As an actual mother who has actually breastfed "exclusively" and "on demand" five babies for many many years, I have not ever thankfully put much stock into anything written on the subject by professionals, and by that I mean anyone who is not a mama with a baby on her breast.
As my friend Trish once said "Schedule? Yeah, she comes up for air every four hours!" I liked that one.
Perhaps as in so many mysterious things about motherhood that "they" dont tell us...like what does labor feel like and how much do you nurse a newborn, it is kept under wraps for our own good. So we dont get scared and say hey ya know what, I was gonna have a baby but I think Ill just join a ska band instead. But of course, like all secrets and lies, they end up hurting the intended protectee exponentially, because now she feels weird, which is alienating, which is depressing, which is uncool.
So, how many times a day do you "feed your baby"? Good old Hathor has a nice little comic about it. Here it is. As for me, Eska has had a sip or two probably 12 times already this morning, but then decided that the squirrely out the window or the cheerio stuck to my shirt or her brothers shouts were more interesting and *POP* off she went a-scrambling. Did those constitute as "feeds"? Who cares?
5 comments:
Rachel has a full nursing 4 or 5 times a day, sometimes more when she needs it and sometimes less when I've had to to be elsewhere for various reasons. She is eating a lot of solid food these days, but I hope to keep nursing her for several more months.
Ha, it does seem endless, mine does more "full feeds" but ya know, he's 3 weeks old so he's more about falling asleep while nursing than popping off to look at stuff...I imagine soon though he'll be distracted and pulling my nipples across the room with his gaze.
I know a woman whose exclusively breast(milk)-fed baby "feeds" FOUR times a day. Her baby is 6 days older than Ollie, so just now 4 months. When she told me this, they were only 3 months old! I can't imagine. Of course, she does not feed on "demand" and does the Babywise thing :(
As for me, Ollie is at the breast at least every hour, or sometimes half-hour, through the day, plus a few times at night.
Lately this is the scene:
1.Two babies tackle Mama and claw at her shirt/screech like owls.
2.Mama gets to comfy position and unleashes The Boobs.
3.The Boy Baby tackles His Boob and begins nursing in earnest.
4. The Girl Baby gets mad that The Boy Baby is already nursing and clobbers him.
5. The Mama redirects The Girl Baby to HER nipple and she commences nursing.
6.The Boy Baby quickly tires of all this Sitting Still and unlatches and runs away.
7.The Girl Baby decides that the other nipple looks more tasty and switches.
8. The Boy sees that his nipple has been commandeered and runs back, screeching and squawking to steal it back.
9.The Mama sighs and reminds herself that this is the very last time she will nurse children and she should enjoy it while at the same time both babies decide that Downward Facing Dog nursing and Nursenastics are the latest fashion in toddler breastfeeding.
And, so, there ya have it. They're down to about 4 times a day or so and have night weaned. Life is good on both sides of the bra. :)
Beautiful post. When I'm with my baby she nurses on demand, and even my husband manages to bottle feed on demand. No schedules in my house. I also love the looks I get when I'm asked how often she wakes at night..."Uh...well, two times, I think? Or maybe three?"
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