When I was pregnant, I kept hearing about how hard it was to breastfeed. Some people claimed that even with the perfect latch, it would still hurt. Many said a nipple shield was the only way they were able to breastfeed, but because of the inconvenience, they switched to formula quickly. Still others said they could only pump and feed their baby from a bottle. I was expecting pain, heartache, suffering–hell, maybe even some torture. What I got was quite a surprise. I loved it! And now I want to share with you why I love breastfeeding.
Now, if you don’t understand how I could possibly love it, keep reading. If you’re feeling at your wit’s end with breastfeeding, keep reading. And even if you feel the same way, keep reading, see if you can add even more reasons you love breastfeeding in the comments section.
1) The Bonding
I know this is an obvious one. But I don’t even simply mean the emotional bond you get when you breastfeed (although that’s wonderful as well). I also mean the social bonding.
Right around 4 months, many babies (mine included) get very easily distracted while eating. This actually causes a large number of moms to think their baby is no longer interested in breastfeeding and to wean them early. This is so not the case, and I urge you to look at it differently before calling it quits.
I know many times we want to hurry up and feed the baby for ten minutes and move on. Half the time I’m feeding my son, I have to pee like a damn racehorse. However, remember the reason your baby is looking around. His eyesight is developed enough that he can see more than just your face. His brain is developed enough that he is interested in more than just your face.
This is beautiful. My son loves to suck for a second, then pull off and smile. This used to (okay, sometimes it still does) annoy me. But now, I try to soak up all of his beautiful, gummy smiles while I can! He won’t be this small forever. And he won’t be breastfeeding forever (I know sometimes that seems hard to believe), so enjoy it while it lasts and build up a beautiful relationship with your baby while they eat.
2) The Adorable Noises
Can we talk for a second about the noises babies make while breastfeeding? Oh. My. God. The cutest thing in the world, right? The contented sighs, the pulling off just to yawn and continue eating, the long slow sucks, even the overwhelmed sound when your letdown is in full force and they’re struggling to keep up. (or quit trying, pull off, and get a face full of milk!) That glorious gulping sound that reassures you you’re making enough milk. I love each and every little noise my boy makes while feeding.
3) Knowing I’m Needed
There’s nothing quite like knowing you are unequivocally needed, 100%. No one but you can provide mommy’s milk. Sure, you can get a wet nurse, but studies have shown time and again, babies prefer the smell of mommy’s milk. As much as my son tries to latch onto my husband, and as much as my husband and I laugh about it, he will never be able to feed our son. It’s such a beautiful thing, isn’t it? I acutely remember being a teenager and thinking I had no need for my parents. If only I had known then all the beauty and sacrifice that comes with motherhood, and how desperately I used to need my mommy.
4) The Comfort it Provides
I don’t know about you, but when my little man is fighting his sleep tooth (gum?) and nail, the boob is what puts him to sleep. When he’s crying and I can’t figure out why, the boob is what calms him down. I know there are mixed feelings on nursing to sleep, but I do it. And I love the fact that my milk makes him feel safe enough to fall asleep, that’s what I love so much. My milk lulls him into dreamland. My milk comforts him to sleep. That is all me. That right there (in my mind) is true female empowerment.
Tell Me…
So now you know that I love breastfeeding, what about you? What do you love about breastfeeding? If you have any struggles or are thinking about quitting, let me know, too, maybe I can help you out.
I love breastfeeding. It’s free too! ? (Best part!) But seriously, my favorite thing about breastfeeding is the coos. ? You’re right about how sweet it is. Every sweet sound fills me with more and more love. ???
Taylor, good point about it being free! Formula is so pricey!! It’s ridiculous. Those noises really are the best ? my son makes the cutest gulping noises! Melts my heart!
Seriously my favorite reason!? And convenient in the middle of the night.
Chelsea Elliott recently posted…The Wonderful World of Feelings
So true!!! Washing bottles is such a pain! Oh my, props to the moms who do formula, the dishes involved would drive me crazy!
