Why I love feeding my baby...

[5goldrings4MONKEYBIRDs]

This thread's for everyone whatever the food: breast, formula, mixed, chocolate, dog, whatever...

But just to acknowledge that feeding's part of the lovely labour of motherhood (and often fatherhood) and it is often a really lovely lovely experience.

So I'm gonna kick off with mine (not known for my brevity I apologise in advance...)

• zigzag eyes: dya know what I mean, when they're feeding and really a bit tired and their eyes half shut while zigzagging about. So cute! Or is it just mine...?

• food flirting! "take a sip, sneak a peek and turn away quick smiling in case mummy/daddy sees you. do it again. and again. do your daft half can't quite work out how to do it yet chuckle and then suck properly for a bit till you start all over again"

• milk drunk smile, with a little dribble just down the chin...

• no-one else can feel like this baby does in my arms, ever. And its gonna be over SO quick and then there's gonna be a baby shaped hole there for the rest of my life so I'm REALLY going to enjoy feeding now I've got over the bleeding nips!

• my body made that! every bit of it! and yours did too, and if you're FF then you're just plumping up the bits you already made!

• it makes him happy. He wants food, I give him food, it's what we do. Then he chats. For hours. Fuck knows what he's saying but I think 'fantastic milk mum' is somewhere in there...

There. Gone all soft an' all. Gotta go do outdoor assault course training or somesuch to toughen up again for the gruelling night feeds... Oh no, I forgot...

• I even love those quiet dark suck suck suck moments just me and him in bed and no-one else... shouldn't own up to that with DH in the room ...snigger

[Roseylea]

Dd (5 y o) said the other day "I love every dinner you make for me, Mummy". Doesn't that just make it all worthwhile?

[5goldrings4MONKEYBIRDs]

only me and Roseylea then? or does this have 'big nasty can o' worms' written all over it?

feeling cheesy tonight, must be the hormones...

[muppetgirl]

I totally agree
mummy to 2 ds's lastest is 6 weeks monday...

[callmeoverchristmas]

There is something about a chubby face smeared in some lovely homemade babyfood that make me smile every time

And the Milk Drunk face is priceless!

[muppetgirl]

I love feeding my boy because,

He LOVES mummy milk, he snuffles my boob, talks to it and then uses it as a pillow after he has finished and almost says 'ahhhhhhhh' as he exales in a sea of breast heaven.

[TheYoungVisiturkeyandstuffing]

oh I love that milk-drunk look, eyes rolled up into their head, slack jaw, milky chin...

I love those moments when we feed each other, and he is giggling like mad as he paints my chin with bolognese and pokes me with his spoon.

I love his naughty look in the mornings as he flops around the bed snacking from first one side then the other, then running off for a quick play, and then coming back just to check - yep - it's ok - it's still there.

I love that he loves my boobs so much! Almost more than DP I think, and I never would have thought that possible. The way he is sometimes too full to feed but still doesn't want to let go and just lies there stroking and nuzzling and smelling lovely in my arms.

Ahhh.... all mushy now...

[cazee]

Well, today my 11 month old DD tapped my leg several times to get my attention, and then made the "milkies" sign very clearly with her hand. I LOVED that feed, I can tell you!

[mangojuice]

Earlier this week my 14mo pulled of me whilst feeding, blew me a big kiss, and then latched back on. So cute

[muppetgirl]

My ds2 talks to my boob. (he's 6 weeks)

No, no, he really does!

[5goldrings4MONKEYBIRDs]

muppetgirl - why wouldn't he?! It's (probably - sorry to get all personal when I've never met ya) all big, with a big thing in the middle that might as well be an eye as owt else he can see? And he bloody loves it...

[muppetgirl]

5monkeys - he does love it!!! He bobs around it, goes on, comes off, has another bob. Settles for a while then ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. He breathes out and relaaxxeesss.

O bloody love it I do. He's fab.

[cazee]

DD has taken to clamping on, and then boinging up and down by pushing off my tummy with her legs while she is feeding.

[muppetgirl]

I am loving this thread. I want to go up and poke him to wake him up just so I can feed him!

[WewishyouaBUMPERLICIOUS]

when she falls asleep at the breast and I just know she is at her favourite place, and when she strokes my boobs

in the morning when she is so hungry and happy to see me she gets all wriggly and excited and holds her arms out for my boob and desperately latches on!

dh and i are starting blw on xmas day and we can't wait

[5goldrings4MONKEYBIRDs]

ha ha awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

we've all lost the plot. Did they put mummy hormones in the water overnight then?

[RoRoMommy]

Because even though I am back at work, I still have quiet moments in my office, now twice a day, when I pump and all I think about is that I am doing it for DS, and even though I am a professional I am, more, than anything else, a mum.

And when I get home and he laughs and shakes with excitement for the first bf of the second half of the day.

And in the middle of the night when he gets restless, then rolls over and opens his little mouth knowing that they're going to be there for his comfort and nourishment.

And because he's doing somethingsucklingthat he's known how to do since before he was born, and amidst all that he is learning to do and still isn't very good at yet, he can come back to that whenever he needs reassurance. I hope I can give him that security for as long as he needs it.

I love this thread!

[ElfPolarBear]

Because when they're older and trying 'real' food but smearing more than they eat you can imagine the comfort and satisfaction they must get from enjoying the food they have known since day one.

[onepieceoflollipop]

It's making me well up a bit this thread is...time for bed soon!

Muppetgirl my dd2 from around 6 weeks started to make a special little movement with her mouth which I interpret as her "asking" me for milk. She never makes that move with anyone else. So I definitely believe what you say re your ds2.

I thought I would hate night feeds again. Every night I am up at least twice, around 2am and 5am. She is my final baby and I know that all too soon these special times will end so I am strangely enjoying the night feeds!

Don't you just love the way they wriggle their little toes in joy and anticipation, and then make a little lunge once they see the boob?

[muppetgirl]

...my boobs are all full with too many let downs from reading this thread!
x

[phdlifeneedsanewlife]

oh, all of what's gone before

lately ds has been pulling off, when finished, and smiling at me, like I just did The Best Thing Ever.

and earlier this week he pulled back to have a good, close, look at my nip - I was so braced to be pinched again - but he just GRINNED at it.

I also really, really love the intent look on his little face when he reaches out to take a bit of finger food from me.

And his hilarious manner of feeding himself peas, which he somehow picks up with the palm of his hand.

I could go on but it is bedtime...

[5goldrings4MONKEYBIRDs]

just bumping and reminding you to post here wotever the food: BM, FM, mush, BLW lumps, bacon sarnies... : we love it here wotever we put in our babies' mouth for these reasons

[morocco]

awwwww
I adore the way she strokes and snuggles while feeding and looks so so content
I also love the way she tucks into a roast potato and say mmyam yam - her first words

[5goldrings4MONKEYBIRDs]

and I forgot... (just did a dreamfeed and have wireless laptop next to bed for all urgent MN requirements...)

• when he's asleep he's all curled up tight like a spring, knees up under his chin, arms up by his face, like an ickle kitten when you pick em up by the scruff...

...and then he has a slurp and gradually everything relaxes till he could sleep on the bonnet of a jumbo jet if he had to, all lazy stretches and smiles.

OK I'm stopping dribbling now and going to sleep.

[5goldrings4MONKEYBIRDs]

bumping, vaingloriously, since we all had a brilliant time with this thread last night, blubbing and leaking everywhere...