Why I am so happy to be breastfeeding!

[malak]

I was going to give up on bf the first couple of weeks, but I got lots of support from friends and decided to give it a try.I'm so glad i did. my 3 mns son is doing so well.bf is a blessing and im enjoying every sec of it.Its worth the effort.

[hemz80]

I've only just found this thread but I am so glad to be breastfeeding i can't explain how much.  I love it for... ditto all the above!  But for me it's a bit more than that.  When i was pregnant i didn't do much "research" into bf... i just thought it would be a natural thing.  OMG... how wrong was I!!  My Lo just could latch on and i saw loads of people who just pulled at me and shoved my poor baby's face into my boobs etc.  I also had some emotional stuff going on with my MIL etc. 

Essentially for me... breastfeeding is a great personal achievement after all the hard work and perseverence.. it finally all clicked together!

I'm proud of my lo and myself for sticking at it and cheiving something so great!

[Shaunie]

At first, I found breast-feeding very draining and struggled a great deal but after a while, it became much easier.  There was a time where I was looking forward to stopping but no that time is fast approaching, I don't want to stop and will miss it!  It's so much easier to BF and, like others have mentioned, you don't have to worry about bottles etc.

When weaning commences, DS will also be weaned onto formula - apart from the night feed if there are still any!  I will miss my LO looking up at me when he's finished and giving me a huge grin as if to say thanks Mummy!  It's a very special time and I look forward to doing it again with any future babies.

[jules_is_cute]

OK, not sure how many of us are still at it now at 16 months...but just to add another reason.  Jules now says "mil-k" as she points to my boobs with the biggest, purest smile you ever saw.  Her delight in nursing is so sweet and joyful.  It cures any boo-boo, soothes any spook, works as a great afternoon "pick me up" (since a 15 minutes nursing session is like a brief nap for her, she sits up energized and ready to make the stretch to dinner, bath and bed!) 

[Wink's Marmy]

As THRUSH burns my breasts, I read these posts to remind me of how wonderful it is to be able to BF, despite all the setbacks I have encountered, including this latest onset of flesh-eating yeast (at least it FEELS flesh eating )  The only non-hassle part of BF for us was DD's latch. I am so thankful we never had to struggle with that! On the other hand, we have struggled with low weight gain in the beginning, severe sleepy suck baby (no wakey for supper), bad PPD & other  emotions tied in to BF, extreme fussiness at the breast, lots of plugged ducts, now thrush, not to mention the pressure i have been under to FF from friends.  Have been working on new BF friends for support.  .... BUT despite the chalenges we have faced, DD and I have such a wonderful bond that I truly owe in part to BF. It really does bond you to your baby. BF has done so much for us. It is so rewarding to know that I am providing DD with the best stuff available to her - my milk!!! And I am the only one who can give it to her, which makes me feel very special (always nice to feel special!). And, its SO rewarding to reach goals...

6 months ago, I was miserable BF'ing. It was so so hard and such a huge struggle. Everyone told me to stop, that I needed to reclaim my sanity. But I really, really desired the best for DD and I set small goals... First, it was 2 weeks. As 2 weeks approached, I was so happy to reach the goal, that I set another to make it till 6 weeks. Then 3 months. Then 6 months. AND HERE WE ARE!!!! And can I just say that it feels SO GOOD to be here?!?

Oh, and BTW, BF is SO MUCH BETTER NOW... I think around 4 months is when I started to realize, "hey, this isn't so bad!" And DD must have agreed with me as the fussiness at the breast came to an abrupt halt.

If anyone is reading this who is having trouble, my advice would be to set small goals, realize that formula does not mean you have failed (DD has had occasional formula bottles), and to take what others around you say in contradiction to what you want for you & your baby with a grain of salt!

 So, I want to set another goal for myself: 1 year.... Here we go, thrush and all!!!! 

[Aly Mac]

I just love breast feeding because it is our special quiet time together.  Today DH gave her an expressed bottle as i thought I would need it and didn't so had to use it (couldn't waste the magic!) and I had to go out of the room as DD kept looking at me and making noises - translate, wanted the *real deal* not this fake boob thing!  The next feed I just loved.... I really like the time I have with her and as Jennifer, said it does make me feel so special that I am the only one that can give her this.  It is great for DH to give a bottle - at least it's mine.  She looks at me and smiles and talks to me at the end.  When I give her a bottle, she doesn't do that!  (she does bite too! but that seems to be over for the time being).  I really want to keep feeding for at least to her first bday, and at night before bed beyond that if that's what will work for both of us. 

Anyway, enough gooey ramble from me. 

Oh, and I love the way DH looks at us when I nurse DD.  So much love and support, even though I know he feels quite left out of it all.
xx

[Peppermom]

I still love this thread a year later.  I miss nursing my little Becca.  She is so grown up now.  She is 17 months old. 

