Blessing #6 is your typical koala-baby who likes to snack at the breast and catnaps while doing so! Sigh. #3 was similar. But back then, I had only 2 other children to mind and was 5 years younger!  Now with 5 other children to watch over, it is more of a challenge. But like many things, this is a season that will pass - I pray! Lol!

I made an observation yesterday to my dad that if she had been #1 and I was ignorant of breastfeeding, I would quickly have concluded that my milk supply was low or worse, non-existent! Why did I say that?

As a newborn, she started out nursing every hour and even now nurses at an interval of 1.5 to 2hrs. Normal for a breastfed baby but not for a formula-fed one. Most people who find out that she is nursing so much often raise their eyebrows.  

Yesterday she finished nursing at 5:45pm and while I was eating my dinner at 6pm, proceeded to cry and cry. Since my dad was around he carried her thinking she would just go to sleep. Instead, she just cried & cried till I took over and nursed her. She promptly fell asleep nursing at the breast at 6:30pm! Now, **I** know she isn't hungry but wanted the comfort of nursing to go to sleep.

But someone who didn't know any better would most likely conclude that it was insufficient milk production that is the reason for all that crying. Hence the need to nurse in less than an hour's interval.

It is tiring but I do not even think of switching her to a bottle of formula in the hopes of "holding her off" longer or "making her" sleep through the night. In the first place it may not work  but mostly I don't because I believe in exclusively nursing for at least the first 6months of the baby's life - no supplement! And since I am a SAHM, I have no excuse not to do so.

Besides, lazy me can't imagine going through the hassle of washing, and sterilising milk bottles! And if I offer expressed breastmilk (EBM), then there's the additional hassle of washing and sterilising the breastpump, not to mention the discomfort (no matter how slight) of pumping out the milk!

Right now, all I have to do is to pop it in and fresh milk at the correct temperature is served! And there's no wastage!

I love breastfeeding all my babies, no matter how inconvenient it appears to be! It is one of the best things I can give to them even if it means that I may have to abstain certain foods & drinks for their sake. I do miss my morning cuppa though!  But I do consider it a privilege to be able to nurse them as and when they need to. Let's hope they think so too!

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For more on breastfeeding, check out Nursing at my website
Building Up Moms.

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Posted by 4sweetums

Oh I miss breastfeeding. I only got to nurse one child because two were adopted and my first was a severe cardiac baby who was fed through an NG tube for 6 months. I pumped for all 6 of those months. Ahh what a hassle but at least our little one got the bennies of breatmilk.
blessings,
4sweetums

Posted by agardenfull

I sure enjoyed your blog! your website too!