World Breastfeeding Awareness Week

August 1st - 7th is World Breastfeeding Awareness week. I really think it should be a month and not a week. Everyone on the blogs is sharing their breastfeeding story so I thought I would also. Please note that I am just sharing my story and I am not judging you if you choose not to breastfeed your child. What I write is MY opinion.

I hadn't always known I would breastfeed my baby. I saw my older sister with her first born and the challenge it posed as breastfeeding is the most un-natural natural thing. She was in so much pain, crying, getting depressed. She was also persistent. Her baby woke up every couple hours and the challenge began again along with the crying. After days and days she accomplished her goal. I thought about what she went through and I told myself that, this is NOT for me.

Then my younger sister had her baby. Here we go again. My niece was not having it. The bottle is so much easier for her. My little sister mirrored my older one with the crying, and the frustration. She was also persistent and meet her goal after about 2 weeks. I remember being there and actually giving the baby the bottle and then quickly switching her over to the boob and she latched. It worked! She did it but, again I said NOT for me.

Then I became pregnant and the research began. Will I, won't I. If I don't will I be judged, If I do will I be judged? I heard peoples stories left and right. When I asked my husband what he thought he really didn't care but told me that he wasn't breastfed and he turned out fine. I asked his mom why she didn't choose to breastfeed and heard her story. I don't know if I should share her story without asking her permission so I won't, but it really stuck with me. Kind of made me sad.

I think one of my favorite websites I read was 101 Reason To Breastfeed your Child. What a great site! It really made up my mind that I WOULD breastfeed my baby. Some reasons that still stick with me today are:

• Breast milk is easier to digest than Formula
• NOT breastfeeding increases a mother's chance of breast cancer
• Breast milk is always ready. No clean up.
• Breast milk contains immunities to diseases and aids in the development of baby's immune system.
• Breastfeeding helps mom lose weight faster
• It's FREE

Everything this website had assured me this is what I would do. No matter the pain, the frustration, the sleeplessness. I was determined. Once I put my mind to accomplish something I do it. I also read about the myths of breastfeeding so that I knew what was true and what wasn't. That came in VERY handy.

So the time came and the baby was finally here. In the hospital she latched right on. I thought I was in the clear, and then it happened. I went home and she looked at me like I was crazy. She had no idea what I wanted her to do. She wouldn't latch on. I thought I didn't produce enough milk (myth) . She was born on a Monday and didn't have any milk until Thursday when my milk came in and I pumped. My older sister came down on Saturday and said that it's going to be the hardest thing I would ever do at first. Give it 3 weeks. Doing the bottle thing for those 2 days was terrible. Get up before the baby cries, get the frozen breast milk, run it under hot water to warm it up, feed the baby, put 'em to sleep, wash the bottle, do it again in a couple hours. NOT for me. I saw a button that said "Too lazy to bottle feed" that was me.

With my sisters help I began to try to breastfeed my baby. It HURT so bad. I have an analogy that breast feeding your baby feels like someone clamped jumper cables on your nipples and suspended you out a high rise building. I cried, and cried, I told myself over and over, if this is the best thing I can do for my baby I will be persistent and I will not be selfish. I went through engorgement and Mastitis and even a bleb. I still stuck it out. When I talked to my sisters and said "how can this hurt so bad? No wonder people give up." They reminded me that they never said it was a cake walk, but it's worth it for your baby. I was so glad to have both my sisters there to help me and share their knowledge. I don't know if I could have done it by myself. I really needed support and they gave it to me.

After about a week and a half we both had it down. I did it. We did it. That is something I am very proud of saying.

That is my story.