This is the post where I ramble jamble about all things breastfeeding.
No real structure or point to the post... I just want to talk about it.
We'll see where it goes.
So, when I was pregnant....
I knew I wanted to breastfeed.
Why?
Just because.
When people would ask me if I planned to breastfeed...
My answer, each and every time would be...
"As long as baby lets me."
And what is that supposed to mean anyway.
Well, basically, I never wanted to get my hopes up.
I knew that when she would come, I would try my hardest to breastfeed... but really, it was all in her hands.
Because as we all know, sometimes you might want to try to breastfeed so bad, but baby, may just not want to, or can't. Or maybe other circumstances prevent you from doing so.
Whatever the case may be, I never wanted to feel like a failure if I wasn't able to breastfeed.
I knew formula was great for baby too.
Either way, I didn't care.
Oh no, I just said I didn't care.
Don't take that literally. There's more depth to that than you may think.
So did I take any breastfeeding classes?
NO.
Why not?
Back to what I stated before... it's all in baby's hands.
I figured there wasn't any sort of class that will guarantee that I would be breastfeeding... I would only find out once baby came.
(By the way, I never took ANY classes for labor or pregnancy, etc. I'm just that type of person... go with the flow, people have been doing this years and years before "classes" even existed.)
And yes, I totally skipped the breastfeeding chapter in my baby books.
Ha. I'm such a rebel.
You get the point.
Sooo.... fast forward.
After delivery, we placed baby on breast.
Now, little one had a little "grunting" going on, since she popped out extremely quickly and lungs didn't exactly have enough time to get all the fluid out... therefore, no breastfeeding right away (you know, within that 30 minutes of birth marker)
But, once we got into our postpartum room... all was dandy as baby latched on like a champ.
And the nurse I had even said "You have amazing breasts"
Um.. why thank you?awkward.
What she meant was... "you have amazing breast.. for breastfeeding"
Not sure what the criteria for that would be, but okay, i'll take it.
And throughout our stay at the hospital, baby did absolutely amazing, like she had been doing it for years.
The lactation nurse that makes rounds would comment how well we were both doing and automatically assumed that I had done my "homework" during pregnancy... like classes and books...
Um nope lady. Just a NATURAL... ha no. Dude, what did I say, if it happens it happens, it's in baby's hands.
Therefore it isn't me that is great at the breastfeeding gig... it's the baby!
(and no, I would not blame it on baby if she didn't take to breastfeeding)
Here's the hardest part about breastfeeding...
The beginning.
Two reasons.
1. It hurts in the beginning. Not going to lie. As they latch on, that first minute hurts. But this only lasts a week (for me at least) and I have heard that from other moms as well...
2. The girls get BIG. And hard! Like woah.
Sometimes I wake up at night, because baby girl has slept for so long, and they are hard.as.a.rock.
No joke.
okay okay there is ONE more ugly part about breastfeeding...
you get a few stretch marks on the girls.
Yep. I'll admit it. I didn't get a single stretch mark on my belly, thighs, etc... but as soon as that breast milk came in, BAM right there on the boobies! And totally makes sense.. I mean they stretched out from a 34B to a 36DD in a matter of days.... where as our belly gets to grow over a matter of 10 months.
But they aren't that bad, honestly.
One last thing... breast milk squirts... a lot!
That's all i'm going to say about that.
Sooo....fast forward again to present day.
Are we still breastfeeding?
Yes!
Have we had to supplement with formula at all?
NO!
Does it hurt anymore?
No!
Do I love it?
YES!
Does it make you lose weight?
Hell (forgive me) yes! Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I weigh less than pre-pregnancy in a few months. Still not allowed to exercise.... been pretty much bummin' around the house, and back into my zero pants... and still eating like i'm pregnant! haha!... after the holidays though, i plan on exercising and eating healthy again so I can drop the last pounds.
Do I plan on breastfeeding until they're 2 years old?
yes!... ha. no, really, that's weird
I just saw a show of a woman that breastfed her kids until they were both 2 years old... I mean seriously lady? I mean if you are that gung-ho about it, at least pump and give it to them in a bottle. Geez
(hope that doesn't offend anyone. but if your child has teeth and is able to talk and walk, it's about time to put the boob away)
Overall, breastfeeding has been an overall amazing experience for myself. I don't even mind doing it every 2 hour feeds during the day (shit. sometimes every hour because I have a "sporadic" little princess eater over here, but she does great at night, really). It is truly a great bonding experience. But at the same time, even if you can't breastfeed, when I have given the milk in a bottle to her (which has been only twice, shame on me, I need to do this more often, especially since i'm going back to work in a few weeks), it's still just as great of a bonding experience because whether the baby is on your breast or has the bottle, they still look up at you and love you no matter what... especially, since you are giving them FOOD!
I think feeding your child and having their big beautiful eyes stare up at you is the actual true bonding experience, regardless where it comes from.
Welp, that's about enough babbling from me....baby starting to wake up!
-------------
Here's my priness this morning....
"The princess of many faces"
as I like to call her
I think she is showing me the fist already.... sassy pants!
