to ask what you love about breast feeding?

[macramemiss]

I've been breast feeding for 8 months. It was fucking awful in the beginning and initially I did combined feeding as my son was losing weight (dangerously so). No formula now, but also no judgement towards those who do ff. That's not what this thread is about and I still have my formula in the cupboard, just in case :)

Bf for me is amazing now and I absolutely love it. I love the way my son kneads my boob it's pretty cute, and the way he whimpers when I'm trying to get my bra undone but am not quite going quick enough. It's a pretty distinct noise!

Anyway. I've been experiencing pain which I discovered is from a blocked duct. Very painful and wanted to remind myself of why I love breastfeeding.

Anyone else care to share what they love about breast feeding?

DD is 2.5 and feeds morning and at nap time. I like getting to have a slow and cuddly wake up in the morning rather than jumping out of bed and entertaining a toddler!
I also love her little sleepy face when she falls asleep after a feed and having an excuse for a nap or cuddle on the sofa together.

Also it's a quick and easy way to get her to sleep when overtired or distracted. And I love her little excited face and dance when she asks for milk and I say yes.

Envious of the people whose periods stopped. DD is EBF and my periods came back at 9 weeks

I like the convenience of BF. I'm extremely lazy and like not faffing with bottles.

Stripyhorse - yes I do a bit of that nostalgic staring thing tooand I swear if i could feed a baby now at almost 60 i'd still 'help out'

The closeness, the convenience, being able to co-sleep and give night feeds without really waking up.

I’m currently BFing DC3. I loved the above with the older two, but this time I have really appreciated the environmental benefit of breast feeding too. I hope this will become a bigger consideration for others as we face up to having to be a more environmentally conscious society.

Not having to carry a load of paraphernalia with me when I went out, not having to pay for it, and the special cuddles with dc. I realise I was very fortunate to have no issues with breastfeeding, and was able to feed both my children until they were 18 months old.

When he looks at you, then stops feeding and gives you a big smile. And just the general feeling of bonding and being close to him.

I nearly gave up in the first few weeks as it was so hard but I’m so glad I persevered as I loved it once it got comfortable from about eight weeks on.

I feel a great sense of achievement and pride in having kept going for so long. I’m one of the unlucky ones who can’t lose weight and the GP probably said the bf hormones will keep me fat until I stop bf. So it really is a sacrifice for me because I see a stranger in the mirror and can’t wear my nice clothes.

DD is 7 months. I love BF because:

• It’s incredibly convenient and is instant food/comfort whenever needed (brilliant after injections)
• it’s special quiet bonding time just for me and her
• I love the fact that it came so easy to the both of us. A bit of pain at the start but it’s so easy now.
• No making bottles/sterilising etc. If she wakes up in the night I pull her in to her and feed while laying down and co-sleep
• I love it when she’s really tired and she only needs to latch on for a minute or so to be completely comforted and sound asleep nuzzling in to the warmth of my boob.

Nothing.

When he looks at you, then stops feeding and gives you a big smile

This is just magical.

I just stopped feeding my 1yo last week and I'm still a bit emotional about it. I love breastfeeding. I love the closeness, the bond and how the rest of the world just seems to blur into the background when feeding
I'd also tickle her feet sometimes and she'd smile without letting go of the boob

1. No need to faff with sterilising bottles.
2. No need to get out of bed in the middle of the night.(cot was next to my bed so I just sat up and leaned over to get the baby)
3. Still had a free hand to hold a book.
4. Could stuff my face and not gain weight. Having a free hand meant I could eat a mars and feed at the same time. Bliss!
5. Didn't have to lug bottles etc with me when I went out.
6. Once they could feed whilst in the sling, I didn't have to stop what I was doing. I've been half way round the supermarket and led them feed while I carried on ( I had a couple of giant cardigans which I wore open as a sort of loose jacket over the sling, and if they wanted to feed I'd just do up a couple of buttons on top of them and them them get on with it.)
7. No periods!
8. All purpose cure all. I squirted a bit on patches of dry skin and it worked.
9. Breast feeding was our method of contraception between DC 1 and DC2 ( wouldn't have been a problem if I had got pregnant) Best contraception ever - nothing to remember and nothing to faff with. Ended up cutting back on feeding DC1 at 14 months to let my periods return so that we could TTC.

Many reasons but for me the very best but has to be the eye contact. I could just tear up every time.

The milky smiles mid-feed
That it's so convenient - no having to take bottles out or plan how long we can be out for. No making up bottles in the middle of the night.
That I can sit on sofa under feeding baby and read a book or browse the Internet and not feel guilty
That whenever she is ill or under the weather, she gets so much comfort from feeding
The closeness and cuddles
That is something just she and I share, no one else
That I'm giving her the best start I can - we had a crap start to breastfeeding but I'm so proud of us both that we kept going and are now 5 months in and still going strong.

I love that it solves all problems - hurt, tired, cranky? Whip one out.

I also adored the metronome arm thing, I'd totally forgotten DS did that till reading this thread! He's 2 now and more interested in playing with my hair and stroking my face when feeding.

I also love that I've done my best to combat asthma and eczema - DH has one and I have the other so I'm worried DS will have them and know that BF is the best deterrent.

Most has been said already above (lovely thread btw), but when DS was tiny he’d do a ‘gargh gargh gargh’ sound as he bashed his wee face back and forth against my nipple then latch on quickly and ‘sook sook sook’. Hard to describe accurately Me and DH found it hilariously cute.

Also starfish hands, eye contact, smiling up at me with a nipple still in the mouth, playing air guitar with his arm on the free boob. Ability to comfort or put him to sleep in an instant.

We just introduced formula as well to prep for my return to work and bloody hell, there’s so much faff!

I always knew I wanted to breastfeed. My main reason was it was natural and free! I have been breastfeeding 3.5 years now (2 children) and there are so many reasons why. I love it, it brings so much comfort and they are having the bet start in life.
I can’t imagine having to formula feed.

This thread is filling my heart with so much warmth and happiness. In this country breastfeeding (especially extended) can feel quite lonely sometimes as so few people do it. It’s wonderful to hear from others who do and who love it.

It felt nice, like finally getting to do a pee when you have a really full bladder! (Sorry, that's not meant to sound flippant or disrespectful - I just always remember how good that felt!).

I loved it when I put the nipple in her mouth and she stopped screaming.