Thoughts on Breastfeeding

As most of you know, I am breastfeeding Jemma, and I have to say it is a much different experience than I ever expected. My mom nursed all of us, so I was always exposed to it, but until I was actually pregnant, I had no interest in doing it myself. It just seemed...weird? I don't know. I guess I just didn't like the idea of becoming a milk factory.

Once I was actually pregnant, I decided I wanted to breastfeed because I knew it was best for the baby, not to mention a better decision financially. Formula would cost a fortune!! Even the cost (and minor inconvenience) of purchasing a breastpump and bottles doesn't add up to the cost of formula.

So then I had Jemma, and my perspective changed again. She initially had trouble latching on and keeping it up - she'd slip or pull off and she was a very sleepy baby, so I had to constantly wake her up. I had to practically strip her naked to get her to nurse :) The first week or so was real work to get her to eat consistently, but at the time it didn't seem too bad. I knew it was going to get better eventually, and it was actually a really good way to get me to sit down and bond with Jemma initially. We spent a lot of time trying to figure it out.

Now she does great, and my next challenge is how to figure out how to do this in public without an indecent exposure episode. Jemma refuses to eat with a blanket over her head, so that isn't a great option. I have a few nursing tops which seem to work well, but I think mostly its just going to take practice.

I think the best thing about nursing so far is that it is something only I can do with Jemma. She'll take a bottle if she needs to, but she prefers to nurse. It is our special time together. It also forces me to rest and just spend some time with her. No matter what's going on, when she needs to eat, I have to stop and sit down to feed her. It is a great way for mother nature to ensure that you spend time with your baby and make you take a break every now and then!