Top Ten Breastfeeding Secrets: What Your Mother and Pediatrician Never Told You!
1. Breastfeeding will be your single most treasured accomplishment ever!
Forget the giant million dollar project you landed at work or the marathon you ran. Breastfeeding will remain at the top of your personal resume for the rest of your life. Not only will it probably be the most unselfish and loving act you will ever bestow upon another human being, but it will become a struggle that you will come to love and appreciate with each new day. You have become a member of a very select club and now that you understand these women, you have even more respect and admiration for their persistence and patience. One of the best benefits of breast milk is the cost. It’s free, saving you around $1200.00 a year on costly formula! Mother’s breast milk is the healthiest food you can ever give your child and you will truly be amazed that it comes from your very own body. The medical benefits of breastfeeding are staggering. And not only for your baby! Just think of the benefits to your own health as an added bonus for making the sacrifice. Your uterus will shrink back to normal size much quicker while breastfeeding and weight loss is practically a given. Burning up to 500 calories a day, breastfeeding is the easiest form of exercise I’d ever known. Who knew that cuddling up with your little angel while she lays snuggled against your breast could be so beneficial? Want to decrease your chances of breast cancer by 25%? Breastfeed your baby. Sound simple? Well, it’s not, but I wish my mother or pediatrician would have given me a little more incentive or leeway on the subject. Not that they didn’t give me loads of information, but just like anything else, we live and learn.
2. You will look forward to and long for those early morning cries, giving you and your baby precious time alone while the rest of the world sleeps!
While it’s true that many dads share half of the nighttime bottle feedings with their little ones, giving mom that much needed extra sleep, nothing can compare to the midnight appointment you come to look forward to with your baby. And if you’re too tired to sit in the rocking chair while your baby feeds, just feed her in bed. You can feed the baby and sleep, without ever having to wake your husband. You will come to love the image of the three of you cuddled up in bed together in the wee hours of the morning. Who wants to trudge to the kitchen and heat a bottle up while juggling a screaming baby? This is probably the best kept secret of all. Nighttime feedings are made simple. You can laugh at all the scary cards you received at your baby shower. All that talk of never sleeping again and becoming zombie like parents. Breastfeeding prevents all of that.
3. You won’t have to force yourself to drink eight glasses of water ever again! You’ll practically have a bottle of water glued permanently to your palm!
Trust me on this one. Your body will remind you to drink water, lots of it! I now know what it feels like to be stranded in the desert. It’s like a text message to the brain that says “Drink Water Now!” Not only do you need to drink the regular eight glasses a day for yourself, but you are supplying another life now. Just think, you’re feeding your baby every two to three hours. There has to be extra water to supply all of this milk. Don’t worry, you won’t run dry. In fact, your baby will get the water before your own body does, so, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! But like I said, it’s a no brainer, you will never be thirstier in your entire life!
4. Breastfed babies become magical little Houdinis, able to disappear beneath a blanket at any public outing, large or small!
Take a couple of blankets whenever you venture out! Who says a breastfeeding mom is tied to the house? Don’t let anyone tell you this, ever. Your husband can still take you to a romantic dinner. Just ask for a secluded booth in a discreet location and go at the baby’s naptime or bedtime. Most babies will simply sleep through the meal, cuddled in their car seat, happy as can be. (They make the most adorable centerpieces ever!) If your little darling happens to wake up, unbuckle her and feed her beneath a blanket. No one will ever be the wiser and you’ll be so glad to have gotten out of the house for once. Tired of watching movies at home? Somehow the piles of laundry and baby gadgets just don’t give you that same theatre experience. You can even catch a movie if you want. You will be amazed at what babies will sleep through and if they wake up, once again, reach for the blanket. There was never a more discreet location than a darkened movie theatre. You’ll grow more and more comfortable with breastfeeding in public and most malls, stores and restaurants have nursing rooms available now days. Get out and see the world! You’ll be glad you did!
5. Your zip up dresses will become a thing of the past! Only blouses and skirts, t-shirts or button up shirts from now on until weaning!
Prepare your wardrobe before the baby arrives. You don’t have to wear frumpy sweat shirts and sweat pants just because you’re a new mom. Think of easy access and almost anything is possible. Stick to simple designs. Pullover blouses are not only fashionable, but can also be used as a cover for when your baby is breastfeeding in public. Shove the zip up dresses to the back of your closet. You can bring them out of retirement once the baby is weaned. They just aren’t worth the effort, even if you wore them around the house. Stick with skirts and you’ll portray the image of a mother with everything together, even if you’re a little frazzled.
