Breastfeeding has been a huge part of my journey as a mother. I have felt so honored and privileged to serve my children in this way. It hasn’t always been easy, but I am a lucky one that hasn’t had any major issues.
I knew I wanted to breastfeed because I knew I was created for it. I knew I was capable. I knew I was strong enough. I also knew that breastmilk is freaking liquid gold, it is seriously so nutritious! Like my body specifically makes milk for my specific children to help grow their bodies. What?! So cool.
Also, I knew I couldn’t afford formula. I had twins at 22. We had zero money. We honestly had no means of buying formula even if we wanted to...this is also a HUGE reason why we cloth diapered. The money just was not there.
I’m not sure if anyone believed I could nurse my twins. The nurses and pediatrician at the hospital tried their very best to coerce me to use formula. I just knew I didn’t need to. It was a deep strong conviction. I was honestly offended that people didn’t believe nursing would be the best for my babies and that I couldn’t possibly do it. But we did. I chose to tandem nurse for all our sanity. I did not want to spend all day nursing. It was a huge ordeal at first. They were 34 weeks, so tiny and sleepy. It took a while to get them awake enough to eat. And during the days by myself, getting propped up to nurse them was a task. I needed a lot of room and the hugest boppy known to man. But they thrived and we showed all those health professionals what’s up! My little girl had an intolerance to dairy we found out around 4 months, after so many stomach issues her entire baby life. So I had to give up ice cream and cheese to help my sweet girl feel better. But it was so worth it, her temperament changed night and day. I nursed them until they were 16 months old. I only stopped because I got super annoyed by nursing...I just wanted my body back! Haha! I kept saying, “I don’t want them touching me anymore!” So Greg told me it was okay to be done, and we stopped! They didn’t care one bit and had no issues weaning!
Nursing my sweet little Autumn was such a blessing. Though hard at first, recovering from a devilish c-section, it was so therapeutic and uplifting to me going through postpartum depression and anxiety. Knowing we could have that sweet time together really gave me joy. I nursed her all the way up to being pregnant with Kent, around 15-16 months, and only stopped because my body stopped producing. She wanted to keep going and would try to nurse for few weeks after the milk was gone. We eventually found a new routine.
Now I am 5 months into nursing my precious little Kent. I am not inconvenienced at all by breastfeeding. I think it’s easier than having to make a bottle, and I honestly don’t mind being the only one to wake up at night for feedings, I cherish that time together so much. I also love using breastfeeding as an excuse to leave a busy room. Introverted at heart, I don’t mind missing out on the fun and will sometimes pretend to nurse to get some alone time. But, I’m also not afraid to nurse in public. When baby has to eat, he has to eat! I use a cover depending on who I’m around...usually just at church. It gets harder to use a cover as baby gets bigger because they wiggle and pull it off anyway. I always try to be modest because I personally feel my boobs don’t need to be seen by anyone else.
I am really honored to have been able to breastfed my children. It has given me so much life. I am honestly going to be sad when my last baby is weaned. The wonder of breastfeeding truly cannot be described unless you can experience it yourself. Happy World Breastfeeding Week!