my issues with breastfeeding. If you've wondered why I kept going through all difficulties, here ya go.

In no particular order:

1. It's FREE! Out of curiosity for this post, I calculated how much formula Jax would be taking now and looked up the cost of that formula (top selling brands). $140+ a month! With us out of work, that's extra $$ we don't have. We do give Jaxon some formula on occasion if I don't have any expressed milk but we're still working off the all sample cans we received in the mail, docs office or at the hospital.
   
2. Healthiest choice! Even the formula companies admit that breastfeeding is best. Jack & I agreed early that our goal was to make it a year with breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics breastfeeding policy states "Human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding and is species-specific; all substitute feeding options differ markedly from it." and "It is recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired."


3. Only mama can do it! This one actually can be both a pro and a con depending on the day & time. But most of the time, I love that this is something that only I can do for my baby.


4. No Equipment! I've been almost exclusively nursing with only the occasional bottles over the last two months. Unless we are going to leave him, it's just easier to nurse him myself, even in public. So no worrying about bottles, bottle parts, bibs, coolers, and cleaning all those things.


5. Always have a meal ready! It's so easy to take the baby anywhere and I don't have to worry about whether or not I have enough bottles with me. One day I went to lunch with a friend and ended up staying at her house all afternoon. I fed Jaxon 2-3 times while I was out. I hadn't planned to be out that long and would not have had enough bottles with me.


6. Can fix anything! When all else fails, nursing makes him feel better. See my post on nursing after vaccines.


7. He loves it! Jaxon gets excited when he realizes I'm settling in to nurse. We usually nurse in the same spot and I lay him on the Boppy. Soon as he hits that Boppy, he opens his mouth, grabs my shirt & kinda grunts in excitement. It's funny & cute. By the time I get him in place & my shirt out of the way, he's latched on.


8. Bond baby! Of course all the books tell you how it's such a time to bond. Seems a little cliche. But it is a time for just the two of us (at home anyway). I hold his hand (to keep him from wriggling around but it's sweet just the same) and sometimes he hangs on to my shirt. Other times he looks up at me with those big blue eyes.. awww...


9. Laugh it up! Since he started smiling & laughing, he'll sometimes stop to smile or laugh. He lets go, leans back a little, looks at me & laughs or talks to me. Of course that sets me off laughing too.


10. Relaxing! It forces me to slow down. No matter what I was doing, once I sit down to nurse I am not going anywhere for at least 10 mins, usually more. Most times I end up relaxed & calm (lately I have not been doing anything else while nursing at home - no TV, books, etc).


11. Did i mention its free?