Breast Is Best But It’s Getting Old
This stuff can be a weary mom's best friend.
Saioa recently had her four-month checkup and I’m happy to say that she’s growing beautifully, as happy and healthy as can be. During her appointment, the Pediatrician asked how long I was planning to breastfeed for. I told him that because I’m a stay at home mom, I was willing to nurse for as long as it is recommended. We went over some things and my conclusion in regards to breastfeeding is this: I definitely am planning to breastfeed exclusively until she’s six months old. After six months, I’ll start supplementing with baby foods and other solids. I’d like to continue to breastfeed until she’s one year old, but if that doesn’t happen, it’s ok! If I have to give her a bottle of formula every now and then, that’s ok too.
I love breastfeeding and even more love the BENEFITS that it provides to my baby AND me but I have to admit that sometimes it gets tiring.
If Saioa was the only little person I was taking care of, I would probably have more will and energy to breastfeed for a year or even longer. But because I have Serophina to look after and a busy household to run as well, I feel like I may start to run out of drive after the one-year mark, maybe even sooner.
Thankfully, my Pediatrician has a very practical approach to things and understands that good mama health is very important for good baby health. He told me not to wear myself out, if I get to the point where it’s not enjoyable anymore, don’t do it. Breastfeeding out of guilt and pressure are not the right reasons to keep doing it.
This was a relief for me to hear, I don’t know why I felt like formula was the devil. After all, I had to give Serophina formula at three months because I had to go back to work and she turned out fine. She’s sharp, intelligent, healthy, a great problem solver and a quick learner and I know Saioa will be too.
We all have varying opinions on how long to breastfeed; each decision depends on you and your baby and what works for one doesn’t always work for the other.
Just remember that there are so many other factors that contribute to your child’s health and IQ.
I’m sure there are plenty of Astrophysicists out there that were raised on just formula!
How long do you plan to breastfeed and why?
I totally feel the same way. I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be perfect and if the books say we should breastfeed for a year then we should do that. But I’m starting to realize that just like every baby is different, we are all different too and we need to do what is best for us. It doesn’t mean you love your baby any less if you need to give a bottle once in awhile, hey she may even like the variety.
I had a goal of BFing for a year, but my body decided it had had enough around the eight month mark when my cycle returned. I tried everything to be my milk back up, but my body simply said “NO I’M DONE.” I was thankful I had pumped enough to get him through another month on breast milk, so with that thought in mind, I didn’t beat myself up too much.
In hindsight, I’m glad my body made the decision for me because regardless of when I quit, I would have worried about if it was too soon.
Erin- One big thing for me is knowing that I can be away from the baby for longer than three hours. If I have to leave Saioa with Kevin for whatever reason, I find myself rushing home at the three hour mark cause I know Saioa will be getting hungry. (And when you live in the boonies like I do, it takes a half hour just to get into town!) So it’s a relief just knowing that there’s a healthy alternative when I need to use it.
Brooke-with both my babies, my cycle came back when they were just two months old! My body didn’t stop but produces just enough. I have to pump for days just to get an extra couple ounces. I think that a lot of BF moms feel a little guilt when they have to stop but I guess that just means we really, really love our babies and want the best for them. Not such a bad thing!
I said a year, but Isaac is still nursing 4-5 times a day at 13 months, so we’ll see. I am shooting for 2 years now, but if my body or my son say sooner, that is fine by me (: I read that sometimes babies decide for themselves when they are done with breastfeeding; what an interesting concept!