Whip 'Em Out!: A Post on my Lactivism

I love this video. Women should be this open, honest, and excited about breastfeeding. The more support out there for breastfeeding Mommies and babies, the better.

I will reiterate a few little things in this video that are so true:

1. Yes, breastfeeding is hard at first.
(Really. You need awesome nurses and you need to see a lactation consultant. Be open and seriously let the professionals grab your boobs and your baby and teach you both how to latch. And maybe breastfeeding will not work out for you, but try it out because, if you read on, there are a lot of benefits.)

BUT it is so worth it, just as they say, because...

2. Your baby stays healthy.
(Gabe has had one very minor cold & one three-day low grade fever. He was in the 76% for height and weight at 9 mo., 22 lb. and 29 in. A big, bright, crawling, cruising boy. )

3. You do burn major calories. You will shed pounds.
(Um, hello? I have lost just about 60 pounds since Gabriel was born -- almost effortlessly. That's all the baby weight plus over 10 pounds. And I eat healthier than ever, but I also was eating more than ever until Gabe added some solids into his diet).

4. Breastfeeding is convenient.
(You will get good at breastfeeding, and breastfeeding in public with or without a cover will not be a huge challenge. Gabe and I are so used to our routine that I just pull up my shirt a wee bit, snuggle him close, unhook the bra, and he sucks until he is done. Sweet meal.)

5. Breastfeeding does create a beautiful bond.
(At this point, I know that weaning is not just a term for baby, but a term for Mommy, too. It is a nutitional shift and an emotional shift that will happen. Breastfeeding is a physical closeness and relationship that instills a connection between mother and baby. It is a wonderful phase of life. If you can breastfeed, this is possibly the best reason.)

6. Breastfeeding saves money.
(Like crazy amounts of money. As in, no cost for baby's nourishment until he or she starts solids. Even now that Gabe gets two bottles per week, we have not needed to buy formula because of the samples we received prior to his birth, and at the rate he takes formula (literally 12 oz. per week), we will never have to buy it. Cheers to almost $2,000 unspent (minus $breast pump)!)

7. No Periods.
(At least for a little while. I didn't have one until May 2010, and Gabe was born in October 2009. Counting pregnancy and factoring in, ya know, birth and postpartum bleeding, that's really not a bad deal. And some girls are without periods the entire time they breastfeed, which could be over 14 months.)

So there's my pro-breastfeeding experience and opinion. I love breastfeeding. I currently consider it the nearest and dearest success of my life, and I consider it one of the best decisions I have ever made. I'm not a crazy, crazy lactivist (though I am somewhat of a lactivist), and I absolutely have no issue with Moms who choose formula. I am just so happy that breastfeeding has worked out for me and Gabe, and with all of the benefits we have been lucky to absorb from breastfeeding, it is easy for me to recommend it to others and support breastfeeding Mommies everywhere.

Cheers!