Breastfeeding & Emotions

[anonymous]

OMG, Holly. You breastfed up to 2 1/2 years. Ewww. That's a bit long. Double ewww.

 

[anonymous]

Hi Jen, I used the Medela Pump in Style- it was GREAT! I got it from a Medela Dealer on Ebay who sells them Brand New for under $200 (well, that was 2 years ago so I am not sure how much they would cost now) which was great compared to most places who sold them for $250+. If you shop around you can find ones that have all kinds of "special things" like a car adapter (which is great to have bc there is no better time to pump than while riding in a car!!), battery pack (trust me, if you get to the point where baby won't nurse, you HAVE to have this-what would you do if your power went out?!?! Oh ya, I used my battery pack in the car instead of the car adapter), a back up hand pump (once again, a must have if you are exclusively pumping in case your pump breaks down!) and most of them come with nice looking bags and a built in cooler.

Okay and while I am on a roll here, and since there seem to be some others who have exclusivelly pumped, I will share this in case anyone needs a giggle:

Ode to Pumping
By Kelli

Pump in Style, Pump in Style
Think I better sit awhile

One time, two times, three times, eight
Its many times a day I have a pumping date

Pumps, horns, bottles, tubes
I never thought Id be doing THIS to my boobs

One month, two months, three months, more
It is my beautiful baby I am pumping for

Freezer, freezer, full of stash
May even help us save some cash

Oh breast pump, breast pump
I gotta lump, I hate to dump

Pumping comes, pumping goes
Baby gets mothers milk, baby grows


My Pumping Disclaimer: I feel it is my duty to encourage anyone to at least try breastfeeding before deciding to exclusively pump because frankly, pumping is A PAIN IN THE BUTT (although well worth it if breastfeeding isn't working!).


HTH!!
Kelli

PS Whoever made the comment to HollyCathryn was just plain rude!!! I personally say "GOOOOOOOOO HollyCathryn!!!!!!!"

 

[JazzysMom]

My sister in law breastfed all 3 of her kids until they were 3. I was a young teenager then so it didnt seem "normal" to me. I dont know if I could do it for that long, but her decision just like HollyCatherns was not up to me.

 

[anonymous]

Annonymous at 7:06PM, you need to find somewhere else to post because you are ovbiously not mature enough to APPROPRIATELY address the way you feel.

There is no reason to make childish comments towards what HC choose to do. If you do not agree, there is no harm in posting those feelings-but certainly not so immaturely in an ADULT discussion.

Some children need to breastfeed that long, sometimes parents choose to pump past a certain age because the halthbenefits from breastmilk are unmached. I plan to breastfeed as long as my child will allow and then supplement their "milk" intake fo a while with breastmilk (cereal and such). I know my husbands mom said his CF was ONLY diagnosed after she stopped breastfeeding him because he lost weight, was unable to digest anything and became very skinny and became a very colicy baby. I will do anything for my child to try and ensure the have the best nutrition from the beginning.

There's nothing wrong with disagreeing with her, but do it in a mature manner, this is a mature post


Julie (wife to mark 24 w/CF)

 

[anonymous]

I agree the comment was fairly immature but I second the thought. Breast feeding past 18 months or so is a bit odd. Yes, breast feeding is natural but most mammals wean around the relative equivalent of a year old (taking into account the different aging rates of various mammals). Many children are starting school at 2 1/2!

 

[HollyCatheryn]

