Tuesday, July 29, 2008

August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month!



How warm this new symbol is. As a new mom, I would like to actually see this in public places around my hometown and places I frequent. It would encourage new breastfeeding moms to get out of the house during the weeks that follow giving birth. Perhaps, it would decrease the rate of postpartum depression and baby blues that sometime plague new mothers. If moms didn't feel like they could not leave the house without having to rush back home in two hours to nurse. I know you can say, well, why don't you express some breastmilk and take that bottle with you? Well, they (the wonderful lactation consultants) tell you not to pump until about what 2-6 weeks after you start to breastfeed. Pumping is a lot of work, ontop of everything else that Mommyhood brings. I pump my breastmilk now that I've returned to work, and that's not something that I would've wanted to tackle 1 week post birth. Not to mention, missing out on the closeness and experience of skin to skin contact with your baby. My experience with this: I'll admit...I didn't like going out in public much, because I didn't want to deal with having to breastfeed Joaquin in view of everyone. Why you say? Well, as a new mom that really doesn't know what she's doing most of the time, insert nervous grin here, you try to attempt to get your kid to latch on underneath a blanket without the inevitable happening (blanket falling down, exposing your, what I now call 'mommies', to everyone). Not to mention, jossling baby Joaquin's squirmy little bitty body underneath a blanket that he loathes! At home, it's a different story. The mommies are in full view of anyone and everyone while he calmly nurses. Joaquin really doesn't like the blanket, and I don't like having to 'hide' him underneath while he nurses naturally. When I discovered that I was pregnant, my goal was to breastfeed. In pregnancy, there is so little one can control. Even with breastfeeding things can be uncertain. However, if it all clicks, and you are able to breastfeed. Well, it is great. It is and has been one good thing that I have been able to do for my son. Breastfeeding not only is good and nutritious for little Joaquin, but it holds be accountable for the foods and drinks I consume. So, seeing that breastfeeding symbol sprinkled around town...well, it would be wonderful.

Here's link to some breastfinding information and health:

http://www.chfs.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/DADD158C-C181-4F5D-92D7-399696CB59FC/0/2007NewsletterIssue11.pdf

1 comment:

Daisy @ Our Growing Family said...

Glad you wrote this blog post! I didn't realize Aug was BF-ing Awareness month. I think I am looking forward to breastfeeding Aiden more than just about anything else right now. I'm so glad you've been able to continue while working, too. That can be difficult, so yay for you! And yay for Joaquin! You're such a good mommy! :)