I am getting very conflicting messages about nursing. Quite a few people have told me it will help me lose weight, and quite a few people have told me it will make me hang on to my baby weight, maybe even gain a few extra pounds. I am beginning to believe the latter. I have seriously never been this hungry in my entire life, and when I try to limit my food intake to normal levels, it seriously affects my brain chemistry (i.e. I lash out like a starving mother moose, or like someone getting her period while taking “Annuel”—if you haven’t seen that SNL sketch, go check it out RIGHT NOW!)
So what’s the big deal, quit nursing, right? I was only able to nurse my first daughter for three weeks, and I feel terrible guilt about it. I have been determined to “Do better” this time around. No one wants to feel like they are giving their child second-best—and frankly that’s what I feel I am doing if I give my baby only formula. It might just be my crazy hormones talking, and maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. So I am opening up the floor for a very hot-button topic for many mothers—What do you think about breastfeeding, and what do you think is the Breast option??
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This is a tough one for me... I tend to lean towards more "natural" things... and I do like to breastfeed my kids. But I get to a point (some babies, this has happened sooner than others), I get tired of being the only thing my child can get it's nutrition from. I get tired of having to run my entire life around the clock of when the baby will need to eat. And the biggest thing that happens is I do NOT lose those last 10 lbs until AFTER I finish breastfeeding. Why? I believe I am too paranoid about what I am eating and don't get enough fats and calories for my body to let go of the last bit of weight. If I exercise too hard, my milk supply is directly affected. I get super frustrated as I work really hard to stay in shape. And eventually, my need to lose that last 10 lbs and have someone else be able to feed the baby wins. I have found, the more kids I have, the harder it is to breastfeed for a long period of time. I fed my first for 8 months until he was no longer interested, my second for 13 months, as I was the ONLY thing he would eat from, my third for 5 months, as my milk majorly dried up when I started working out too intensely and not eating enough (and when I tried to get it back, I was unsuccessful), and my fourth and current baby is 5 1/2 months and I just recently started supplementing formula because my milk dried up a lot from working out and not eating enough. I am in the process as I type, of weaning her completely to formula. I go through the severe guilt, back and forth, back and forth. But when it comes down to it, I just need to decide and go with it. :)
ReplyDeleteK that was way too much information! But there you have it. It's everyone's individual decision and what works best for one person may not work best for another. :)
i also think that whatever is best for you is best for baby. Circumstances make everyone's situation different. I only breastfed garrett for 3 weeks. I was deathly ill with the flu and then strep after I had him. I had a fever for like 10 days and breastfeeding killed...i remember wanting to give him up for adoption or something :) then the colic started and i threw in the towel. he was like a happy baby on formula- it was great! i knew i made the right decision for the whole family. You still have to be a mommy to ally and wife, so sometimes u have to think of the group as a whole.... just my 2 cents! good luck!
ReplyDeleteWhat's breast for you is breast! ha! Yes, breastfeeding is a great option for the baby. I just think it is difficult these days when we have the guilt of giving up breast feeding because other circumstances, and difficulties. There is a lot that goes on after having a baby and if the breast feeding is becoming stressful and gives you anxiety, etc, I think there are so many other things on your plate, that it's o.k. to give it up and use formula. We grew up on formula. We turned out o.k. :-)
ReplyDeleteI just wrote you a novel and it didn't post and erased it. UGH! Maybe I'll post again later.
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