To breastfeed or not to breastfeed? … what a silly question

Whoever said there is no use in crying over spilt milk? This person obviously never spilt breast milk because yes, this is worth wailing over.

I mean come on we all have that one friend that is like the golden hen. She pumps a gallon of milk daily then ends up throwing out the extra. You know who you are. Then there is me … I smile at the thought of a few ounces. This stuff is like gold and I’m sure there is a need on the black market for it.

However, this article is not made to focus on the value of breast milk, because I already established above it is like GOLD. And I am talking 24 karate gold, not the fake stuff. No, this article is meant to get into … The good, the bad and the ugly of Breastfeeding.

Alright we all know breastfeeding is what’s best for you and your baby, but let’s be honest it comes with similar problems as childbirth. It is different for everybody and usually doesn’t turn out as planned. We all hope for that perfect experience. It should all come so natural for mom and baby right? Well not always. As a newborn ICU nurse I am a complete advocate for breastfeeding. However, as a mother it is only fair to warn other first time moms about the good, the bad and the ugly.

Here are the things nobody tells us first timers … probably because it is awkward.

>It is going to hurt.
I had this beautiful vision of giving labor followed by skin-to-skin, leading to a perfect, natural breastfeeding experience. My experience was a bit different. It was painful. Depending on your baby’s suck you can experience some pretty painful body changes. Every time she latched, I would hold my breath and curl my toes. There was bleeding. This will end. Just imagine spin class. Painful? Yes. Worth it? Yes.

It is not always the prettiest thing.

Desperate for some relief of the situation I tried every remedy I could find through friends and Pinterest. I ended up trying one idea from a sister. I was told to put black tea bags on my nipples for relief. Alright, why not try it? At this point I would have tried anything. As my husband came home from work there I was bare chested with tea bags covering my nipples. Sure there might have been a time in our marriage he would come home early for this, but not the prettiest sight one-week post partum.

It can be inconvenient.

As women we are usually thinking about 20 things we are supposed to be doing. I have already thought about five just writing this article. I need to feed the dog. The kitchen is a disaster. I need to put the clothes in the dryer. These thoughts all come as you feed the baby! My one word of advice, relax. This is you and baby time. You went through so much to get her here now it is your time to bond. It can also be inconvenient when you are out and about. Get yourself a cover and forget judgments. I remember being so stressed at every restaurant because there was no way I was going to breastfeed in public. Come on. The majority of people understand and the ones that don’t … who cares. The baby has to eat and I am not going to hide in the bathroom to feed her.

So why do it? Why do so many mom’s sacrifice their body, time, energy, life, etc for these little ones? Because we love our baby! And research has proven the many benefits for baby and mom.

After my first child I had a grandparent come to visit. He told me up until now I had lived my life for myself … now my life is lived for her. And so it will be for my daughter and her daughter. Our lives are never our own again. It was meant for something, someone more. “When we are in the service of our fellow being we are only in the service of our God,” Mosiah 2:17. Who better to serve than someone we created. Geez, after all this writing I am going to call my mom. You never truly understand what it is like until you go through it. Call your mom and thank her for what she went through to bring you into this world.

Updated: 05/08/2015, americangirl1

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