Kowalke/Jeschke Family Vacation
Infant formula contains no immunological properties to help safeguard a baby from infection. Breast milk, on the other hand, is concentrated with white blood cells and antibodies that fight disease.
"The essence of what breastfeeding provides is immune protection," says Dr. Alicia Dermer, MD, IBCLC, and clinical associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. "A mother breathes in whatever bacteria or viruses are around and then makes antibodies specific to her environment, and that are especially tailored to her baby. That is how one mother's milk might be different from another's.
"The longer mom breastfeeds, the more benefits she and the baby get," says Tammy Arberter, CD, IBCLC, and a lactation consultant at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. "The World Health Organization
recommends that women breastfeed for the first year and then continue for as long as it is mutually desired by Mommy and Baby. If you do that, you are going to get maximum benefits."
It was day six and my MILK still wasn't "in!" My baby was hungry and after a less than perfect birth I was fretting! What is wrong with my body? Why is this happening? I thought how come this doesn't seem natural for me? As visions of mothers nursing their babies filled my head. They make it look so well, natural!
How come this naturalness wasn't happening for me? Thoughts of failure filled my mind.
I spent hours at the pump, only to get a half of cc combined. My husband, I'll call him Mr. Wonderful, ever so helpful would take my half cc of milk and carefully store it away in the refrigerator. He would then sterilize the pumping gear, put it all together to be ready for my next pumping session, just to start the whole process all over again! This went on for days.
When my son was just a few weeks old, I met a wonderful lady down by our pool. She told me, Shannon you will have to be as stubborn as you've ever been if you want to succeed at this nursing thing! But you can do it! She shared with me, her story that was very similar to mine, and she told me that she was able to nurse her son and it got easier and easier as the months went by. I felt hope!
That was the magic word I needed to hear: Stubborn!? I just never thought I’d have to be stubborn on something I thought was supposed to just happen naturally! But, it turns out I can be very stubborn when I want to be!
My supply, well there never really was a “supply”! At 6 weeks old, I could still only pump 1 cc combined from both breasts. YES, at times, I was still a little panicked! Is my son getting enough? Is he starving? Did my milk just go away? Why don’t my breasts ever feel full?” On those days I would load my son into our car, drive on down to the post office to weigh him. Thankfully, our post office had a "do it yourself" mailbox with a scale in the lobby, but whenever someone did come in as I was undressing my son down to his onesie, I would simply say "I am breastfeeding my son and I just want to make sure he is getting enough!" As if they would just understand! (I can laugh about it now, but back then I don't even think I ever once noticed anyone thinking it was weird)
Though Logan lost a full pound that first week, he gained and gained and kept on gaining from then on. I came to terms with the fact that my body will really make exactly the amount of milk my baby needs. But, that came with a lot of reassuring! I still didn’t want my baby going hungry, and I had to make sure he was gaining weight. Frequent calls to my sisters in Michigan, along frequent trips to the post office for “weigh-ins” got me through those moments of doubt. And with every ounce Logan gained, I could hear the cheers coming all the way from Michigan too!
So here I am, the proud mother of a healthy, chubby 24 pound something ounces, 9 1/2month old son; with cheeks so round and full you can't help but squinch them....and gobble them up!
To this day, I can only get 2 ounces from each breast when I pump. And yes to this day, sometimes a sigh of frustration comes out when I am at the pump for the third time that day; just to get a 4 ounce bottle for my son to have in the nursery the next day, while I am at work. But those frustrations are so minuscule in comparison to the joy I have found in nursing my baby boy.Why am I telling this to the world?
For those moments when I scoop up my beautiful busy boy, snuggle him up to nurse, I see his eyes drift off to sleep, so full and so content. And I stop and thank the Lord, that through it all he has given me this awesome blessing to be able to provide for my son. Those are the moments that has made this journey so worth it.In that moment, I can't help but think that there is a mom out there who may not experience this joy.
If you are a mother, who can relate to my story, I want you to know, that you are not alone. Sometimes choosing to breastfeed your baby doesn't come easily. But I want you to know, you can do it! You can! You will find so much joy in your heart for choosing to do what your body and your baby were born to do!
Happy NURSING!
