Breastfeeding, My Story

I decided to tell of my experience with breastfeeding not because there is a lack of scientific information on the subject on the internet but because there is not enough support and "real life experience" stories to help those mothers already breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, Elizabeth, I knew (perhaps I had always known) that I would breastfeed her. I am the type of person to research a subject if I do not know enough about it and research breastfeeding I did. I found that there is much scientific information to be found on the web (see the links at the end of this page for my favorite sites). However, the best sites I found included breastfeeding stories from veterans who knew all the joys and problems associated with breastfeeding. When Elizabeth was born (over five years ago), I was very lucky that the hospital had a lactation nurse. You can learn only so much from reading about breastfeeding. There are certain ways you must hold your newborn baby while both of you are learning how to breastfeed. I strongly believe that new mothers wanting to breastfeed should be shown how to hold the baby, etc. by a competently trained lactation consultant/nurse. When I later gave birth to my son, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE came in to give me any advice on breastfeeding. Thank God I already had experience. In fact, my husband and I both agree that the nurses at the hospital where my son was born in 1998 actually tried everything they could do to deter me from breastfeeding; but that's another story to be told later. Believe me, it will get easier with time and will definitely be worth it for both of you, especially if you breastfeed for an extended period of time (past one year of age).

First of all, have patience with yourself and your beautiful new baby. You may be lucky enough that your baby will be a complete natural at breastfeeding. This was the case with my daughter. It was mommy who needed to learn in my case. Believe what they say about demand feeding. Scheduled feedings of any kind will have the potential to lower your milk supply thereby necessitating supplementary formula feedings which will further lower your milk supply, etc. Regarding the engorgement experienced by a new mother after her milk comes in, the best advice I can give is to breastfeed very often, as often as your baby needs to. I experienced a lot of engorgement with my daughter but almost none with my son because he nursed very frequently those first few days.

Many sites suggest that a new mother join a breastfeeding support group. I think this a great idea especially if the new mother has any questions, doubts, or problems including dealing with non-supportive family members. My mother, step-mother, mother-in-law, and step-mother-in-law were formula-feeding mothers and, for reasons I cannot understand, were/are firmly entrenched in the idea that formula is better, easier, and the only way to go. If you go to any of the sites I have links to below, you will find out how dangerously wrong they were/are. Even though breastfeeding gives the mother and baby such a close bond (which I am firmly convinced could never be duplicated with a bottle), even more important are the health benefits your baby will have from breastfeeding. My children have hardly ever been sick. My son is now two years old (yes, still breastfed) and had his first cold (his first illness) at age nine months. His worst illness was an upper respiratory infection three months ago which he got over more easily due to still breastfeeding. Neither of my children have ever had (and may never have) ear infections which can occur from a child sucking from a bottle while laying down. I find it extremely sad that certain illnesses that can be directly attributed to formula feeding are considered just a normal part of childhood, ear infections being one example. One of my nephews, who was formula-fed, was in the hospital with pneumonia before he was even two months old. He has had many recurring illnesses since then including several hospital stays. I firmly believe that much of that had to do with the fact that the baby was not breastfed and started going to daycare at three weeks of age. Newborn babies do not have a fully developed immune system. One of the best benefits of breastfeeding is the presence of antibodies in the mother's milk that help to boost the baby's immune system. (This is part of the reason why it is such a good idea to breastfeed your child for a long time. My daughter was breastfed for almost 2 1/2 years and my son will be breastfed for at least that length of time.)

Liquid Love...that's what I call breastmilk. Anyone who has seen a baby breastfeeding or has seen that child fall asleep at the breast has seen the closest thing to heaven on this earth. Such peace and tranquility for the baby knowing he is being held by his mother and fed from her breast. I will always have those memories of my children to cherish long after they are grown. I believe that God made women to be able to create milk like other animals in an effort to protect the baby. Yes, a breastfeeding mother needs to spend a lot of time with her baby unless she expresses milk for when she needs to be away from her child. When a baby is very young, the most important person in that child's life is his mother.

Yes, breastfeeding is a responsibility and some may see it even as a sacrifice. However, I strongly believe that, if a woman is firmly committed to the welfare of her children, breastfeeding will not only not be a sacrifice to her but will be a very real blessing to her and her children.

Look here in the future for my negative experience in the hospital after giving birth to my son. The nurses there wanted him on formula, God forbid. Also, I will post my children's birth stories here in the future.