Obligatory pregnant lady post #11
Part of the antenatal course Neil and I attended included a session on breastfeeding. I know there’s a real divide about the idea, and my opinion is I will try my best to do it as a) we won’t have to spend loads of money on formula, bottles, and sterilisers, b) the baby’s food is always available and doesn’t need to be ‘made up’, and c) it’s tailored to what a baby needs.
But everyone does say breastfeeding’s hard and babies can have trouble latching on, the mother could suffer from all sorts of painful conditions because the baby isn’t positioned or attached correctly. I generally have a high threshold for pain, but it’s exactly this that would make me give up, so when the counsellor told us about biological nurturing, I was all ears.
It involves me reclining comfortably and putting the baby on me, letting it find the boob and latch on correctly (which is instinctive, not child labour). Needless to say, the less work I need to do and the more ‘natural’ it is, the happier I am. Plus it means I might be able to get some more sleep, rather than fretting about ‘nose to nipple’ and soreness / mastitis.
Let’s see if the perfect-sounding theory bears any resemblance to reality. I’ve only got another month or so before I put this feeding method under empirical testing. I can do it!
As someone who has spent the greater part of the last 4 years breastfeeding either one kid or another, I have this to say: ultimately the choice of how to feed the baby is up to you, and you shouldn’t feel guilty either way. And breastfeeding is very difficult at the beginning, but with help from people who’ve done it before, support from Neil and perseverance it is absolutely doable. Once it is established however, it is the greatest thing. If I’m not working outside the home, I never have to wash a bottle. And traveling is so easy because we don’t have to pack formula and water. And yes, the cost savings is really nice too.
Thanks, Pei Yun. I need to make sure my stubborn streak persists through this part of baby-rearing!
Have you read through the llli.org site? It sort of started out as a ‘conservative’ organization but now gets support from women with wide political spectrum.