12 things I miss about Breastfeeding

Our Jackson was born in 2010 and I had always known I wanted to nurse my babies. Despite some having their doubts, I nursed our little boy full time, round the clock until he was 18 months. It was wonderful, other than the persistent thrush I had to battle for almost all of the 18 months. Sometimes I think back to our nursing times, and miss it deeply. I threw together a list of what exactly I miss for this post. My hope is that new moms who are struggling with nursing will read this, and it will give them the strength to push through the tough times. (I am in no way telling someone they are less of a mother if they don’t nurse their baby. But sometimes all someone needs is a little encouragement. You can do this).

12 Things I miss about Breastfeeding:

1. Midnight snuggles- Even though I complained about having to wake up in the middle of the night, and it got old after a few months, I miss it now that it’s gone. It really wasn’t that bad, because I got used to it after a while.

2. Being the sole nutrition and food source for my baby- When I was nursing, I loved being the only person who could feed my baby. I rarely pumped because I didn’t need to, and because I could never pump much. I loved that the food I was feeding my baby was fresh from the tap, and whole, and personalized to his needs. Now that he is 3, and I have to actually prepare and keep track of what he is eating it’s so much harder to make sure he’s getting everything he needs.

3. Milky baby smiles- The best thing in the world to me was watching my baby pause to smile at me while he was nursing. It was so sweet!

4. The convenience- There was no packing of snacks, and bottles or cups when I was nursing. It was grab a few diapers, wipes, and go. I loved not having to wash bottles, or prepare anything beforehand for a trip.

5. That I could sooth him, and calm him down instantly- If he was upset, hurt, scared, or overwhelmed, all I had to do was nurse him, and he was instantly calm. Now it takes a lot more patience and mental capacity to curve a tantrum, or make a boo boo better.

6. Weight loss- When I was nursing, I was the smallest I had ever been. I ate as much as I wanted, and looked good. Now, I’ve gained some of it back, and have to watch what I eat. That’s not fun.

7. Being sick didn’t last so long- When my baby had a cold I would just nurse him constantly, and he would be cleared up in no more than 3 days. Now it can sometimes take up to a week before the yuckies are out of his system.

8. The many many uses for breast milk- Breast milk is good for so many things. I used it to clear up pink eye, and an ear infection. I used it to heal cuts, and to moisturize skin. It’s like a cure all. It’s a wonder that doctors don’t prescribe breast milk as the treatment for many ailments. Really.

9. The conversations- When I was nursing people were constantly asking me questions about my thoughts, my experience, how it works, and many other things. I always tried to use those times to educate people about the benefits of breastfeeding. I honestly believe that many stereotypes are because people just don’t understand how it works, and it’s not “normal” to them because they haven’t been exposed to it enough.

10. The boobs- I loved my boobs while nursing! Now they are just a saggy mess.

11. It was an excuse to keep my baby close to me- If we were out in public, or with a big group of people and I didn’t want someone holding my baby, I would sometimes just say I needed to nurse him. It worked like a charm every time. My baby also got over stimulated very easily and wanted to be close to me, so it worked out perfectly.

12. The rest- I thought nursing was hard work. Until I had a busy toddler who could talk, run away from me, and was too smart for his own good. Now that’s hard work. I’d be so grateful to be able to sit down for 10 minutes every hour to cuddle my child. I try now, and he just runs away.

I hope that reading my precious memories has touched different mothers in different types of ways. For the mothers who are currently nursing, I hope it highlighted the need to cherish every nursing minute with your little one. It does pass so quickly. & for the alumni nursers, I hope it has made you think of the precious moments and countless hours you spent nursing your little nurslings however long ago that was. 

Tell me, what do you miss about nursing your little one? What is your most precious memory?