One of the million dollar questions to the many moms-to-be. I am sure you all have done your researches and read about the advantages and disadvantages of breast feeding. Hey, but those are only reports from researchers. Let’s hear it from the people who actually did it – me!
Only my younger son had the opportunity to be breast-fed. My older boy could not latch onto my breast properly so I was not able to breast feed him. I was longing to breast feed my second son. I was getting anxious and excited. I was very well prepared and also had enough Chinese soup to ensure my ‘supply’ was abundant.
As soon as little Ron was able to latched onto my breast, there was a sense of relief! I thought to myself: I could now breast feed, I am a real mother now. The warmth, the intimacy, with my baby in my arms, everything was just right.
Alright, time to face the reality. That was THE upside of breast feeding. All the other upsides about health and stuff are just bonuses. Let’s come back to the real world. The bad news is – the downsides are plenty.
First, you are pretty much on-call 24/7, whenever, and wherever. This is tough, especially when you are extremely tired and need to rest; and when you have to be away. Here you will need the help of modern technology. Get a good electrical pump and prepare some milk for you babies what you have to be away during his / her feeding time. For the worn out part, well, I got up whenever the little boy called me. I was not able to get enough rest. I guess that’s one of the reasons why breast feeding mothers will lose weight faster.
Second, you have to plan your life carefully. What I mean is, a trip to the mall could be very different now. This is because you have to take your baby with you. In that you will have to make sure there is baby care rooms in the mall, if not, you will have to go somewhere else. Also, there are places that you must go, but certainly cannot accommodate your breast feeding. In these cases, you may need to take milk powder with you, which is a debatable alternative since many mothers are against mixing the two milks. If you are adamant about breast feeding only, you will have to carefully plan you routes. Well, you will get used to this.
Third, you are what you eat. To be more correct, your milk is what you eat. So, the diet is very plain, well-balanced, and can be boring some time. No caffeine, spices, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. And you have to let your doctors know should you get sick, because the medication has to be safe for the babies. Last, but not least, for those of you who don’t like milk, you are in for a long time. You have to ensure your calcium is replenished.
Well, that were the worst parts of breast feeding your lovely babies. When you are a new mother and everything seems already chaotic to you, these downsides will just make you go crazier. However, I can tell you, no matter how tired you are, no matter how troublesome things might look; as soon as you hold that baby in your arms, right next to you, that feeling is worth everything in this world. Yes, I mean everything.
To All Mothers!