"I see my body as an instrument, rather than an ornament." -Alanis Morissette

Confession time. I never intended to breastfeed Le Guppy. I wasn't breastfed and neither was my brother. I'm not sure why. We were formula kids. My cousins were formula kids and even as an adult I didn't know anyone who breastfed their kids. The practice seemed a little outdated, unnecessary even.

Guy and I discussed it during my pregnancy. I was adamant that I would not breastfeed; my husband passed no judgment. A week before Harper was born I decided I might give nursing a go. Walking home from the local grocery store, organic veggies in hand and talking nervously but also excitedly about our little beast, I realized that formula feeding didn't really fit into my ideal parenting experience. That's not to say I was not concerned about what that meant, for me as an individual, for me as a wife (I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about the toll it might have on my sex life). But we are baby-wearing, co-sleeping, veggie-pureeing parents. We don't let our daughter cry for any avoidable period of time and breastfeeding fit easily and comfortably into the parenting style that we have chosen and which has come most naturally to us. But breastfeeding isn't just for hippies like us, it can be a part of pretty much any parenting style. I have since made many friends that run the gambit of different parenting styles and many of them have incorporated breastfeeding.

When she came and the nurses asked me if I intended to breast feed I said yes even though all I wanted to do was sleep. And I was to be really honest, the first 5 weeks were really hard. For most women, even if you are doing everything right, you are going to get a little raw. And it takes some adjustment.

And then after the haze of new motherhood lifted I started to not hate it. It was convenient and there is nothing in this world sweeter than the sight of my milk drunk baby smiling up at me like nothing else in this world exists. As a mother, that is supreme, knowing your baby thinks you are the bees knees while supplying them nutritionally with all they need for at least the first 6 months of their life at the perfect temperature and available as needed. Now at 8 months she is sometimes distracted and sometimes she's focused just on me. Its an excuse to hold my baby close and talk to her. Boob was her third word after rawr and mama so now when she's hungry she lets me know by yelling things like "mama mama mama, booooooooooooooob" and then pokes my chest which I find endearing and often times it elicits laughs from both Harper and the people around us.

Questions I frequently get asked about nursing.

1. Does it hurt? At first it did for me and I think for most women there is a period of time when your body is adjusting to a: having milk and b:being a bottle.
   
2. Have you had any breastfeeding setbacks? Harper has a cow's milk protein allergy that her doctor is fairly certain she will outgrown but for the past 7 1/2 months I have not been consuming dairy in any measurable quantities, which is unfortunate but has been less of a sacrifice than I originally assumed it would be.
3. Has it affected your sex life? Not in any monumental way. I think it should be noted that my husband fully supports my breastfeeding endeavors and is not generally freaked out by "girly things" .
   
4. Do you think breast feeding negatively affects the baby's ability to bond with the other parent? No, there are plenty of other activities your partner can do with the baby such as baths, skin to skin time (often referred to as kangaroo care), baby wearing, and reading and singing to the baby.
   
5. Have you had any negative experiences? During a trip to Disneyland a man made a snide comment to me. I have had no other negative experiences.
   
6. Will you breastfeed any subsequent children? Yes.
   
7. How does your husband feel about it? He is fully supportive and loves all the money we've saved over the past 8 months.
   
8. How long do you intend to breast feed? My goal is at least a year and after that we'll see. I was thinking I would cut her off cold turkey but I am now entertaining the idea of letting her wean on her own time line.
   
9. What is your nursing schedule like and how did you establish it? Harper establishes her own nursing schedule and I nurse on demand as needed. Typically she nurses at 6am, 11 am, 3 pm, 7pm and midnight. Sometimes there is another feeding thrown in there. She also eats pureed fruits and vegetables, organic brown rice cereal, cheerios and some small pieces of meats, fruits and veggies through out the day. She loves bananas and butternut squash.

If you have any questions for me (or my husband) that have not been answered here please feel free to comment here or send my an email at R.BrandtFisher{at}gmail{dot}com

Helpful Links

• International Breastfeeding Centre
• Kellymom Breastfeeding and Parenting
• La Leche League Forums

*This post is not meant to vilify formula feeding in any way. Each family must decide what is best for their child.Also, there are obviously times when breastfeeding is not a feasible option for example when a child is adopted.