Breastfeeding Q&A

It's amazing to me how many questions, comments, and advice I receive about feeding my child. It is totally fine with me for friends or family to ask questions when it's coming from a good place. As a matter of fact, I enjoy discussing it and offering help to others. I truly believe it takes a village to raise a child, and I am open to advice and offering my own as well. I have no problem with that, but there are individuals who approach me randomly on a regular basis (mostly at work) who like to make comments or ask questions and it often makes me feel uncomfortable. Instead of saying how I really feel to the ones who I've encountered, I will list some of the most common questions and comments I get from people and address them here as a sort of self induced therapy exercise. Enjoy!

1. "Breastfeeding is gross"
This statement can only come from immaturity and lack of education. All I can do is list the reasons why breastfeeding is NOT gross:
-It's natural and I hate to break it to you, but it's the reason why women were made the way they are.
-It's normal!
-Last time I checked, saving money is NOT gross.
-Baby's poop doesn't smell that bad (it still smells, I mean it is poop!), they spit up very little, and have less gas.

2. "Doesn't it hurt?!"
-Nothing can hurt more than what you just did...which was give birth.
-Yes, it hurts at first, but only in the beginning. After a little while, it doesn't hurt at all!
-All good things in life are hard! It's not easy and it's a commitment. Raising a child is hard, so it all goes hand in hand.
-My amazing friend Jill puts it perfectly "Short term sacrifice for long term gain" The benefits outweigh the costs by a long shot.

3. "I want to have a life!"-UM then don't have a baby. It doesn't matter how you feed your child, your life will change forever once you give birth.
-I have a life, and it's a great one! It just happens to be prioritized differently than before I had a child.

4. "Why are you pumping?"-It's what's best for my baby, and I want to maintain our bond while working.

5. "What if your baby is allergic to milk, you don't have enough supply, or can't keep up?" -All valid questions. Here's an easy fix to the milk allergy: don't drink milk. Calvin was spitting up excessively, acting uncomfortable and for several weeks we couldn't pinpoint the problem. It turns out he's lactose intolerant. I eliminated milk and heavy dairy products from my diet and he was like a new baby! Most babies cannot tolerate dairy products, and many formula fed infants have to be on soy formula.
-Supply is a constant worry of nursing moms. Basically the more you nurse or pump, the more you produce. Lactation consultants are very beneficial for moms with supply issues. Breastfed babies do not need as much in a bottle as formula fed babies do.  A big reason for supply issues later on is hospitals and nurses pushing supplementation at birth. It's totally unnecessary and not recommended if you want to breastfeed. A great website to help with supply issues or questions is www.kellymom.com. Of course, some women have lasting issues that cannot be remedied. Totally understandable and kudos for making the effort! There are ways to obtain breastmilk if you cannot produce it yourself. Wet nurses and milk sharing were customary and normal before formula came around. It should still be normal, and in my eyes it is.

6. "Talking about, seeing or being around breastfeeding makes me uncomfortable"-We are living in a world where even PG movies have nudity, you can't be on a highway for 10 minutes without seeing billboards for stipclubs, and breastfeeding makes people uncomfortable? When my Dad was growing up, women would openly feed their babies at the store or at the bus stop. It was normal and totally fine. I'm not the type to feed my baby in the middle of the mall, but it shouldn't be a problem if I chose to do so.

7. "Your baby's big, how long are you going to breastfeed?"-The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least the first year of life. The health benefits are outstanding for both baby and Mom
-How long a woman nurses is only her choice. No one should be made to feel bad regarding length of time no matter what their choice! A recent study stated that if every woman breastfed for at least 6 months-1 year, the US would save 13 billion in health care costs. (Yes, billion.)
-My new response when asked how long I will nurse is "I think until kindergarten, is that too long?" LOL.  
-The average age of weaning worldwide is 4. Why is it weird to nurse an older infant in the US?

8. "But your baby has teeth!"-Again, this is a vaild question but I am giving people a little project when they say this to me with horror on their face: Drink a bottle of water and see if you use your teeth. ;)


A day in the life of a pumping, working Mom:
Me @ Work, in the designated "Lactation Room". Federal Law mandates that employers provide Moms with a private, quiet place to pump that is NOT a bathroom. You are allowed to have breaks to pump and a fridge should be provided to store the milk.

Milk I've built up in the freezer. Frozen milk lasts for 4 months in a regular freezer (it's much longer in a deep freezer), 8 days in the fridge, and 8 hours room temperature.

My Pump. It's a plain, black back so it's not very bulky or noticeable. The best kind to buy are electric, double pumps. They are expensive, so save coupons or giftcards! The more expensive the pump, the longer it lasts and the better you produce. It's a one time investment, which is great.