Nursing

I have been silently collecting information on how people nurse. Okay, it really hasn't been all that scientific, just more of some observations, a lot of people I know just had babies!

I am an obsessive nurser. If I am anywhere in the vicinity of Linus (same with SD when she was a baby), I nurse him. When we go to church, he goes to the nursery, but I go in there to nurse him, I don't send a bottle. Last Friday, I had the opportunity to come home at lunch and I came home, ate and nursed him. I don't know why this is, maybe it is related to my production. My production is good, but I know that he can get more than my electronic baby can, so I might as well let him get what he needs. I also really like the time we get to spend together and I like that it is something that no one else can do. I am thankful that BG respects this and will call me and see if I am almost home or if he needs to go ahead and give Linus a bottle. My MIL is also really good about this on the days that she watches the kids.

All that being said, I don't have a problem pumping. I pump at work, and it really doesn't bother me or annoy me to do so. I also pump in the morning, to replenish my freezer stock, and sometimes pump an extra time the days that I am at home. I am much more relaxed about it than I was with SD, with SD it about killed me when she had to have a bottle, and unfortunately there were more times when she had to have one because of my stupid stomach issues!

On to my observations...There are some people that give their babies breast milk, but it is rarely from the boob. There are some people that never give their babies a bottle and the thought of pumping just makes them squirm. There are some people that breastfeed while they are on maternity leave, but once they have to leave the child, they switch to formula because they don't want to pump. Then, there are some that don't want to do it all.

None of these are "better" than others, I think it is just a matter of personal preference. Unfortunately, I think some people make you feel bad if you can't or don't want to breastfeed. For me, I really like it and it works and is easy. For others, this is simply not the case! I always say that you don't get a medal for being a mom. It doesn't matter how your child arrives in this world. It doesn't matter how the pregnancy began, or adoption for that matter. It doesn't matter if you breastfeed or not. All that really matters is that you show your child love and they can grow up in a home where they feel loved!