My love of breastfeeding

I want to share with you all my love story of breastfeeding. It started off rough, you could say its been a bumpy road.  The 1st couple of months were tough I had an intense cluster feeder on my hands I spent every night for about 5 hours stuck on the couch where bryson would latch and unlatch and scream in-between. This was probably mostly because of my inexperience as a momma, and my frustration really made it worse. He was also  a very very VERY gassy boy who spent most nights screaming until 1 in the morning. (Leaving me in tears.) But Ive always been bound and determined there was no other option for me I was going to make it work, I was going to find the silver lining. I had to cut dairy, caffeine, and all other gassy foods out of my diet, I had to breathhhhhhhh threw those cluster feedings and screaming sessions it was tough If I had other children that I needed to care for Im not to sure how I would have made it. BUTTTT slowly and surely the cluster feeds started to fade and around 4 months those tummy aches were completely gone and I was left with this beautiful, precious, amazing gift of breastfeeding. This isnt to say that I didnt have moments before this that were pure perfection but because of the great struggle I was still going threw I still wasnt fully in love with the process. It was after 4 months of hard work and tears that Bryson and I made it to blissfulness.

I find our culture to have a very "Dammed if you do and dammed if you don't" attitude towards breastfeeding. If you dont breastfeed your a bad mom, if you breastfeed to long your inappropriate, if you dont breastfeed long enough you failed, if you breastfeed out in public your unexceptable. The list goes on. My feeling towards this has always been this is between MY body and MY baby and has nothing to do with anybody else. I really could careless about what others think, breastfeeding has been happening since the beginning of time every human being before bottles were breastfed. I really dont understand why there is even judgement when it comes to this.  I plan to nurse my little man as long as he needs and I refuse to let society have any say in that.

There is so much more that happens while I breastfeed then just feeding my baby:

1. Nothing beats skin to skin. Humans thrive on touch and stopping to gently stroke my sons face, and arms and rub his back is beautiful and fills both our tanks.

2. Its our time out from the world, it forces me to stop, sit and relax multiple times during our day.

3. We laugh, make faces, and funny noises. I wouldnt trade this silly time for anything.

4. It brings bryson so much comfort any time he has a meltdown, or hurts himself he asks to nurse, I love that Im the one who brings him great comfort.

5. Hello its FREE and so convenient

6.  Bryson is not a huge fan of food and I can rest assured knowing he is getting what he needs threw breast milk. Did you know that breastfeeding past infancy has all these health benefits:
In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:

• 29% of energy requirements
• 43% of protein requirements
• 36% of calcium requirements
• 75% of vitamin A requirements
• 76% of folate requirements
• 94% of vitamin B12 requirements
• 60% of vitamin C requirements

Breastfeeding is whats best for Bryson and whats best for me I pray that I will be breastfeeding all my babies the majority of my twenties and thirties. It makes me feel human, makes me feel organic,makes me feel connected to other women, makes me feel so beautiful, like Im a mother earth and this is a very special gift motherhood has given me. 

nite nite friends