Once, I was at LLL and we were talking about how we felt about nursing. Predictably, there was one Amber Necklace Nut who affirmed that it mde her feel so wonderful! Euphoric, even! So powerfully life-giving BLAH BLAH BLAH.
"I feel trapped," I said. "I can't leave the baby for more than 20 minutes*, there's someone pawing at me all the hours of the day, and it drives me crazy."
(I was reminded of this as the baby whacked me with all her might, and then grabbed my tank top strap and snapped it repeatedly, while nursing.)
"Ooookay.... but most people really find it rewarding!" the leader said (doubtless trying to reassure all the new moms. Plus, probably deluded.)
Readers, I feel about breastfeeding like I feel about science. We do it because we find some aspects of it rewarding, but many parts are really annoying. These can both be true at the same time.
What's your least favorite part of baby-feeding (or, if you have no baby to feed, other people's annoying children)?
*this was when she was too small for people food and hadn't yet figured out bottles.
Nursing IS a lot more pleasant when you're not in searing pain all the time. Those 3 weeks Colin had thrush were miserable, but I can't even imagine the agony of the mastitis, etc that you've dealt with.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of other people's annoying children, I was watching Grumpier Old Men last night (a sequel as good as the first!). The lone child in the film came into her mother's room and using her most irritated voice, "I'm uuuuup!" As in, "Servant, come feed me this instant!" I'd honestly smack her. Don't you disrespect your mother that way! You speak politely, or you don't eat!
Fun fact: The actor who plays the 95-year-old father of Jack Lemmon's character also played the Penguin in the 60's TV Series Batman.
Mastitis. MASTITIS. I've had really easy nursing experiences, barring having a really hard time getting the latch right in the beginning (so I guess second to mastitis would be having to nurse even though my nipples are torn and bleeding), and believe me, I am eternally grateful. Particularly as I approach experience number 3, which may be totally different.
ReplyDeleteEh, nursing didn't really work out for us. So my dislike centered around the whole rigmarole of heating up water and then cooling it down for mixing formula.
ReplyDeleteI very quickly decided that Gwen was going to get used to cold-mixed formula.
I'm confused why they insist it has to be sterilized first. In countries with reliably safe running water. Sweetpea's bottles get mixed up cold and then I microwave them to lukewarm.
Delete8-9 weeks of undiagnosed tongue tie and every feed being painful sucked. But at least we got sorted after that. Oh, and the constant, constant icking it all back up ALL OVER whatever I was wearing. Every bloody time. Every clean item of clothing I owned ended up soaked in baby sick within moments for what felt like years, but can't have been. I only have one after all, and he stopped breastfeeding at 16 months, and stopped sicking it up considerably before that.
ReplyDelete1. The stupid clogged duct that is finally maybe almost better after two weeks of varying pain levels.
ReplyDelete2. Pumping, and washing pump parts, and washing bottles every single day.
3. The early weeks when I couldn't leave my baby without feeling enormous guilt that he was going to be a hungry terror for his dad.
I definitely think new moms need to hear more "you can breastfeed without it being the Most Magical Rewarding Experience EVAR."
Right? There was a new mom there that day who lsater confided to me that she felt pretty annoyed, trapped, and pawed at.
DeleteI haaaaate pumping and.... no, I just hate it.
I've been to that meeting! I believe I said "well, nursing seems to range from tedious and painful to ...pleasant-ish." I believe this is the meeting where the leaders, who I quite like, wondered if I might be a bit depressed...
ReplyDeleteI found it rewarding because I allowed myself unlimited internet time while nursing. Pumping was similarly rewarding because that's when I got my Comedy Central on.
ReplyDeleteWait,there are people who DON'T take unlimited internet/nursing time? Who are these people???
DeleteThe final Harry Potter came out just before C1 was born. It was heavenly, nursing and reading to my heart's content. It may have been a little uncomfortable for C1, with a giant book balanced on his body.
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