Everybody's Boobing it!

It's National Breastfeeding Month (or week according to some) and it seems to be everywhere I look.

Yesterday, I heard about super model Giselle voicing her opinion about the importance of breastfeeding. She went so far as to say that it should be made a law for the infant's first 6 month of life. Whoa there Ms. Pretty Pants - I think that's going too far.

Here are my two cents. Okay, maybe ten cents.

I love nursing my baby. I feel so blessed that we were able to overcome our difficulties in the beginning and are now thriving together. I felt pretty trapped the first two months of her life, and endured a LOT of discomfort. We used a breast shield for the first 9 weeks of her life, and I was attached to her AND my couch. I'm not sure what made me stick it out, but I did have a very strong desire to nurse her. I dreamed continually about it during my pregnancy, and tried to educate myself as much as possible. It just felt right to me.

Now, having experienced what I did in the beginning, I am highly annoyed with some of the pro-breastfeeding maniacs out there that make formula feeding moms feel bad. Even some of my favorite websites that have supported me and answered questions carry an overtone of judgement and "booby snobbery". How unfair. I think there is enough guilt associated with motherhood. Babies thrive on formula, and I would never judge another mother for her choice. And many times, women do not have a choice. I respect moms that try to breastfeed even just a little bit. The benefits of just receiving colostrum are pretty abundant.

With that being said, I have already been concerned about nursing my second child. If we are blessed with another baby, I would be pretty stressed with the pressure to nurse him/her as well. I wouldn't want to give that baby less than what I gave my oldest. However, I'll most likely be chasing a toddler around when we welcome another one. Will I be able to juggle all that? I know I'm ahead of myself, but I've always been a thinker and a future planner in that way. I can't help but wonder.

So - in the meantime - I hope mothers relax. Breastfeed or don't. Loving your babies is the best nourishment of all.