The Beauty of Breastfeeding

First I will start with breastfeeding. It is a beautiful thing! There are a lot of beyond amazing things that come from breastfeeding. This can lower the risk of SIDS, help with stronger bones, and the milk was specifically designed through your body for you baby. Not to mention that when you as a parent are sick, your body can produce an extra boost into the milk to help protect your baby from also getting sick.

There are many advocates out there for breastfeeding, and they are wonderful. They are supportive and they help you, but what no one tells you is breastfeeding can be hard! It is not hard for every woman, and that’s why some mommy bears out there might not understand how hard it can be.

For those that have not had a baby or tried breastfeeding it sounds simple, and it did to me too before having a daughter. You put the baby to your breast, and your body should produce as much as your baby needs. Great, but it is definitely not this easy. For a lot of women, including me, it takes 3 days for your colostrum to come in and it left me in trouble when 2 days after leaving the hospital we had to go back in due to jaundice in my daughter. While it is common, and usually easily treatable, it is so scary and it was not a fun experience.

I only got to breastfeed for about 2 ½ months. I tried the disgusting teas, pumping milk, and more, but my milk just did not come in as much as it should. It ever got consistent regardless of me being at home, and my hormones made me feel so crazy, and I ended up supplementing the whole time I got to breastfeed.

Slowly and sadly I had to wean my young daughter off and onto formula, which leads me to talk more about that.

Why Formula Works For Feeding Too

Formula is great. Sure breast milk is amazing, but formula was literally a lifesaver for my daughter and it makes me very thankful that it is around. I feel as if we were to live in a time before formula existed my beautiful, smart, and spunky 1 ½ year old would not be here today. What is most important, and what I believe rings true, is that fed is best. Any way you can make that happen.

There are many people out there that may not understand this due to not experiencing my personal experience, and many other women that have gone through something like that, that made them believe that formula was best for their family as well. A friend of mine on Facebook was kicked out of a mommy group simply because of a comment saying that fed is best. I truly believe that is ridiculous. I totally support breastfeeding advocates and encourage mothers to do so. It can be a wonderful experience, but it is not the choice for every family!

Some moms, such as myself, cannot produce enough milk, others have medical conditions that stop them from breastfeeding because they cannot give whatever medication they may be taking to the baby through their milk. For those of you that have successfully fought through and breastfed your baby for as long as you planned, I congratulate you, because it is way harder than it seems on the surface.

I loved getting to experience breastfeeding, and I believe it is wonderful, beautiful, and more. Now I am not going to get into public breastfeeding today, because that seems to me that it is a different subject entirely between feeling comfortable or not to do it, and being shamed by others, which also should not happen. We all have eyes, and we choose whether or not to look at something; you can simply look away.

My Conclusion: FED IS BEST!

I will say, and something I wish everyone would understand better and agree upon, is that FED IS BEST. Whatever a mother decides for breastfeeding (for as long as they plan to) if it works out for you, or formula feeding for whatever the reason is what they believe is best for their family, should simply be respected. No one else is in your life, knows what is going on below the surface, or what you are going through, regardless of how many children they have had or how much they believe that they know.

Having said that I truly believe in showing respect, and knowing there is always more to the story. Whatever you decided to do with your kids, congratulations. Breastfeeding can be a wonderful thing and if I do this next time I have a baby with no doubt in my mind, with my experience I will not hesitate to supplement.

Focus on yourself, and your children. Focus on being a good parent, because that is what it is all about. In talking about fed being best, it also can instill in your child or children as well to have respect for others and their personal decisions for their situations. All in all, have respect, focus on being a good parent, and know regardless of any different situation, Fed is the best for our babies.