Happy Breastfeeding Month!

So I know you are probably groaning..."NOT HER!" Sorry reader, this is my soapbox, if you don't want to hear what I have to say, you don't have to read my blog. You're not going anywhere though because of my favorite human trait: curiosity.

Now I am sure you have all heard about my former residences Mayor Bloomberg locking up the formula in NYC hospitals and making women, who have just gone through childbirth mind you, listen to a lecture about how awesome breastfeeding is.

Breastfeeding IS awesome. So is making your own baby food, going organic, being a stay at home mom, working to ensure you kid gets the best of everything, bringing your child out everyday, reading to your child everynight, exposing your child to every instrument, language and form of art out there, sending your child to the best school, teaching your child to be respectful. All of these things and more are awesome. Unfortunately, we can't do it all. Even the best of the best out there is probably wishing they did something differently or had the time, resources or energy to focus on an area more. Look, we can only TRY and do our best.

That being said, I do wish there was more education about breastfeeding because I have heard some moms poo-poo it for the dumbest reasons ever. They don't even want to try to breastfeed. That is their choice but I always wonder why they would choose to not even try.

So here is what I like about breastfeeding..

1. You know how they say "The best things in life are free?" They were talking about breastmilk.
2. It's easy. After about 8 weeks or so, it is the easiest and sometimes laziest thing you can do. Before that you will want formula everyday. Just like you will want to sit back on the couch when you start working out. How bad do you want this?
3. It provides health benefits to your baby AND YOU!
4. I lost all my baby weight in two weeks with my first and within 4 days with my second. It's better than ephedra!
5. It helps you sleep...if my babies woke in the middle of the night I would put them in bed with me and nurse them and I would be out cold within seconds. After I stopped nursing my first...if she woke up in the middle of the night, I was usually up all night because I could not go back to sleep. Apparently breastfeeding releases a hormone that helps you relax and can also induce sleep.
6. If you find a support group, you've just inherited a new group of friends. This saved me, being a SAHM in a new city. I knew nobody.
7. You never have to worry about your breastmilk being recalled!
8. It's always the perfect temperature
9. Your body did something AMAZING and created your baby from scratch. Same goes for your breastmilk.
10. The reason I love breastfeeding is because it reminds me of childbirth. I.DID.THAT. I brought my child into the world and it was beautiful. When I nurse I think to myself, I.DID.THAT. I made the milk that is sustaining my child.

So there you go. I think all you moms out there are doing a terrific job even if you are not nursing. I just wish they educated people more on it. It can be one of the greatest experiences of your life. I mean think about it...before you had a baby, childbirth seemed scary and the horror stories were nauseating. BUT YOU DID IT! Was it THAT bad? Maybe breastfeeding isn't that bad either....