Got Milk?

Deciding to breast feed was a no brainer for me. I'm just glad that nature has let me continue with it. Some mothers run into issues with supply, latching issues or lifestyle conflicts. The first few weeks for me were tough. I needed to feed her every two hours to ensure that my supply would come in properly; plus breast milk digests quicker than formula, so she was hungry more often. When I started to have sore nipples, I started to question my ability to continue breast feeding, it was excruciating at times. I would cringe when she would latch on, thankfully that feeling goes away after a week or so. It's been smooth sailing from then till now. Morgan will be 4 months old on March 13th.

I returned back to work on February 1st and have been pumping at my desk. I must admit, the first time I had to pump at work was the weirdest feeling ever! To have to get my boobs out at work is something that I didn't think I will ever do, until I got preggo and decided to breast feed. I don't have any problems letting my co-workers know that I'm about to go pump. :) They all know that I pump now, and don't seem to have any problems with it at all. I didn't even really discuss it with my boss, I was going to pump, and if they had a problem, which they don't, then I would have had to quit. Luckily that didn't have to happen!

And with today's economy, breast milk is a free food for baby. Aside from maybe changing your diet to produce better milk, you really won't have to invest in any type of food for baby until about 4 to 6 months. I had to play around with my diet, because something I was eating was bothering Morgan. I think I figured out that it's dairy, so I eliminated dairy from my diet as much as possible, it was giving Morgan bad belly aches and gas. This doesn't mean she won't be able to eat dairy herself when she gets older. My hubby was the same way as a baby and he's fully grown out of it. My point in telling you this is you might have to adjust your diet according to baby's reaction to your milk. Some women decide that they don't want to change their diet, and switch to formula. This is perfectly fine! Formula babies turn out just as healthy as breast fed babies.

Breast feeding is an art. It takes some time to master. I had moments where I wasn't sure if I could handle it. It's very demanding because at first, you are your babies food source. Hubby couldn't help feed, so I had to get up every two hours and it felt like I was doing all the work, which I was, but there was no way around it for a little while. Once I started pumping and got Morgan to take a bottle, it became alot less stressful and more enjoyable to breast feed. Just knowing that my body can produce food for my child is an amazing feeling that I cherish. Because not every mother is able to nourish their babies with their breast milk for various reasons, and they should not feel guilty.

<3 EMarie