Following my post about the reality of breastfeeding, which i wrote when I was having a really bad day, I thought it would only be fair to show the other side of the coin and share 12 things that I actually love about breastfeeding:
- The cuddles. Curling up with your baby whilst breastfeeding is one of the most beautiful moments you could ever experience.
- Convenience. No bottles to wash and sterilize. No water to boil or formula to measure. No mixing, heating or chilling. No having to choose between brands. No worrying that the feed is at the correct temperature.
- No need to carry much. Thermos? Bottles? Formula? Nope. All you need is you. That’s all.
- The money you save. Not buying formula every week means we get to save money and whenever I feel a tinge of guilt about buying something for me, I remind myself “Oh I am breastfeeding, I earned this”. 🙂
- No periods. Can you imagine life without “that time of the month?” It is AMAZING. Some mums are unlucky and their period returns a few weeks after giving birth even though they exclusively breastfeed. Mine took more than a year to return. FUNNNN.
- Feeling a little less guilty in general. The “breast is best”campaign means this is one thing I do not feel guilty about. As they say, fresh breast-milk will never be recalled for being contaminated with bacteria or insects. Moreover, breastfeeding is environmentally friendly. No wrappers, canisters, disposable bottles mean no guilt in that department either.
- Weight loss. Breastfeeding releases hormones which cause your uterus to shrink more quickly to its pre-pregnancy size. Furthermore, breastfeeding burns up to 500 calories per day (double that if you’re nursing twins).
- Feeling happy. Breastfeeding makes you high, in a pleasant, calm, serene way. Nursing stimulates the release of the hormones oxytocin and prolactin in the mother’s body. These hormones relax the nursing mum and make her feel more nurturing toward her baby.
- Breastfeeding whilst sleeping. Baby requests feeding at 3am? Just lie down, pop her on your breast and sleep. When the feed is finished Dad can place now-sleeping babe back into her cot without you even noticing or you can just leave your baby in bed, ready for the next feed.
- Less gas. Not for you but for the baby. Because breast-milk is easier to digest (it’s an intestinal soother), baby has less stomach upsets, less tears and consequently everyone can enjoy more sleep.
- Quick recovery from illness. It is not a myth. Breast-milk does have important antibodies that help babies’ recovery from illness.
- Getting rid of unwanted guests. This is one of the best parts of breastfeeding. Nothing clears a room faster than the click of a bra strap and announcing “I need to breastfeed the baby now”. This is especially useful during those first few weeks as guests visit you when all you want to do is just “exist”.
Click here for “10 things I hate about breastfeeding”.
Published on 15/07/16
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