Wednesday 17 March 2010

Breastfeeding. First post of... many?

So, as I said in the introduction, Squeaky is a breastfed baby. Aside from the cost, and the health reasons, I figure I've got boobs for a reason, and I might as well use them.

If anyone ever wonders about breastfeeding, I really have got to say, get all the support you can. Meet other mothers who are doing the same. Seriously, do NOT compare your dainty breastfed child with your friends' hulking great formula fed creature.

For some (unknown to me) reason, breastfeeding is very much a rarity around here, almost every child I see is formula fed, and next to Squeaky they're giants. The comment I get most (aside from "Isn't she gorgeous") when people meet Squeaky is "Isn't she TINY!" Yes, she is little. But that's because she's eating what she needs, and that's the way breastfed babies grow. She gains weight every week, the doctor & health visitor are happy with her, so am I.

I never thought I'd be confident enough to be the kind of person who would breastfeed wherever, but it goes to show what motherhood does. So far, Squeaky has had dinner out in 2 different supermarket cafes, a soft play centre, a couple of shopping centre toilets (one somewhat more pleasant than the other), and in the front seat of my car parked in supermarket, pub and McDonalds' car parks. She's not fussy. I'm not going to wave my naked boobs around at all & sundry, but I am going to feed my baby when she needs it. If other people have a problem with that, then that's exactly whose problem it is, theirs, not mine. So far though, I've had only positive reactions, people asking how I'm finding breastfeeding, and general baby questions. Oh, and one old guy getting a bit starey, but as Squeaky and bosom were both under a blanket, I don't understand what he found quite so interesting.

3 comments:

  1. Not all breastfed babies are tiny. The Kid was a breastfed baby and was HUGE. We called him the Michelin baby for a while because he had rings of fat all around his body. The husband's family runs to large children, most are too big for "newborn" clothes, so this wasn't a surprise. But I did ask the pediatrician if all was okay. She said yes, so I stopped worrying.

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  2. (I must start with a technical question -- How do I also subscribe to the comments and see the comments in Google Reader?? I can only do it with a blog that does an xml feed.)

    (That said, I have some odd love of mommy blogs, and my very very favorite is amalah.com. I have been reading her since she was employed in the big wide world and only wrote about shoes and hair and bad lunches. Her older kid is a bit of a downer, but have a look if you like.)



    All that said, there seem to be too many (usually young) new mothers who are just far far too open about it. OR just too clearly uncomfortable with breast feeding/dealing with baby.

    I spent a VERY long flight to Chicago two seats over from a new, VERY young military mother of a four-month old who spent every single second of the 9 hour flight talking to the child, feeding the child, opening and closing the shade (when you're asked to please FFS KEEP IT CLOSED WE ALL WANT SOME SLEEP) for the baaaaayyyybeeeee. The main issue, other than the light show, was the changing of the baby in the cabin. NO ONE wants to smell that. Go grab a WC, no one is using them.

    In any case, just wanted to share that. I'm sure Rachel is the exact right size for a Rachel and anyone who says otherwise can bugger off. She's got her whole life to gain or lose as much weight as she wants. For now, she can just suck in happiness, aye?

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  3. I will probably be self-conscious about breastfeeding in public to start with, but you bet your arse I'm going to do it. No, I won't be flailing my tit in anyone's face except the Owlet's, but I'm pretty sure that's not part of the usual procedure anyway.

    I can't conceive of choosing to bottlefeed without having a good go at breastfeeding first, though I'm sure people have their reasons. Health benefits and money aside, who wants to be down in the kitchen sterilising bottles at 3 am when your boobs are *right there*? Not me!

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