Sunday, December 30, 2007

Multitasking While Breastfeeding

Ever wonder how us nursing moms find time to blog? We buy laptops. This is a common...daily...sight at my house:




There are some things I like about breastfeeding and some things I hate about it.

I chose/choose to breastfeed my kids for many reasons like...

It decreases my risk for breast cancer by at least 50% and ovarian cancer by 1/3.

It lowers my daughter's risk of breast cancer by 25%.

It increases my children's intelligence and academic performance.

I'm lazy and don't want to wash, warm, and prepare bottles day or night.

It contains immunities and antibodies to help my kids remain healthier than they might be otherwise (think colds, flu, RSV, ear infections, meningitis).

It helps me to bond better with my children.

It comforts my baby so they are happier and cry much less.

It changes composition (nutrition, fat, calories, antibodies) to meet the needs of my nursing child at that time.

It protects against many diseases, including Crohn's Disease and diabetes.

It reduces my children's risk of developing allergies and asthma.

It reduces my children's risk of developing certain childhood cancers.

It costs a whole lot less than formula.

I only have to carry a small diaper bag.

I get plenty of sleep, even in the early days, because I tend to fall asleep while nursing in bed.

I don't have to worry about what it is made of (genetically modified foods, chemicals, contamination, etc.).

Their diapers smell better, in fact, they hardly smell at all.

God designed breasts to make milk so I figure I should follow His design since He DOES know better than me.

On the other hand, I hate breastfeeding for several reasons...

Because I don't pump, baby has to go with me literally everywhere for the first 8-9 months or so.

Babies eventually get teeth and have to be taught not to bite. In the meantime, I get bit.

I have to do ALL of the feeding day and night.

I hate being stuck...on the couch or bed...nursing rather than up doing what I want to do.

It's that last one that has always really bugged me. I get really antsy when I'm nursing. My skin crawls because I can't get up. I tend to be always moving even when I'm being lazy. I don't just sit and watch TV; I sit and watch TV while reading, emailing, surfing the Internet, knitting, writing a letter, etc. I fidget....A LOT.

Getting a laptop has helped me a lot. Now I can email, surf the Internet, edit photos, write letters, plan homeschooling work, pay the bills, and blog...all while nursing. My youngest son doesn't know what it is like to nurse without a laptop on top of him unless we are in bed. LOL In fact, can you guess where he is now?

I love my laptop which my wonderful husband surprised me with for our last anniversary!

2 comments:

Scott said...

Why is it our last anniversary? Something you aren't telling me? ;-)

Honey said...

I can so relate to this picture. I am breastfeeding 3 month old twins and the only thing I can find time to do is use my laptop.