Board Member Shares Breastfeeding Experience
I love that I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to breastfeed both of my girls. I nursed my oldest until she was 15 months old and I am currently breastfeeding my youngest now at six months old. While I am a huge advocate for breastfeeding, I respect a mom’s choice regardless of how she chooses to feed her baby. After doing my research, I understood and valued the nutrition that I could pass on to my child through breastfeeding. Additionally, antibodies can be passed from mom to baby in breastmilk. The transferred immunity is important because in those early days and weeks, the baby is still developing their immune system. I like the idea that my breastmilk provides my baby with some additional protection until her little immune system matures. Especially now, since we are living in a world trying to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The benefits of breastfeeding does not only apply to me and my baby. But, it has extended to my family as well. With my first baby, I had to supplement with formula. While I didn’t take on the costs of an exclusively formula fed baby, the amount I did spend gave me a good idea of how much money I was saving our family by choosing to breastfeed.
Generally speaking, there are many reasons why breastfeeding has worked well for me and my family. And, while it is a rewarding experience, it definitely has not been easy. I’ve had my own challenges along the journey with both of my girls. Exhaustion, low supply, and discomfort…you name it. And while there are times when it gets hard, it has been 110% worth it.
For moms considering breastfeeding, I found it very helpful to seek out the resources of a local breastfeeding center with my first child. They supported me through many of the challenges that I experienced. And I always recommend moms that are struggling but desire to breastfeed to seek out help too. If you are interested in learning more about my breastfeeding journey, I share more content with moms on my personal blog Thistle and Latch.