And so, after all that hoopla about my boobs and my insane desire to breastfeed Parker until he was at least a year old, he's decided to self wean. I've stopped taking the meds the doc prescribed and even though I offer Parker the breast, he refuses it. I'll continue to offer it to him for at least a little while longer, but this looks like the end folks. However, because I'm such a convert, I thought I'd share with you some of the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding:
1. Bonding: When you bottle feed a baby, you undoubtedly bond with them. You can hold them and look down into their eyes and smell their sweet smell, and there's absolutely nothing less about feeding your baby with a bottle. But there's just something about sitting in a quiet room, in the darkness of night, skin to skin, and knowing you're the one providing a natural nourishment for your child.
2. Lactose Liposuction: You can eat, and eat, and eat and eat and the weight just melts off. You may hold onto a few pounds but that's only because you need to have fat on your body to produce milk. I think I may miss this one the most!
3. Affordability: It's FREE. I calculated that I've saved approximately $1000 dollars this year alone not buying formula, not to mention you don't need many bottles either and since they rarely use them they don't need to be replaced when they wear out!
4. Convenience: There's no bottles to sterilize, no bottles to pack, no water to boil, no formula to pre-measure and you don't have to worry about how long you'll be gone for because you always have food on hand for the little one!
5. Immunity: Breastfed babies still get sick, they just get LESS sick when they do. That might not mean much to you now, but when my entire family came down with Gastro for 48 hours I was thankful that my tiny infant got it the least severe. Also, babies who are sick who can't keep anything down will rarely refuse the breast, so no need to feed them that awful pedialite to rehydrate them.
6. Amount: Ever wonder if you're baby is feeding enough or if you're feeding them too much? This doesn't happen when you're breastfeeding. Babies inherently know how much they need and will stop eating when they are done, or keep asking to eat when they aren't. Not only that, but babies are also experts at getting more milk out of your breast than a breast pump ever could.
7. Hormonal Bliss: When your baby feeds your brain releases a hormone called Oxytocin that relaxes you and make you feel at ease. This hormone is ADDICTIVE. I lied, I may miss this the most.
8. SIDS: Breastfeeding cuts your baby's risk of SIDS in half. 'Nuff said.
When I found out that Parker was self-weaning I was, dare I say, devastated. After all that work, after all that pain, he's decided that he's had enough. Naturally, I did some research to see if I could interest him in taking the breast again and I came across an interesting article that noted that babies who are breastfed on demand until they decide to self wean, who are not forced to wean, are more independent and secure. It seems that if a baby has decided he no longer needs the breast feels that you've successfully given him the security, love and comfort that he needs to feel confident. He knows you're there for him, unconditionally.
So, here's to the next chapter in our lives as Mother and Son. I have a feeling Parker will be alright, I on the other hand think my babies are growing up too fast. Guess it's time to start thinking about another one!
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