Breastfeeding Is Going Great

We're well into Ollie's third month and I have to say that all hiccups in the breastfeeding relationship are well behind us now. He's not only a great nurser, but his suction has improved, he doesn't gulp air like he did at first, he's more efficient (not as "lazy" about eating and able to fill up in less time), and the time between nursing sessions is getting longer.

As one woman said to me at a La Leche League meeting, "Breastfeeding is simple but not easy." She meant "simple" in the sense of it being affordable, convenient, and healthy but "not easy" in the sense that, at least at first, it takes time for both mom and baby to learn. All of my breastfeeding friends have said that it's hard at first but that it gets exponentially easier after the first couple of months. I think we've hit that milestone. Nursing Ollie is now both simple AND easy.

I love our time together. Sometimes while he's eating, he's alert, even smiling and babbling at me. Other times, his eyes are closed and, as he nurses, he'll work his little fingers lazily on my belly. The nursing relationship is now all that I had hoped it would be. I wanted this so badly when Merrit was small and grieved the fact that we couldn't share this special part of the mother-child relationship. To be honest, I don't think the "bonding" between Merrit and I suffered at all for him being bottle-fed/g-tube-fed, but I am loving the opportunity to nurse Ollie.

I am awed at the symbiotic nature of breastfeeding, how beneficial it is for both baby and mommy. And I'm awed by the unique properties and superior composition of breastmilk. Nothing compares!

• Breastmilk helps mature the immune system (Breastmilk is a complex living substance, like blood, with a long list of active germ-fighting and health-promoting ingredients. A drop of breastmilk contains around one million white blood cells!)
• Breastmilk helps prevent upper respiratory infections, wheezing, pneumonia and influenza.( I definitely attribute part of Ollie's speedy recovery from RSV to the fact that he's breastfed!)
  
• Breastmilk promotes the growth of healthful bacteria in the intestines. (These bacteria manufacture vitamins and nutrients and keep harmful bacteria in check.)
• Breastmilk enhances brain growth. (Studies have shown that children who are breastfed have higher I.Q. scores and get higher grades in school, even after other influences on school performance are taken into account. And the intellectual advantage gained from breastfeeding is greater the longer the baby is breastfed.)
• Breastmilk develops better visual acuity.
• Breastmilk helps prevent ear infections.
• Breastmilk reduces the incidence of SIDS.
• Breastmilk lowers the risk of acquiring juvenile diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, asthma, allergies, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and childhood cancers.
• Breastmilk prevents obesity later in life.
  

Benefits of breastfeeding for "mommy" include:

• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.
• Breastfeeding lessens osteoporosis later in life.
• Breastfeeding promotes postpartum weight loss. (I’m happy to report that I have lost 25 pounds since Ollie was born! )
• Breastfeeding costs less. (I've read that it costs around $1,200 a year for formula.)