Oh wait...I'm sorry, I may have exaggerated the last couple of statements. Nursing your baby is extremely good for him/her and for you as the mom. I mean, you burn calories by breastfeeding! How wonderful is that? Plus, it's easily accessible and your baby doesn't have to wait when he/she is screaming for food. Did I also mention it's free?
You see, there are tons of blog posts and research out there that tells you that nursing your baby is best. That there are so many benefits to doing so, and those benefits outweigh the difficulties that come with nursing. What? Nursing isn't easy? HA! No, it isn't.
Let me tell you something: it doesn't make you a bad mom if you do not nurse your child. Feeding your baby formula is just as nutritional and wonderful as nursing.
I tried to nurse Ryan for the first 3 weeks of his life. I tried everything to get my milk to flow: I ate oatmeal, drank special teas, pumped constantly, drank tons of water, and saw a lactation specialist. I read blogs on how to nurse. I prayed hard. I asked my closest friends for advice. Nothing seemed to work. I was constantly crying and stressing because I didn't think Ryan was getting enough from me. I always had to supplement with formula anyway since he would pull away from me screaming. I felt like a failure. I couldn't nurse my child like everyone else I knew, so that made me a bad mom.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. My mom came to me and told me feeding Ryan strictly formula does not make me a bad mommy. I needed to do what was best for both Ryan and myself. I was horribly stressed out trying to nurse him, and that was stressing out my tiny baby boy. It had been 3 weeks and nothing was coming from me. I cried, but I knew that I had to stop trying. Bottles take time to make. Formula does get expensive. However, trying to nurse was doing more harm than good. I never felt a "let down," which is a tingling sensation when your milk comes in, my breasts never felt swollen, Ryan wasn't swallowing when he was nursing, and I wasn't leaking whenever Ryan cried.
I stopped nursing, and Ryan and I became much happier for it. He is a well fed, happy, healthy baby who is growing just fine, and that is something I am more than fine with! We still have a great time bonding as I'm feeding him, PLUS others get a chance to feed him and bond with him. I was a formula baby, and I turned out just fine. It's perfectly okay not to breastfeed. If it doesn't work out, then stressing won't solve the problem. Believe me, I honestly felt like I was going to be judged for not nursing. Silly me! No one I know judges me. No one looks down at me for using formula. In fact, I have never felt more supported. I just had to remember something very important that every new mom needs to hear: I am not other moms!
So, do what is best for you and your baby. Ryan is thriving, and I am totally happy with my decision!
Let me tell you something: it doesn't make you a bad mom if you do not nurse your child. Feeding your baby formula is just as nutritional and wonderful as nursing.
I tried to nurse Ryan for the first 3 weeks of his life. I tried everything to get my milk to flow: I ate oatmeal, drank special teas, pumped constantly, drank tons of water, and saw a lactation specialist. I read blogs on how to nurse. I prayed hard. I asked my closest friends for advice. Nothing seemed to work. I was constantly crying and stressing because I didn't think Ryan was getting enough from me. I always had to supplement with formula anyway since he would pull away from me screaming. I felt like a failure. I couldn't nurse my child like everyone else I knew, so that made me a bad mom.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. My mom came to me and told me feeding Ryan strictly formula does not make me a bad mommy. I needed to do what was best for both Ryan and myself. I was horribly stressed out trying to nurse him, and that was stressing out my tiny baby boy. It had been 3 weeks and nothing was coming from me. I cried, but I knew that I had to stop trying. Bottles take time to make. Formula does get expensive. However, trying to nurse was doing more harm than good. I never felt a "let down," which is a tingling sensation when your milk comes in, my breasts never felt swollen, Ryan wasn't swallowing when he was nursing, and I wasn't leaking whenever Ryan cried.
I stopped nursing, and Ryan and I became much happier for it. He is a well fed, happy, healthy baby who is growing just fine, and that is something I am more than fine with! We still have a great time bonding as I'm feeding him, PLUS others get a chance to feed him and bond with him. I was a formula baby, and I turned out just fine. It's perfectly okay not to breastfeed. If it doesn't work out, then stressing won't solve the problem. Believe me, I honestly felt like I was going to be judged for not nursing. Silly me! No one I know judges me. No one looks down at me for using formula. In fact, I have never felt more supported. I just had to remember something very important that every new mom needs to hear: I am not other moms!
So, do what is best for you and your baby. Ryan is thriving, and I am totally happy with my decision!
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