Breastfeeding

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Breastfeeding is such a lovely way to bond with your baby. I've breastfed both my boys. I would definitely recommend it although it isn't easy and doesn't work for everyone it's worth a try. I've put together a few facts on breastfeeding that I've learned, and some of my own stories of the good and bad and how I overcame the challenges.

Okay lets first take a moment to appreciate that woman can produce their own milk supply and feed their baby at least for the first 6 months with that supply. Your body supplies more or less depending on how much your baby eats. There are sadly mums out there who can't produce their own but there are so many options out there for them but if you can produce take advantage of it!

Here are some reasons why booby is best:

• Breastfeeding lowers the risk of ear infections, diarrhoea, and stomach problems.
• Babies who are not breastfed have a higher risk of asthma, diabetes, and childhood obesity.
• Babies are born extremely near sighted, which means they can only see things about eight to 15 inches away. That also happens to be the distance between your face and your baby's face when breastfeeding. So when your baby locks eyes with you, it’s a true bonding moment.
• The hormones released when you breastfeed help your uterus shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size. This was pretty painful the second time round, every time baby fed I got severe cramps. However it does get your belly back to normal pretty quick.
• Babies can taste a hint of the food you eat within the breast milk which can help when introducing them to solids as they've already had the taste for different kinds of foods. Whereas formula has only one taste. 
• Breastfeeding helps lower the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in mums. 
• Breastmilk is filled with special components that help fight infection and cut down on swelling in the breast. You use the milk on cuts, rashes, sore nipples etc.
• This is one I learnt this time round if mummy has the flu or a bug the milk produces like a sort of antidote so it can't be passed on to baby.   

So there are a lot of benefits of breastfeeding but as I said its not always easy...

Here's some problems I came across:

• Breastfeeding when out: When I was breastfeeding Ryker I always panicked about feeding him when I was out and about. I did try a couple times but I felt so paranoid, I ended up just giving him bottles whilst I was out. But I am solely breastfeeding this time and although I feel abit uncomfortable sometimes its a lot easier to feed him in public. A lot of mums do it actually but you don't notice and that gave me the confidence no one is watching. I also use a blanket or have a stretchy top underneath so I can pull that top down and my other top up so no one can see anything. I find it so much easier to find a quiet place to sit down rather than having to fuss about with bottles.
• Engorgement: Feeding baby too much from one boob can cause the other boob to become swollen, hot, and veiny as it is still producing the amount of milk needed but baby isn't eating it. I went to work straight after having Ryker, it was only four hour shifts but my boobs would hurt so much! I also went on holiday for a weekend and didn't pack a pump so that was pretty painful. I think if you're breastfeeding its best to try not be away from baby for long periods for the first 6months. If you are then be prepared with a pump to try ease pain and prevent engorgement. You can even hand pump if needed which is what I ended up doing on holiday. 
• Cosmetics: If you are going to breastfeed be prepared for bigger boobs, you wont know what size you will go to until you start breastfeeding but you will almost definitely need bigger bras. You could probably prepare for this by getting bras that are small, medium, large. From this sudden increase it can cause stretch marks, but remember those marks came because of the gorgeous little baby you have in your arms. When you stop breastfeeding your boobs may look a bit saggy as they used to be filled with milk and now they wont look as full, I don't really know how you would overcome this as it didn't bother me too much but I guess you could try exercising to work on your pectoral muscles. I also managed to have different sized bobs whilst breastfeeding by quiet a lot with one cup B and one D. If this happens try feed from the smaller cup more so that it starts producing more milk and that should even it out. Always make sure you're alternating between boobs.

There are also products out there to help with breastfeeding such as nipple shields, nipple cream, and eco cream.

All the issues I faced were worth it in my eyes, the bond you have with your children will be a bond no one else will get to have with them. It can be pretty sad when it comes to the point when you have to stop whether it be that it's hurting too much because of their teeth or they're getting too big. My little one is almost 8months, his fourth tooth has just broke through, and he is a big baby. Think it's almost time to stop breastfeeding *sad face*

I've seen an advertisement called breastfeeding uncovered that starts Monday 30th July on channel 4 (UK). Definitely worth a watch if you're interested in finding out more about breastfeeding as it looks into whether breastfeeding really is best. I think it is, what do you think?

Thank you for reading.