I admit it – before Liam, I was not the raving pro-breastfeeder that I am today. I was a little weirded out by the idea, and didn’t think it would be for me, despite knowing on an intellectual level that breast is best. I agreed to give it a go, since it sort of seemed like a package deal that went along with having a baby, but I went into it with no expectations in terms of how it would go or how long it would last.
I’m lucky. I know my comrades-in-arms have often gone to extraordinary lengths to keep nursing – using plastic shields and weird pumping contraptions and the like. I’ve never had to do that. Liam has obviously never had a problem with things (if he had, the term Pork Chop would never have been used, now would it?) He learned quickly and he’s an efficient little guy, too – he can eat, burp, and have a clean change of pants in 20 minutes. When I think about the prospect of mixing formula and sterilizing bottles, it seems like way too much work. Breastfeeding is truly great for lazy moms. And anything I can do to give Liam a leg up against allergies and obesity has me sold - we're staying away from formula and solids for as long as possible (I'm thinking six months). I'm hoping to have him bypass the bottle stage altogether and go straight to a cup.
I will admit, though, that things are getting a little trickier these days. Oh, Liam’s efficient alright, but now he’s starting to take a greater interest in the world beyond the boob. Which I try to encourage… except for when he turns his head and cranes his neck to get a look at something, with his mouth still full of nipple. Ouch. Now that he’s using his hands more, he hates to let them go idle, so every time I feed him he is patting me down, feeling me up, plucking at my hair or my shirt. And he’s usually happily kicking away at my stomach at the same time. Not exactly the picture of tranquility that the image of a nursing mother and infant normally brings to mind.
I also long to wear a beautiful molded t-shirt bra – with an underwire! I hate that designer Michael Kors referred to a dowdy dud outfit on Project Runway as something that “makes her look like she’s nursing.” Ouch again. And the low-dose birth control pills I’m on now are giving me all sorts of side effects. I never had any problems with my regular pills, but I can’t take them as long as I’m still breastfeeding.
Time rolls on though, and I know this phase won’t last forever, so I try to enjoy every minute of it while it lasts. Now that Liam is not up all night long, that’s easier to do. When I do get up with him at night, I find that I am reluctant (rather than relieved) to put him back down to sleep in his crib after he’s settled – I spend more time rocking with him and holding him than I really need to, just because it’s fun. I laugh at his little fish lips and marvel at how his whole face looks different when his eyes are closed. These are things I will miss.
0 comments:
Post a Comment