National Breastfeeding Awareness Week: June 21-27, 2010

This Monday, June 21^st, marks the start of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (NBAW) – a whole week dedicated to the promotion of breastfeeding and its benefits for mums and babies.

Breastfeeding is a subject that often sparks heated debate; those that have done it are usually passionate supporters of the ‘breast is best’ ideal, sometimes leaving those who chose not to, or were unable to, breastfeed their babies feeling inferior.  Breastfeeding mums tell their stories of mastitis, cracked nipples and round-the-clock feeds with pride, wearing them as a badge of honour that proves what they have overcome to give their babies the very best start in life – but those very same stories can leave mums-to-be feeling daunted and fearful about what breastfeeding might be like.

NBAW aims to strip away the myths and the fears, the pressures and the competition that often surrounds breastfeeding, leaving mums with just the bare, undisputed facts about this most natural way to feed your baby.  It’s true that sometimes breastfeeding is difficult, painful, tiring and demanding.  It’s also true that it protects your baby from infection, safeguards against allergies and is hugely convenient.  The benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby have been widely publicized and NBAW aims to make more women aware of them – you can read more about them here.  For now though, I just wanted to write about the things I loved most about breastfeeding.  I fed Bubs until he was one and during that time there were lots of ups and downs, from those difficult early days through months of enjoyment to sadness when we eventually stopped.

Things I loved were:

It helped me lose weight.  When Bubs was 8 weeks old I was already back to my pre-pregnancy weight and wearing my normal jeans.  The weight stayed off even though I was eating like a total pig, until Bubs dropped to around two feeds a day; then the pounds started creeping back on and I had to start calorie counting again!

I could literally do it in my sleep.  I know some people frown upon co-sleeping but latest guidelines say it is safe for a breastfeeding mother to sleep with her baby provided neither she nor her partner smoke, drink or take drugs.  Post caesarean, co-sleeping was pretty much necessary for us and further down the line it saved my sanity.  While my bottle feeding counterparts were downstairs boiling the kettle, I could pop Bubs from his Moses basket into our bed and doze while he fed, then pop him straight back in again without even getting out of bed.

I travelled light.  I honestly never even bought a nappy bag because I didn’t need to carry a load of crap around with me everywhere I went – all I needed was a clean nappy, a pack of wipes and my boobs.

I met like-minded mums.  I loved meeting other breastfeeding mums and when you’re breastfeeding yourself you suddenly become more aware of others who are doing it too.  Whether it was a knowing smile across a crowded café or a chance to compare notes in a mother and baby room, breastfeeding made me feel like part of a ‘club’ made up of mums who were all in on the secret of how wonderful and rewarding it could be.

I felt rewarded when Bubs gained weight.  He lost 11oz postnatally and I will never forget the time the health visitor weighed him and told me he’d gained some of it back.  Two weeks after he was born he had regained his birthweight and for me, that made all the difficulties worthwhile – it was working!  As he got older I took great delight in those squishy thighs and multiple chins, knowing my body had nourished him from the moment of conception and was continuing to do so.  I also loved that my breast milk was ‘just right’ for him – he was always pleasantly chubby but never plump or beefed up like some babies and I think that’s because my breast milk was supplying him with exactly the right amount of calories.

I loved feeling close to him.  Once we’d mastered the art of breastfeeding, it was so easy and peaceful.  A mere instant after Bubs indicated he was hungry he would be feeding contentedly – as a newborn dozing while he did so and as he grew, patting at my skin and staring into my face.  During those times the emotional and physical connection I felt to my child was indescribably profound.

I loved inspiring other mums.  I’ve written before about how lucky I was to have numerous breastfeeding role models and I like to think I have passed the torch on to a couple of friends who’ve had babies since.  In particular my sister-in-law Tracey (who, incidentally, has agreed to let me share her breastfeeding story on the blog later this week) didn’t know anyone else who had breastfed and I was thrilled to be able to offer some support to her when she gave birth to my gorgeous nephew last year.  I feel quite strongly that breastfeeding mums shouldn’t hide away in bathrooms; by breastfeeding discreetly but proudly in public I like to think I did my bit to ‘normalise’ breastfeeding.  If seeing me doing it gave even one other mum the confidence to do the same then I would be completely delighted.

If you’re breastfeeding or thinking about breastfeeding, there are loads of great online resources where you can find out more about what it’s really like and also all the benefits for you and your baby.  The NBAW website has loads of great information and also details about how you can get involved in the event itself, Kellymom has tons of great advice and the La Leche League site is hugely informative.  Here in Northern Ireland there are also a few must-visits; Mid Ulster Mums is a fab online resource but also offers face-to-face support for breastfeeding mums, www.breastfedbabies.org has some brilliant info, especially for dads, plus details of breastfeeding friendly places across the province and also breastfeeding support groups in your area.  The National Childbirth Trust has a Belfast branch which holds regular events in and around the city and the La Leche League also has a branch based in Carrickfergus, which holds monthly meetings - tel: 028 9336 2387 for more information. Finally a mention must go to my blogger pal, Sinead Hoben, whose blog is fab and whose e-book, ‘Mama Milk‘ is essential reading for any breastfeeding mum!