6. Pumping is just not worth it! Decide early on to breastfeed or not.
Millions of dollars are spent every year by expectant couples, hoping to mix new parenthood with a demanding career. Another common reason women pump is to avoid embarrassing public feedings. This is perhaps the craziest reason. Get over it! There are dozens and dozen of ways to be extremely discreet in public and besides, nothing is more natural than a mother feeding her young. Pumping is not only time consuming, but listen, ladies, it hurts! And not just a little bit! Here’s a word you will become very familiar with, particularly if you attempt, yes, I said, attempt to pump your milk. Mastitis. In lay terms, a very painful breast infection. I have breast fed two babies, twenty four months each. Mastitis seems to go hand in hand with pumping and let me tell you, it’s no walk in the park. Some may argue the point, particularly if they are trying to go back to work, but for me, it just wasn’t worth it. Besides, most breastfed babies will rarely, if ever, take a bottle, even with mother’s milk inside. Did you know that breast fed babies learn to suck in a different way altogether than bottle fed babies? Herein lies the problem. Just say no to the pump.
7. Breast pads are just not worth it! Invest in a heavily padded nursing bra. Make friends with your washing machine! You will become close companions.
First of all, none of them look pretty. They get all bunched up, forming the ugliest creases, making your breasts look like some clay creation that your kid will likely make in kindergarten. Even the best breast pads will become soaked with one let down of your milk. You spend more time changing them than they’re worth. Once your baby is on a regular schedule and your milk has a steady ebb and flow to it, the flooding will subside. Don’t be surprised when you wake up in a wet bed and your husband dreams of swimming. This too will subside and no one wants to wear bulky breast pads under their nightgown. Invest in several heavy duty nursing bras. You’ll wash baby clothes every day anyways. Just toss your bras in with them as they too need to be washed in baby detergent, since they come into close contact with your baby’s skin. Save your money on pads and spend it on it diapers, instead. Those will come in handy for years to come!
8. Breastfed babies digest mother’s milk much quicker than formula! Instead of every three to four hours, your baby will need feeding every two to three hours!
Oh how I wish someone would have told me this little gem! Get familiar with your breasts. You’ll be seeing a lot of them. It’s just part of it and rarely do husbands complain about this one. You become so used to it that they are pretty much exposed around the house at all times. Keep the house guests to a minimum over the next year or so. Frequent feedings are just part of breastfeeding, so get used to it. This will really help you decide whether or not you truly want to breastfeed. As your baby gets older, the length of time between feedings will grow, especially once she begins eating baby food. I know it sounds like you’ll be miserably tied down, but trust me on this one. You will adore the new life lying in your arms and fall in love over and over again as she gazes lovingly into your eyes.
9. Keep your stress level down! Stress can greatly reduce your milk flow!
You and your baby survive off of food taken from one source, you! Your baby will become very connected to you, both emotionally and physically. If you’re stressed, your baby will be stressed. Take it easy and remember to take time for yourself. Your husband will be happy to take over for an hour or two so you can take your long bubble bath and read a good book. Do something for yourself every day and your baby will thank you. You really can reduce your milk flow under stress. Breath deeply, take your little one on long walks in the stroller and enjoy being a new mom. Everything, including your milk will come out just fine!
10. Mother’s milk is much sweeter than cow’s milk! It just doesn’t taste as good to babies. Don’t be surprised when your toddler has trouble adjusting to whole milk during weaning or simply rejects it.
Ask any dad who has mistakenly poured extracted breast milk into his morning coffee. Put a drop on your finger and taste it yourself. It’s surprisingly sweet. The nectar of motherhood. This is one of the main reasons that breastfed babies reject formula, too. It just doesn’t taste the same and besides, they can’t get the knack of sucking the bottle. Cow’s milk just doesn’t compare to mother’s milk. Expect this to be an obstacle when weaning your little one and don’t be surprised when your toddler turns her nose up to a cup of milk. It’s bland in comparison. Think of real vanilla ice cream versus low fat vanilla. Now you get my drift. Neither one of my children will drink milk today. Don’t be too concerned. They can get plenty of calcium from other milk products, such as cheese and ice cream. You can buy chocolate milk with no added sugar if you are overly concerned about their milk intake. Speak with your pediatrician about your child’s nutrition concerns and of course, mom is only a phone call away.
Only you know what’s best for you and your baby. Just remember to make time for yourself, after all, you deserve it, mom! If only an instruction manual came along with your tiny miracle. One thing is for sure, we learn from one another, even from the wee, precious ones in our lives. A brand new world is waiting out there for you when your package arrives and from life experiences I can definitely say, this is the beginning of something wonderful!
