I've been nursing exclusively now for almost 5 weeks...yay! It's obviously going very well. Although some days he still doesn't latch on "perfect" I can deal with the uncomfortabilty of it. I've learned now how to relax while he's latched on, which makes the whole experience more pleasant, and the kids have adjusted to me nursing Baby J.
Breastfeeding is very interesting to me. I find that I really enjoy the convenience of just latching the babe on when needed. While at COSI I'm able to run around and watch the other kids and have Baby J latched on under my Hooter Hider. Albeit this scenario is a bit stressful at times I don't mind it overall.
I can recall the many times we prepared bottles of formula for W and Super N and how much of a drag we felt that was. Between nursing and formula/bottle feeding, I prefer nursing I think. But there are definitely pros and const to both I'm finding. Here are a few things I've thought of.
Nursing Pros:
No preparation involved
Convenient
Relatively mess free
Free (except for the cost of the LC's upfront & the Breast Pump for engorgement issues)
No ongoing expenses
Nursing Cons:
Sometimes there's soreness
The babe has to be near all or most of the time
Or I can only go out a few hours at a time
The other babes don't get momma's attention while I'm nursing
Engorgement Issues (with having pumped for 8 weeks prior to properly latching him on...)
The ol' Pump and Dump
Formula/bottle feeding Pros:
Can go wherever whenever without babe in tow
No Pumpin and Dumpin necessary
No pumpin necessary
No engorgement issues
Convenience of not exclusively feeding the babe~ ie. Community Babe!
Formula/bottle feeding Cons:
Messy
Stinky spit ups and poops
expensive
I personally didn't feel as connected to my babe as I do when I nurse
At any rate, there are a few things I thought of. Did I miss anything?? I'm on my second lemon martini so it's very possible I missed something. Shoot me a comment if there's something I forgot!
Overall I really love to nurse my babe! And I'm not willing to forfeit it for anything! It's such an interesting phenomenon to be able to provide for your little one in such an unique way. I'm grateful to be able to experience this full time. I love being a mom. It's the coolest job thus far that I've had, and I've had a lot of jobs!
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4 comments:
Nursing rocks...and, I hope cloth diapering does, too. I am nervous about it!
i loved nursing all of mine, and there are a few i'll add to your list.
nursing pro:
- higher metabolism
- healthier for baby
nursing cons:
- eliminating dairy from your diet to see if that's causing fussiness
- for me, extreme back pain as they get heavier. my kids are all solid boys, so holding them to nurse would cause my back to hurt. i could not nurse in bed due to my horribly crooked back.
formula/bottle feeding pro:
- if you qualify for wic, formula is FREE
nursing is so much better. I had issues w/ my daughter and only lasted about 6 weeks. I've been nursing my son for almost 14 months now w/ a single bottle at all. It is so much easier and cheaper. I really wish I would have tried to work through my problems with it the first time.
Oh and I noticed you said about pump & dump. It isn't necessary. When the alcohol has left your blood then it has also left your milk. Check out - http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html :)
Happy nursings.
Nursing is so much better. I had issues w/ my daughter and only lasted about 6 weeks. I've been nursing my son for almost 14 months now w/ a single bottle at all. It is so much easier and cheaper. I really wish I would have tried to work through my problems with it the first time.
Oh and I noticed you said about pump & dump. It isn't necessary. When the alcohol has left your blood then it has also left your milk. Check out - http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html :)
Happy nursings.
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