Breastfeeding

Feeding a Nation

The day I found out I was pregnant was one of the happiest moments in my life.  I immediately began planning her birth.  I am a planner, I like things to go according to my plan, but as we all know that is not real life.  So my plan was an all-natural water-birth where my baby is handed to me bloody and all and nurses for the first time.  Aww, I wanted the total hippie, crunchy granola, motherland experience.  I received an induced labor with an epidural, a little pushing, ending in a c-section.  After being in the hospital for 2 days, no food and now baby cut out of me, all I wanted was to nurse my newborn.  One hour later I finally got to hold my little Amina Sunshine.  I put her tiny mouth to my breasts and ouch!  This feels a little weird and uncomfortable.  A lactation specialist came in and helped me to get her to latch right and we were good to go.

            My next plan was to nurse for at least a year, longer if we both wanted to do it.  The first week my left nipple had scabs all over it. So I let her nurse on the right side which toughened up quickly, and pumped from the left until it was healed.  That first time feeling my milk let down I truly understood why I had breast.  Not to be big in dresses, or fun bags for our partners, but to nourish a nation.  It was the most significant action I had ever made toward humanity.  I was feeding my child.  The ease of it was what I really loved.  Anywhere we were, if she was hungry, I could feed her for free the best stuff on Earth.  I fed her at the mall, the park and restaurants.  I noticed I received a lot of smiles from other moms and stares from most others.  Who cared about them.

            As she got older she would just nose dive toward a breast when she was in my arms.  She fell asleep at night with me singing to her and nursing.  She really started eating solids around 5 months but still nursing most of the time.  She did take a bottle, because I pumped so my husband and others could feed her.  But as a stay at home, I was able to feed her most of the time.  I went back to work when she was 10 months.  The stress of a new job, being away from her, now being a working mom, I just didn’t produce as much milk as before.  She was eating most meals and took a bottle of formula if I didn’t have enough.  But that was short lived, by 1 she was drinking soymilk from a sippy cup and eating food. 

            I didn’t get the 1+ year I was looking for, but I enjoyed the 10 months I had.  Whenever I talk to a pregnant woman I always ask if they plan on breastfeeding.  I encourage young girls to breastfeed.  It is beneficial in many ways.  Yes, you are feeding your baby, but you are doing more, you are bonding in the most simple and profound way.  Plus you are treating your body right.  Your milk is made from what you eat, so you will be more inclined to eat what is right.  I understand the need and convenience of formulas, but hospitals shouldn’t hand it out as routine.  Everyone should at least try nursing.  Maybe you don’t make enough milk, fine use the formula.  But to never try is not using your breast for what they meant for, milk.