Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Patience and Breast-friends.

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (February). For this month, we focus on back to basics. Participants will share advices - either the best breastfeeding advice they received OR/AND the best breastfeeding advice they can give to new moms.  Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries."

All throughout my pregnancy I knew that I wanted to nurse Julian for a long time. My mind was made up about nursing because I knew all the health benefits for myself and that there was not a SUPERFOOD on this earth that I could give Julian that would compare with my own breastmilk. It was a no-brainer!

Breastfeeding has certainly brought it's share of challenges to me and to our family, however it has also brought us a lot of JOY! Today as I was cradling my little wiggle-worm and nursing him...I thought of all the hugs that I would have missed out on if I wasn't nursing him. It's hard to keep up with my little boy who is always on the move...but I get the special privilege of having extended time holding him up against me and cuddling with him several times a day and even at night. 

As a participant in the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival:

One challenge I had in the early months of nursing was being able to wear the right clothing and being able to nurse with ease in public. One of the most simple suggestions that a friend gave me ended up being some of the best advice. Here it is: TARGET nursing tanks and breastpads. This simple wardrobe change allowed me to be able to nurse him discreetly in public and always have my torso covered. It eliminated having to take off a shirt as well as a bra. Why didn't I think of that?? Now I just lift my shirt up and unsnap one side of the tank and we're ready to go!  

My 2 best words of advice for women who are breastfeeding would be: 

1. Be patient with yourself AND your baby. You are both learning something new and it may not flow perfectly the first time. For me anyway, it took a LOT of practice, patience, and persistence. 

2. Surround yourself with your BREAST-friends. These are the family and friends that encourage and support your decision to breastfeed. They are your cheerleaders when you have a cracked nipple. They are your support group when you are criticized by un-informed extended family members. It is Kelly-mom. It is all the breastfeeding blogs. It's your LC. My BREAST-friends have been out of this world amazing and have helped me push through tough times and make it to 8 months of breastfeeding and counting.


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Check out some other supportive and encouraging breastfeeding posts in my next post!

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17 comments:

  1. Breastfriends make breastfeeding so much easier. I can't imagine my first days of nursing without my breastfriend who helped me cope with all the challenges,soreness and stress.

    Glad to be part of this milk mama carnival :)

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  2. I love the term BREAST-friends! And also, yes -- Target is Wonderful! ;)

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  3. viva to breast friends! a breastfeeding journey, just like any journey in life, requires support from people who care.

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  4. Nursingwear makes our lives so much easier!
    I also love my extended cuddling time with my baby boy :) it'll be a lot of running after him in a few months!
    Thanks for being a breastfriend with this post!

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  5. oohh.. breast friends really are a major factor in my brestfeeding success

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  6. Got my breastfriends too! It makes it so much easier to nurse in public.

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  7. Breast-friends rock indeed!

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  8. Your baby is just uber cute!! :)

    I totally agree, having BREAST friends will make things easier. One of my BF friends messaged me one time and she said she was so tempted to give her son 4 wk old son a pacifier. Then she said that only me and Kelly (as in Kellymom) were holding her back. LOL!

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    1. Thank you!!

      It's so great to have friends to inspire and BE inspired!

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  9. Thanks for dropping by my blog, Emily Jane! ;-) I love your post by the way. Breast friends really are crucial when it comes to breastfeeding, especially extended breastfeeding! God bless you and your family always!

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  10. I love it when I get to hold my son's hand while feeding him. and he looks at me wondering where if I am looking at him too.

    It's a good thing that I'm surrounded with people who help me feed my son. They sometimes hold the cover while I help my son latch.

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  11. I love the Target tanks as well! they are very affordable and they lasted me 4 years! they launder very well and after I used them, I passed them to my sister and now they are back with me again :D thanks for joining Emily!

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  12. The term breast-friends is so cute, and so true!

    I haven't tried the target tanks, but it sure looked like very helpful to you. I think I'm gonna look for that here in the Philippines :)

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