Brest is Best - Breastfeeding

I'm a big believer in breastfeeding. Huge. Not only are the benefits amazing for baby, but they're also really great for mom. From lowering risk of breast cancer to helping you lose that baby weight, breastfeeding is the way to go.

There are times when women can't breastfeed, and they have their reasons. But people, please, if it's because it's just dang painful at the beginning, DON'T GIVE UP. And I can say that because I had major issues at the beginning and was in utter pain each and every time Xander latched onto one side. And by utter I mean I would cringe and had to hold a pillow with one hand for dear life while holding his head with the other. It was so bad at first that it brought me to tears. This experience was far from what I had imagined nursing would be like, and it lasted for 8 weeks. I never looked forward to nursing and almost gave up every single day.

But take heart. It gets better. I promise.

I fought hard to breastfeed my Xander because breast is just best. Again, there are reasons for which women sometimes just can't, but if you can, I urge you to stick with it and do it.

My Xander had some puking issues for a little while there, and had I taken him to a doctor, they would've told me he had reflux and put him on formula and who knows what else. How do I know this? Because I have a friend who had similar problems with her little girl, and that's what they did. By similar I mean almost exact. Xander had ALL symptoms of reflux. Now I know they say that a lot of babies have a case of it that they eventually grow out of. This was a little more than that. Anyway, I started an elimination diet. I cut stuff out of my diet little by little, and that cleared up not just the 'reflux,' but other stuff as well. I've been able to eat most things by now, but there are still things I avoid. Guys, I went as far as not eating wheat for a while, which was kinda hard to do with a new little one.

Anyway, here's a great breastfeeding resource that I used a ton at the beginning and still use for random questions. This article was one of the reasons I fought so hard to breastfeed my Xander.

In the end, each mom has to choose what she will do. Our kids will all turn out fine. However, I do encourage you to fight to breastfeed if you can. It's worth it.

Sleeping Through the Night...

...my son is not. BUT that's not something I expect out of a 5-month old. It amazes me every time I read a mother's FB status - "_____ slept through the night. Yay!" Don't get me wrong. Would this mama like more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep? I'd be lying if I said I didn't. HOWEVER, it will not be at my son's 'expense.' What I mean by that is that I'm not going to trick my son into sleeping 8 hrs by jamming a paci in his mouth, letting him cry it out, or any other means except by his will, when he's ready. Why? Because he obviously needs to eat if he wakes up hungry.

Breast milk digests in approximately 2 hours, so if Xman slept 8 hours straight at this point, I'd be a little concerned. He's not ready for that. It doesn't mean other babies aren't. I just know my lil man couldn't do that. Xman can go 4 hours, maybe 5 or even 6, but that's about it. Lately he's gone back to waking about every 2-3 hours at night...which is making me think that pretty soon I'll go ahead and start him on solids (which WON'T be rice cereal or any other grains...but that's another blog). Egg yolks, avocado...I'm wondering if kefir is ok...hmmmm...

(and side note - just because a baby is on solids, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll sleep longer. I don't know this from personal experience, but I know from other mamas and their experiences.)

But anyway, the whole notion that I need to let my son cry it out so that I can give him the gift of a good night's sleep isn't founded on good facts, if you ask me. This isn't to rag on anyone's parenting decisions. The cry-it-out doesn't work for our family, and that's that. Hey, if it floats your boat, it floats you. BUT if it's to 'give' an infant a good night's sleep, it's nonsense. Babies have different sleep patterns than adults. The gift of a good night's sleep is more for the parents, not for baby. Yes, babies need sleep for growth, health and all that good stuff. BUT 8+ hours isn't for exclusively breastfed babies who NEED nighttime nourishment...or sometimes comfort...

...yes, sometimes that's why Xman wakes up, I'm sure, but I won't deny him that either. The thing is that I'm a self-sufficient adult who gets hungry in the middle of the night. Nobody denies me any food. Nobody locks me up in my room so that I can't get to the kitchen and stuff my mouth with 4 bowls of Corn Flakes (yes, it was 4 bowls the other night...and no, I don't make it a habit to eat Corn Flakes. I always keep a box around for certain recipes, and I indulged the other night when I craved some). Why should I starve my child? He depends on ME to feed and comfort him...why would I deny him food?

But anyway, Xander has had better sleeping days, but I really can't complain much. I signed up for a little less sleep when I became a mama, and it's only a season. As a friend said, "the days are long but the years are short."

And here's to hoping tonight is better than last night. What was up with the hourly thing...and then the 2 hr thing after that?

Here's my happy boy.