I was also fortunate enough to have an easy time breastfeeding my 2 babies. After hearing horror stories from everyone, I was shocked that it DIDN’T hurt, even when my youngest had a tongue tie! It’s nice to hear some positive breastfeeding stories!
Caitlin, I used to scour the internet looking for breastfeeding tips because I was so certain it would be the most painful thing ever. I’m glad you had an easy time, too! I feel like more people need to hear about breastfeeding success so that they are confident enough to at least try it themselves. So many people write it off because they think it won’t work or will be hard.
I never Breast Feed but my step daughter is and with it being her first baby and her over 4 hours away from friends and family I will be sharing this post with her. As I hope it gives her some comfort if she has any trouble. Have a Blessed day.
Thanks Glenda. Breastfeeding can be really hard for some, but it is totally worth it. If she has issues, tell her to at least keep going for six weeks! That’s when your milk becomes a bit more regulated, so less engorgement. And always check for a tongue or lip tie. My hospital checked my son, but my sister-in-laws didn’t and she quit breastfeeding and later found out her daughter has a lip tie. If she has any issues, I’d love to help her in any way I can!
Oh my goodness I nurse my son to sleep as well. Sometimes he is SO FUSSY and my husband and I’ve tried everything we can think of. I let him latch and within 2-3 minutes he’s out cold ??
Lauren, isn’t that the best!?! My son will fight his sleep, squirm, try everything to stay awake… And then he just drifts off, it’s so freaking cute!
I know!! My favorite is when he sighs and then smiles while he’s still latched an milk runs down both of us lol we still have some days where nursing is tough because he’s cluster feeding or teething and I end up cracked and sore because of it. But those moments make it all worth it!
SO true!! I love it when he pulls off and just gets sprayed, it’s so funny and it always makes him smile. Of course, my shirt is soaked, but hey. A small sacrifice ?
I instantly fell in love with breastfeeding, even though the first month was a struggle. My LO was born at 36 weeks and had trouble latching. I’m so glad we stuck with it and figured it all out. Now she’s 15 months, and our bf days are coming to an end, as she’s less interested every day. Makes me want to cry. I also loved how stress relieving bf is and how it is free! Oh, and not having to lug bottles and formula everywhere.
Less dishes is a HUGE benefit of breastfeeding!! I had to feed my son pumped milk in a bottle for 12 hours (after a medical procedure) and I instantly realized how much easier it is to just breastfeed! It was hard at first but once you find your groove, it’s so worth it! And yes it definitely is stress relieving, too!
Thank you for this. Exactly what I needed to hear ❤️
Awh, I’m so glad Silke. Breastfeeding can be tough but just remember it’s SO worth it. The bond you build with your baby while breastfeeding is unlike any other. ?
Our breastfeeding journey has been tough. After 46 hours of hard labor and an emergency C-section we didn’t get our initial skin to skin moment. Then we had an overwhelming amount of conflicting, and mostly bad advice at the hospital. I was pushed to use a shield, told I shouldn’t feed on demand, told not to let her use me as a pacifier, and they even gave her a pacifier when I asked them not to. It was painful and my milk took 6 days to come in after the traumatic birth. Also, because of a breast reduction when I was younger, I had milk ducts in my armpits that where not draining and they abcessed and had to be cut open. Then at seven weeks she had a tongue and lip tie revision. After ALL this, I still find breastfeeding to be the most rewarding thing in the world! The way my baby girl looks up at me with all the confidence that I will keep her safe and love her, melts my heart. When she falls asleep in my arms because I provided, with my body, everything she needs I feel so proud. When she fell down for the first time while attempting to walk, my breast was the only thing that could console her. I wouldn’t trade this time for the world!
Oh Annie I got teary eyed reading that. First off, I’m so sorry the birth experience was so rough! That’s awful. I think the nurses working in L&D definitely need some training on how to handle breastfeeding. We were told a few conflicting things and it would’ve been easy to give up in the hospital. But thankfully I kept it up because I completely agree, breastfeeding has been SO rewarding. My son is 14 months now and we’re still going strong ♥️ thanks so much for reading and sharing ♥️