The 12 Gifts Of Breastfeeding
Welcome to the Carnival of Breastfeeding, and the Christmas season. Much better than gold rings, turtle doves, swans, and horns, the gifts of breastfeeding our babies goes well beyond the great health benefits. After reading my little “tune”, please visit the other posts in the Carnival and take note of the gifts they have received from breastfeeding relationships.
The first gift of breastfeeding my first little one received were few and easy mal-a-dies. (1 UTI at four months, 1 tummy flu at one year, & 1 ear infection after weaning at three years. And the occasional cold.)
The second gift of breastfeeding my two little ones received was growth potential in their bo-o-dies. (By feeding on demand as long as mutually beneficial both my daughters have been able to reach their 95th+ percentile growth.)
The third gift of breastfeeding all of us enjoy are the sweet smells and beautiful ba-a-by rolls. (Breastmilk is naturally sweet smelling and tasting. This makes baby breath amazing {way better than the flowers}, and their diapers smell way better than when they receive formula. And their soft and sweet skin, Aaaah. So rolly pollie, showing how much they are going to grow. But watch out for adoring strangers.)
The fourth gift of breastfeeding all of us received is the calm and quiet at-mos-phere. (Breastfeeding is impossibly convenient, anywhere, anytime. Loud place, quiet place, it becomes your place. You can have a conversation, gaze at your baby, read, drink, nap. And if you want, use it as an excuse to disappear.)
The fifth gift of breastfeeding my babies gave to me was the chaaance to take a naaaap. (Yes, breastfeeding takes a lot of mommy energy, but it also burns calories {I’ve lost 20 lbs in 7 months with minimal pure exercise} and presents the opportunity to nap with your sweet baby.)
The sixth gift of breastfeeding the relationship gave to me is knowing my dau-aughters. (By spending such close, personal time together, you *know* your child, beyond what they like, etc. You know better who they are, how she will respond to something, what she’s looking for, if she just needs a little holding, if she’s feeling shy or open to a new person. And they know they can trust me. This knowledge is also known as Attachment Parenting, and it extends past toddlerhood, enablng close parent older/grown child relationships.)
The seventh gift of breastfeeding my baby and I get is the knowledge that she’s eating e-nough.(Especially when feeding on my demand, there is no measuring, etc. I know she’s getting her fill. This is even more helpful when beginning solids. As I’m introducing new foods I know I don’t have to worry about her missing out on nutrients or anything despite conflicting information coming out of the AAP.)
The eighth gift of breastfeeding my ba-by received was the calming and renewing qualit-ies. (Sad, scared, over-excited? The act of sucking calms babies, as of course does the sweet, warm milk. Yes, pacifiers are handy but I find it worthwhile to act as human pacifier. Skin to skin time, gazing lovingly, warm soft snuggles and all the extra milk that leads to the soft skin and baby rolls calms you both.)
The ninth gift of breastfeeding my baby and I received is a less disturbing night of sleep. (By sleeping next to each other I can feed her and get we both back to sleep more quickly than if I had to get up and make a bottle. Or if she isn’t hungry and just wakeful it helps her get back to sleep. When we are both ready we can transition from night-nursing.)
The tenth gift of breastfeeding my body gave to us is safety and immun-i-ty. (Can you say “formula recall”? I never have to worry that I’m giving my baby anything someone else poisoned. Even if I ate something bad for me, the human system is amazing in it’s filtration {even babies with HIV-infected mothers are better off with their milk than bad water}. And when I get sick, my body builds up my white blood cells to get me better and it goes into my milk to help my baby not get sick or not get as sick as she might otherwise.)
The eleventh gift of breastfeeding our family received is avoiding waste and saving mo-oney.(No buying and tossing bottles, formula, etc. No wasting or storing milk. In our family we do it super easy and super cheap. I have invested in several nursing tops but they will last through a long breastfeeding relationship and beyond.)
And the twelfth gift of breastfeeding I have joyfully received is fulfillment of my hearts de-sire. (Mothering is the hardest job, but there is no career I’d rather have [though I'd like to be dancing]. Nothing challenges me more, teaches me, makes me more thankful than this job.)
Please visit:
Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog
Motherhood Actually The Gift of Life: Breastfeeding During A Time of War
Breastfeeding Moms Unite: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Blacktating: The Gift of Confidence
Massachusetts Friends of Midwives: The Intangible Gifts of Breastfeeding
The Milk Mama Breastfeeding: My Baby’s Gift to Me
This was so cute and clever! Here here for napping with your nursing baby. The oxytocin release during nursing always made me so nice and calm and sleepy and I often fell asleep with the baby this way.
I love how you flavor your breastfeeding post to fit the holiday! Thanks for sharing your 12 gifts!
How clever! I loved “sweet smells and beautiful ba-a-by rolls” – I looooooove the baby rolls
I love your Christmas song! I’m singing along with this in my head. I like #5, the chance to take a nap with your baby!
Very cute jingle–and absolutely correct. I too don’t mind being a human pacifier. That’s my job, right? To calm–i.e., pacify–my baby!
I’m so proud of my beautiful exclusively breastfed, self-weaned, attachment-parented who slept with us alot daughter!!! This was so sweet!! I love knowing that you’re experiencing the joys and cherished snuggles with your little ones that I did with you, Emily and Michael.
Love you!
My husband thinks I’m crazy but I just love to get close and smell my baby’s “milky mouth”.
I agree with Elita – The oxytocin chills me out and knocks me out if I’m the least bit tired.