Breastfeeding Diaries: "Born to Breastfeed"

It wasn't hard for me. I called the nurse in every time I tried to do it the first two days - I didn't want to get into any bad habits. Then the day I left the hospital, I tried to do it myself (and did), so I figured I could leave! I didn't give myself any option - I didn't have formula in the house. I figured, women have been doing this for a long time, so I was bound and determined to try. I never felt any pressure, but I know friends that been pressured both ways - either really pro-bfing or those hospitals that pushed a bottle or formula at night.

My doctors and pediatricians said nothing about it either way. The problem is your milk doesn't typically come in until you leave the hospital, and if you have issues, it hits you at the same point that you're exhausted and at wits end - it's easy to quit.

It can be really easy though. You never have to carry bottles, you don't have wash bottles, and you don't have to prep bottles in the middle of the night. Heck, it's also free and makes you skinny – what else can you say that about it! And you don't have to worry about finding the one formula out of hundreds that your child can tolerate.

Pumping is a pain, but you only have to do it if you're at work. It makes you feel like a cow.

It didn't affect me emotionally. Physically it was hard. Engorgement was more painful than birth! But it was very rewarding and the fact that I did it for over a year is one of my greatest accomplishments. Also, being done was the best ever! Hooray energy. Of course, don't ask me about my boobies. They are sad little deflated balloons. And there is nothing less sexy than leaking milk all over the place, but after delivery your husband has probably seen more of you than he ever wanted to see anyway so it's kind of wash in the "will I ever be sexy again" department.

I liked the fact that most of the feeding responsibility (except the occasional bottle) was mine. It allowed me guilt my husband in doing all the crappy stuff I didn't want to do (like laundry). I still hold it over dad for just about everything. I say at least once a day, "I pushed this baby out of my (now ruined) ladyland and then he sucked the life out of my boobies...you can at least {enter chore}."

I'm a firm believer that it is one of the best things that you can do for your baby, however a happy mom is the MOST important thing for the baby and if staying sane means no bfing, then so be it!

And when I weaned, I definitely wore the cabbage in my bras. It was the best ever. I'm sure I smelled like sauerkraut.