Just for clarification, it isn't a contest to see who can breastfeed the longest. The goal is to meet your baby's needs in the way the baby needs them met. It isn't about what *I* want or do or what is "normal" or "odd". Julie is right. Some children need to be breastfed longer than what we usually see here in the West (what we usually see is FAR shorter than even governmental and health agency recommendations internationally - which tend to be conservative so as not to freak people out). Some children are ready to wean long before their parents or before established guideline recommendations say they should. But, the goal is not to follow a rule. It is to give your baby what he or she needs in the way that they need it. We do the best we can for our babies and many times it requires sacrifice or discomfort or just a shift in what seems "normal" to us. How many moms never thought they would drive a mini-van because it just seemed "odd", but now wouldn't drive anything else? How many moms swore they would never be caught dead outside the house without their hair done and make-up on (eewwwww)? Time and priorities change many things if you are willing. Allowing your baby's needs to shape your motherhood benefits you both. Things you do for their benefit you will NEVER regret. And just for the sake of argument and perspective...those countries with the highest infant health are those with the highest exclusive breastfeeding rates and the longest duration of breastfeeding. In non-western cultures it is common to find nursing toddlers and "pre-school" age children. It is also well-documented that in third-world countries, those babies that are breastfed survive and thrive and are among the healthiest in the world (yes, it is true), but upon weaning their health rapidly deteriorates and their mortality matches that of the people around them. No matter what the culture or the duration of breastfeeding or the manner in which it is done, there has never been recorded a child who did not wean - even if his mother did nothing to encourage it. Some older, some younger, but no child has ever become a teen and still come home and snuggled up to nurse from his mother, nor has any man or woman straggled home at night to breastfeed from his or her mother. The thought is preposterous because it has never happened in any sort of remotely, non-abusive situation. It is actually a recent development, and its health and validity are arguable, to consider a pre-school child not dependant upon its mother. The study of breastfeeding from an anthropological stand-point is very interesting and gives a totally different perspective to the current trend of the "civilized" world. What we deem normal or desireable (a 5'9" 125 lb woman with 15% body fat) may or may not in fact be normal for the human race (or you as an individual) or desireable physiologically. Again, though, let us not focus on how long we have nursed or how short as if that were a measure of the quality of mothering. Let us focus on being the mothers our babies need us to be!

 

[anonymous]

My daughter has just been diagnosed with CF. I still breastfeed her. I was so releived when the doctors supported my decision to do this. I help women with lactation, going to hospitals on a daily basis, and breastfeeding is a large part of our lives. I still breastfeed our toddler.
Did anyone else find that their nipples burned for a while after starting the enzymes? I used shea butter on them, and it cleared up right away. Now if I can just get her bum to clear up...lol
Breastfeeding only strengthens her immune system, and knowing that in all likelyhood that she will get the needed antibodies to fight off any cold I may pass to her that is reason enough to breastfeed her!. Since birth we have had two colds in our house, and I believe because of breastfeeding, she has been immune to them.

 

[anonymous]

I know what you mean about the nipples. My daughter was diagnosed at 19 days. Mine were just getting over the initial soreness when we started enzymes. It felt like she had razors for gums. It was real rough. I stared to add a little more applesauce which helped get them down better. She just turned 5 months and they don't bother me at all.
Leeann
Mom to Hailey 5mo with cf
Brooke 6yrs without
Aaliyah 3yrs without

 

[anonymous]

I was totally against the idea of breast feeding....i tried it with my 2 yr old son Joseph(w/o CF) and lasted 2 days because i was just so emotional. However since my baby daughter ( w CF)was born she has suffered from mucolium illeus. I was told that breast Milk is easier for CF suffers to absorb and digest, so i thought i would give it a go...Again!!
This time i have not looked back and i am really enjoying the experience as she loves it.......Not only am i helping her with her digestion but it really makes me feel that i am trying to help her......
I am still struggling to come to terms with it all as it was such a huge shock........I was so against the idea of Brestfeeding but once the specialist said that it would really help my daughter i just went for it.......I also hate people who pressure you to bF and i was embarrassed to BF in public as there are still people (i like to call them idiots) out there who will have a go...I really dont care now - and it is so much easier as you dont have to sterilise bottles...It one less pressure.
However it really is not for everyone ...But for someone who hated it....I am converted.....(and if you knew me that is really saying something) Good Luck and Here's for a brighter Tomorrow x.....

 

[anonymous]

A bit off the original topic but...we had great luck getting and keeping the baby's bum comfy using a salve called Triple Paste at EVERY diaper change. It was recommended by our CF doc and worked like a charm.