Yesterday, I shared my six perks to bottle-feeding (and got some great feedback, thank you to my lovely TMM readers!). Tycho still gets bottles at daycare, but when we’re home, he’s breastfed full-time, which has its own set of blessings! So here, all health benefit stuff aside, are my points on why breastfeeding is also awesome.
1. It’s cheap. I mean... DAMN, is it cheap. Sure, I had to fork over for a breast pump, but that’s because I wanted one that insurance doesn’t cover (thank you, ACA!). And I do spend money on the Domperidone and other galactagogues I take. But even with that? I’m spending less now to breastfeed than I was to formula-feed. And I like cheap. About as much as I like sleep.
2. I like convenience, too. And breastfeeding is pretty convenient once you get past the learning stage. Even a tedious act like pumping is easy with the invention of things like hands-free pumping bras (and smartphones). The advantage of being able to pull down your shirt and feed baby aside, there are so many modern products and services available that make breastfeeding a breeze.
3. Tycho loves it. And that’s enough for me. :)
4. It really is the magic cure for fussy babies. Not only can it calm his middle-of-the-night wailings, which are fortunately few and far between nowadays but do still happen, it also helps when he’s inconsolable or hurt or scared or... anything, really. Magical boobs are magical.
5. I haven’t had a period since August... when I started relactating. There’s definitely something to be said about breastfeeding being nature’s birth control. While I wouldn’t recommend going bareback if you’re trying to prevent pregnancy (as breastfeeding has a relatively high failure rate compared to other methods of birth control), it’s nice to be relieved of the pains that are menstrual cramps.
6. My boobs are amazing. There’s nothing better to boost the ego than the sight of boobs full of milk in the morning. I sometimes catch myself giving selfie-like faces in the mirror, cocking my head to the side and admiring my profile as I slip on a (nursing-friendly) t-shirt. Matt doesn’t mind this perk, either.
Oh, and apparently weight loss is another big perk, but considering the meds I’m on to keep my milk a-flowin’, I’m not getting any of those benefits. Boo on that, and time to hit the gym.
This time, breastfeeding was all about convenience... though it did take a while to become convenient! What all do or did you like about breastfeeding?
Nice post! But -- whoa...be careful about touting the no period thing -- that point should come with an asterisk. Yes, it is true that for many nursing moms, Aunt Flo goes on hiatus, but for others like me...My period was back in full force by my six-week postpartum checkup BOTH times. In fact, I cut Scott off from nursing on a Monday (when he was 18-months-old) and ovulated like clockwork on Friday...that was the cycle we conceived Kennedy on. Enough said. My OB said that my body just has a super-quick bounce-back. (I credit the yoga; I really do; I had been practicing several days a week for 8 + years for my own benefit AND teaching three classes a week.) Anyhow, again, I am not the norm, but you'd be surprised at how many get regular periods back...
ReplyDeleteHaha, I think riding bareback should have come with an extra "because you never know when your eggs will drop!" note. ;) You're right, though -- my sister is 11 months younger than I am, so I have firsthand experience with the failure rate of breastfeeding as birth control! LOL
DeleteExactly. Not that we were using breastfeeding as birth control...we weren't. We *wanted* our kids to be two years apart -- and we got pretty close: S and K are 2 years and 17 days apart. I'm like the Ovulation Whisperer. lol
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