Thoughts on Breastfeeding

Sorry its been a little while since I've put a new post on here. While I want to do several different posts about breastfeeding, each with a different angle and a variety of information, I am going to start with one on the mental aspect of breastfeeding, as requested by a reader.

Many of you probably know the physical advantages for your baby and yourself from breastfeeding (but I will still write about that is a later blog I'm sure). There are so many physical benefits, and there are also so many emotional benefits for your baby and yourself. So, I think when mentally preparing for breastfeeding, it is very helpful to remember these benefits. But let me try to address the question a little more thoroughly.

While I think most women feel kind of funny about the idea of breastfeeding, after you've been doing it for a little while, it starts to feel so natural. You have to just be prepared to give yourself time to adjust to it. At first it may seem strange to have your baby sucking milk from you, but after a little while, it seems so normal. So, probably the first step is to begin to mentally prepare for the fact that this IS a normal process our bodies were designed for. One of the problems in our society is how sexualized breasts have become. Here is an interesting fact for you: when I studied abroad in Kenya, one of our African professors explained to us how in America, it is the lower half of women's bodies that are socially acceptable to reveal. However, in Africa, it is the upper half that is okay to reveal, because a woman's breasts are mostly meant for breastfeeding there, and they are not as sexualized. After breastfeeding, I now realize how much more right on they are with that!

Another thing about breastfeeding that's important to mentally prepare for is to realize that while it is a very natural process, it doesn't usually come naturally for everyone. It actually takes time for both mom and baby to learn, which is why I am convinced that God designed it where your milk doesn't come in until the third day or so, giving you and baby time to learn without dealing with lots of milk spraying everywhere! (After birth, you just have colostrum for the first few days, the thick yellow stuff that is full of nutrients but comes out much slower). So, during this time of learning, part of what is happening is the mental adjustment of recognizing that your baby is still dependent on you for their survival through the form of food. But it is such a huge blessing, because you realize that you can give your baby the food that is perfect for them, already processed and digested through you, and given back to them in a form that is just what they need with exactly the nutrients, antibodies, vitamins, hormones, etc. that they need. So all that to say, that I think part of the mental preparation is to recognize the blessing it is to be able to feed your baby in this way that is so good for both them and you physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.