Breastfeeding NO.
In my last post on the topic of breastfeeding I went over deciding to say yes to breastfeeding. This post we are looking at the opposite. Saying no to breastfeeding. I remember pondering all the time while I was pregnant if I would be able to breastfeed or not. It all seems so natural as a woman. You see all these other women nursing their children and you question, why wouldn’t I be able to? Then my nerves kicked in and the doubt and all the questions of double guessing set in. Would I be able to supply my son? What if I can’t provide enough milk to keep him healthy? So many different concerns I had, and I wasn’t even close to nursing! Have you ever been there or are you going through this now? You aren’t alone sister! We moms have ALL gone through this phase before and it is anything but easy.
I know I am so blessed to be able to nurse Michael and have enough to supply him and help him grow into the young healthy boy that he is, but it wasn’t easy. Every mom has a story and every story is so different from the other and every story is 
usually not an easy one. Both my mom and my mother-in-law formula fed their kids, so they had NO idea what or how to help in the nursing department. I had to reach out to other moms if they had been nursing and ask in my birthing class as much as I could to learn all about it. Then the time finally came, Michael was born! From what I remember one of the first things you do once he is weighed, cleaned and all the other fun stuff after labor is taken care of, is nurse. Now everything from those 24 hours of labor isn’t clear so my memory isn’t the best, but I do remember it feeling like almost instantly they tell you to start nursing. With all the research I did online and through talking in mom world I knew my journey wouldn’t be easy. What I have learned is even if it comes naturally that doesn’t mean it comes easy…I learned this really quick with giving birth lol. Research shows 81.1% of women chose to breastfeed their babies at some point while only 51.8% continue until the baby is 6 months old and 30.7% nursed until their child turned 1 according to 2016 DNPAO National Immunization Survey. Many women will start their journey and try out breastfeeding in the beginning. Many women quickly discover how difficult the journey is and opt out of nursing, and that is ok! OH MY GOSH you have no idea how many times I WANTED TO QUIT! It is SO HARD in the beginning, even now as he gets older it can still be difficult.
The sacrifices you must accept and willingly take on are not easy ones. To simplify things I tell people who ask me about it that it is as restrictive as being pregnant, but you’re not. You are choosing to give up your freedom luxuries for your baby. These are big factors in making the choice to bottle feed over breastfeed. They say 6 weeks is the big hump to get over and I can vouch and say it is more like 3 months. Those first 3 months after your baby is born are tough, especially for a FTM (first time mom). EVERYTHING is new, unknown and sleep doesn’t exist anymore. Seriously though, we feel like we’ve accomplished something if Michael sleeps 3 hours consecutively! Yes, you read that right, 3 hours. Not 7, not 6, just 3 hours. This is what we function on! Woohoo for parenthood! Anyways… you are making a choice to endure the hardship and indescribable bliss if you chose to breastfeed. I can see why women would want to bottle feed over nursing any day. This shit is hard. SO HARD. I had to give up dairy, any caffeine (omg), alcohol, certain types of proteins, my freedom, hormone regulation, weight control, the list goes on. I love coffee and I love food and I love to workout. Giving up all these at the start was so depressing. You have your baby and you think “finally I get to start doing things for me again!” Think again sweet cheeks! I know I know I keep rambling on about how hard it is, but just like anything else you sacrifice for your kiddos, it is worth it.
I envy those mothers who chose to formula feed and the luxury of freedom they have. I think to myself, one day.
Talking with other moms and their journeys I am reminded not everyone gets the luxury of having the choice to nurse or not. You could be in this predicament right now or in the future and the most important thing to remember is as long as your baby is being nourished from a bottle or breast, then you are doing great! Some moms can’t nurse their baby due to infant health issues. Maybe your baby is in NIC and has to be fed through a tube, oh how heart wrenching it must be to watch! I tear up just thinking about it! But they are still being nourished the best way they can, and you are loving them the best way you can provide. Know you are being a wonderful mom and stay strong momma. The emotional side of bottle feeding may be harder because you feel like you are failing as a mom and you might have an overwhelming amount of mom guilt setting in. Remember you are providing for him as best as you can and they will love you all the same for it.
People can argue and insist to persuade you to either breastfeed or not to, in the end it is up to you and what is best for your family’s situation. I know there are so many benefits when choosing to bottle feed over breastfeed. The biggest in my eyes and what was most appealing to me when I was second guessing my choice to nurse was how much less stressful it is. I hear time and time again from mothers who bottle fed and see how much more I went through to nurse Michael and everyone says something along the lines of, “oh man bottle feeding was so much simpler than all of this.” Every time I heard this it made me want to quit because of the roller coaster of a ride it truly is when you decide to nurse. Life looked so much easier or as some would say, the grass looked so perfectly green on the other side. Then I remembered a favorite quote of mine, “the grass isn’t greener on the other side. It is greener where you water it.” Boom focus changed. Will I nurse next go around? I am not sure. For our situation right now, nursing works and I am so thankful I was able to provide to Michael in that sense. In the future who knows what will work. Maybe our next little one refuses to feed or will only take a bottle. Whichever route I take as a mother my biggest concern is making sure my baby is getting all the nutrients they need. As a mother that should be your biggest focus too when making the decision.
If you chose not to breastfeed your baby, you are making the choice to do what is best for you and your little one. I know it truly does make for an easier, more balanced life when deciding to formula feed. If you wanted to but for unseen reasons can’t breastfeed, bottle feeding is still just fine! It is so much less stressful on you mentally, emotionally, physically, and on your diet. I would look at it as a possible blessing in disguise as hard as it may be to see at the moment. Bottle/formula feeding in my opinion is something that shouldn’t be looked down upon. As a mother I know it can feel as though you are failing when you can’t provide for your child through nursing, but believe me, you still are through a bottle. It can also be the best feeling in the world! You get your body back and the luxury to have help in the feeding process! Ah, Lucky woman! I am pretty jealous on the perks of formula, not going to lie. It may even be more beneficial to do so by learning other coping mechanisms and ways to sooth other than to nurse. Yay for you! However you look at it, choosing not to breastfeed is a great choice. As mothers we get the privilege of choosing what we want to do in providing for our children. It is our right! Don’t let anyone steal it from you. Deciding not to breastfeed is normal and you are a FANTASTIC MOTHER if it is what you choose to do!! Remember how AMAZING you are whichever route you take. Don’t forget to subscribe and stay updated with my latest posts! As always beautiful, cheers!