Well they're lovely, aren't they?
T sure thinks so!
It's national Breastfeeding Week and I'd be seriously neglectful not to include a post about the art, science and follies of dispensing nature's perfect food. (For the squeamish: be warned, this post talks about B-R-E-A-S-T-S and nipples, though I'm sure you have them too in some form or other).
"Nummies" as they've been christened in our house have been loved from the start. Not that it was initially mutual...
New to the world, T latched on well... but as B & I settled down for a much-needed first night's rest, we learned (the hard way) that if T was sucking on something she would sleep. If she wasn't, she wouldn't. And neither would we. Still in the hospital, exhausted from an 18.5 hr labor, all principles about not giving a pacifier until 6+ weeks (if ever) went out the window. My nipples felt like pain incarnate (I later learned her mouth/palate was still too small and needed a few more weeks for her to get a deep enough latch). Still propped up in a chair beside the bed I so longed to be in at 3 a.m. B was ordered to get me three things: a pacifier, a nipple shield and X-strength Tylenol. I didn't care if his quest took him to the nurses' station, or the CVS 5 blocks away. I needed them STAT.
From that moment on our nursing relationship improved dramatically, and while it's had its ups and downs, T & I have been a dedicated team against the forces against us: the pain of letdown (which a new mom friend and I agreed felt like hot needles being inserted through your veins); the humiliation of the Milking Machine (I hate breastpumps. Necessary, yes. But the epitome of feeling like one has grown udders); the inconvenience of trying to pump at work; the daily torture of BFing while teething; the drama and controversy (and occasional inconvenience) of nursing in public; the acrobatics of newly mobile nursing toddlers; the prolonged sleeplessness of extended night nursing; to name a few!
But for those challenges what do we have? Nothing less than the most convenient, magical, nutritious way to feed and nurture our children imaginable.
There's lots more to say on the topic (including support to those mamas for whom formula is absolutely necessary to feed their little ones; and ranting for a bit on the whole nursing-in-public debate :) but my hour is long gone and I'm going to try to actually get some sleep tonight. What a novel concept.
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