Despite its rising popularity since the age of our mothers, breastfeeding is still a highly private act. Most nursing mothers are so discreet that you wouldn't even guess what they were doing under that scarf. Thankfully, too, because even as a nursing mother the last thing I want to see at Olive Garden is a big random boob next to a plate of ravioli.
I think I went my whole life noticing only once or twice a mother breastfeeding her baby. So it is no surprise that my nine year old niece, Oli, was shocked one day to see me nursing Chloe. And I do mean shocked. As far as she knew, the only way to feed a baby was from a bottle. Didn't you know that the first Enfamil plant opened some 2.5 million years ago? She asked if Chloe was a vampire.
Since that day I think Oli has asked me eight or nine times why I "feed her with my *insert wild hand motions toward breast*" or why I "feed her from my thingy things." And rather than explain to her all of the endless benefits of breastfeeding like breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of ear infections, respiratory infections, asthma, diabetes, childhood leukemia, and many other childhood illnesses; or that breast milk changes over time to meet your baby's needs, always containing the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for baby's growth. Rather than saying breastfeeding is also good for the mother by lowering the risk of diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and postpartum depression; and that, most importantly, people think we are vampires, which is totally in right now (take that Bella Swan). I always end up telling Oli the same thing. "Because it is the way that God made us." And that is the truth.
This weekend when she asked me the same question I gave her the same answer. This time she thought about it for a minute and asked "Is that how Mother Mary fed Jesus?" I thought about it for a minute, too, trying to imagine Mother Mary milking some mangy goat or cow on her way to Bethlehem before I told her that I was pretty sure Mother Mary breastfed Jesus.
People go on and on about the cost benefits of breastfeeding (which, between the pump, nursing bras, nursing tops, storage bags, etc. I'm not so sure is true). The truth is that the real reason I chose to breastfeed Chloe was that it just seemed unnatural to not. God gave us this perfect food - one that is so perfect many doctors believe it is safe to feed your baby breast milk exclusively for a whole year. One that is so perfect that doctors and scientists have been trying to reformulate it for decades using over one hundred ingredients, most of which a college graduate cannot pronounce.
That is the reason I started breastfeeding in the first place. Now I have a whole list of reasons why I love breastfeeding. Like when Chloe wakes up in the middle of the night it only takes ten seconds to pluck her out of her crib and begin feeding her. I get to cuddle with her all of the time. Most importantly, it is something that only I can do and I love that.
It was so difficult in the beginning, but now it is the most amazing bonding experience, and it is by far one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. I just thought I would put it into words so that for my next baby, when I'm feeling like a slave to the boob waking up every two hours to feed a hungry baby, I can remember that period is only brief. The long-term benefits are definitely worth the initial frustrations.
And in case you are wondering, I am not going to be one of those crazy moms who breastfeeds her kids until they are five or thirteen or something. I don't want Chloe to have any weird memories of sucking on my boob. That's just weird.
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