I miss those sweet, sweet nursing days!

[fifibobandmore]

I have just this thread and thought I would just go girls it is the best thing in the world.

My first DS gave up bf when he was 7 months old as I had a triple infection when he was 6 months and 1 of them was in my milk (it was lime green and very smelly) so he had to go on to formula milk for 2 weeks and I then managed to do anither 2 weeks after the infection before he decided enough is enough but with my 1 and only DD I gave up when he was 17 months old as she bite me that hard she made me bleed badly much to her disagreement as she wanted to continue bf and now 9 days before my 2nd DS I am leaking milk everywhere again and I intend to go atleast 12 mnths with this one hopefully. I love the fact that there is something special I can do for my baby that my husband can not do unless you express but even the baby is more content at the breast than they are on the bottle. Don't know if anyone else has noticed that if you have given your LO's bmilk in a bottle

[Lydiasmom]

Aww, I love these stories.

I love bf'ing, especially since DD has gone from tiny - newborn - 0-3m - 3-6m clothes & and when I dress her I think (&say to her).........mommy made you such a big girl...it's all down to me and I'm so proud of myself.

Rachel

[nathan_smom]

Rachel, I agree to feeling like that as well. And it was also always such a nice compliment from my sons Dr. Each well visit, he would comment on his weight and size and say, wow, mommy is you grow so nice and healthy!! And then look at me and say, can you believe you are the source of all of this!! It would make me blush!
I cant believe I will be doing it soooo soon again. Just hope the pain in the beginning will not be as bad, and it will not hurt as much when my milk comes in...OUCH!!
So nice to hear all the positive stories!!

[Muriel - Elisa's mama]

so nice to hear all those stories!!
make you think of your own and as i am now doing combined feeding, I sure think that my ast 3 BFs moments of teh day are even more precious!! something I msiss during bottle feeding is the possibility to also cuddle in the same time: your hands are with teh biottle not with yoru kid any longer!! so I catch up the moments of the BFs then!! I love being able to sweet-talk with elisa and cuddle in the same time while she is busy eating!
BF makes you feel like THE special mama for sure!!
The first months i had to leave the room when someone was giving my LO a bottle, I felt cheated then: no way a bottle was going to be better than my boob, even with ebm in it!!
but past those envy moments of me against the bottle, I also enjoy the freedom won by giving 2 bottles a day now and I keep my BFs moments as my little tresures!

[anyamom]

this is a lovely post to read... sometimes i do think of the terrible, horrible TORTUOUS time i had for the first 4 weeks after little anya was born. bfeeding was a torture, i used to dread it -- and hope anya wouldnt wake up for a little more time, so that i could be spared the pain. family to famliy connection in las vegas and nurse susan maurer helped me thru and here we are... my baby is 7months and still bfeeding!! sometimes when she takes long draws of milk and makes those "uhh- uhh" sounds at each swallow, my hubby and i look at each other and just smile... it really feels lovely, that i have been able to grow my little girlie... having said that, i am looking forward to giving it up at 1year. i know she will be ready for new things as would i. or at least i hope i would be able to give it up!! ciao/ sue

[elliesmama]

I love reading all of this.  It's so encouraging to me.  I am the first of my girlfriends to have a baby, so there's not much support for me...just alot of jokes about my legendary boob size (word's been getting around, to be sure!).  Thanks ladies for helping me keep things in perspective and remember what a gift bf really is. 

AND I have to admit that lately (even though it's only been 11 1/2 wks!) I fluctuate between getting frustrated with the whole thing and loving the whole thing.  I want to continue for at least 6 mo and hopefully 1 year, but I feel bad about my body (the jokes don't help) and I can't exercise how I want (can't find a good jog bra), sometimes it can be very inconvenient, and I've never been so needed all the time.  But, at the same time, it's a beautiful thing to me that I am needed all the time and that I'm giving Ellie everything she needs for her health and sustainance. And I feel so close to her and I know it's given us a very very special bond. And this time will not last forever either and I know that I would highly regret it if I quit.  Maybe if another one of my girlfriends was breastfeeding I would feel a little more support. 

[deenz]

I am loving bf'ing a little newborn again!  Although it's hard to keep those niggling doubts out (like "is he latched on properly?" etc etc), I just love the cuddling up that we 'have' to do every few hours!  I love those cute little snuffly noises that he makes when he's looking for his milk...so sweet!

[Wink's Marmy]

I love those cute little snuffly noises that he makes when he's looking for his milk

OMG! I miss that!!! Now it's just DD pulling on my bra to get to it!

Elisa'smama: BF just gets better and better the longer you do it!!! It gets easier too!! My boobs are smaller now overall... Good luck!!