As strange as this may sound, I have this feeling of incompleteness because I can't breastfeed my little one. Obviously I can't breastfeed her since she is a foster baby, but every time she cries, I feel that tightness in my chest and that let-down feeling (no milk though), I just want to rip off my shirt and attach her to my breast.
My babywearing group is filled with nursing mothers. My twitter friends chat about nursing and wanting to nurse for at least 2 years. Its all around me. In 2 years that closeness my friends all share with their little ones will be a long lost memory for me.
I do seem to remember though at the 2 year mark I was feeling more like a milk cow then a mom! But I kind of missed that milk cow feeling!
I feel like I can't even support the Nestle boycott because that's the company that make's my little ones formula.
BTW, no matter what anyone tells you...bottlefeeding is 100 times harder then breastfeeding. Once you get your breastfeeding groove on its as simple as 1, 2, 3..bottles..are more like 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 20..YUCK..and I'm always losing the caps..I have to wonder if the caps go to the same place as missing socks?
Well I guess I'm going to have to get going because I hear my son in the bathroom with the plunger..this cloth diaper thing is going to kill me yet!
But let me leave off with this question...
What can someone do who doesn't have the option to breastfeed do to keep the closeness nursing mothers feel as long as possible?
My advice (and these are things my husband does when he feeds Liv) is to mimic the environment of nursing. Low lighting, little or no sound, and skin to skin. Snuggle down as much as you can with the bottle. She's still safe in your arms and can feel your warmth and hear your soothing voice. Let her snake one arm around your ribcage if you can so she can knead on your side while she eats.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry, honey, she knows you love her more than anything. Breast or bottle - it's the love that's important.