Well that's rather insulting. I gather that you have never partaken in imbibing alcohol nor a man at your bosom?

__________________
Peter Cetera:
Sometimes I just forget
Say things I might regret
It breaks my heart to see you crying

i don't know anything about breast feeding - but i do know that my sister is breast feeding her first child now (only 7 weeks old) and she is losing her pregnancy weight. fast. she just told me that she went for a check up with the obgyn and she is ten pounds lighter than when she first got pregnant. she looks great and i can't help but think that the breast feeding has something to do with it. she was nervous at first because my mother claimed to be unable to breast feed us - but i wonder if she just gave up too quickly. My sister struggled at first...she didn't feel like the baby was getting enough milk...but she has the hang of it now and is thrilled that she is doing it.

__________________
NUTTER 2007

Breastfeeding burns TONS of calories. It also helps with the cramping as the uterus shrinks back down.

__________________
You know, the homeless make desperate, passionate lovers. But they will rob you blind.

I haven't read the three pages of responses, so I'm just replying to the OP. Sorry if I repeat anything. Both of my boys were and are breastfed. Never had so much as a drop of formula. We do this for many reasons and you're most likely aware of them already. One less common reason: I do it because I like food, real food and I believe in feeding my kids wholesome homemade food as much as possible and I simply never understood the point of formula.

However, the whole thing was much harder and more painful and more demanding than I had been led to expect and I wish I had known that in advance. The early months are extremely demanding because you're attached to the baby at all hours and you can't get away for very long at all. What I wish I had been told by someone: Baby won't always nurse every two hours round the clock. At some point, the baby really will sleep a little longer at night. Then, he'll start mushy food and nurse even less. Both my boys were down to 4x per day around 8months. With a babysitter, I can get out after the afternoon nap and don't need to be back until bedtime. And eventually, you or baby will start weaning.

If all this sounds obvious, it may not be later. I think when you have a newborn you live very much in the moment and it becomes difficult to hold on to a larger sense of time passing. Even though things change quickly, it's hard to grasp the idea that things will ever be different than they are now.

Someone has probably already mentioned it, but I found the nursing mother's group at Hall Mercer wonderful the first time around. You can also contact the local La Leche League people or check out the forum on their website. Feel free to PM if you'd like more details.

Have a healthy and happy delivery! (and definately have that beer - or wine or whatever you enjoy.)

My son was quite premature (under 3 pounds) and I was strongly urged by the NICU staff at Pennsy to pump so that I'd still have milk once he was able to take it. He was first given pumped milk in his nasogastric tube. They wanted breast milk since it was likely to be well tolerated by a tiny preemie. So I pumped the whole month he was in the hospital and, after the n-g tube came out, he started to take breast milk in a bottle (sort of). This is when we learned that he had an absent suckle and no rooting reflex. He never learned to breast feed and even giving him a bottle was an ordeal. I pumped for three months in all until even my lactation consultant thought I had done all I could. That kid never did enjoy sucking and was on a sippy cup by nine months. Still, I felt mother-guilt for years over not nursing him as I had planned. Ridiculous. The kid was always healthy. Bottom line- don't let anyone or yourself make you feel guilty about how you feed your baby.

One more suggestion, if you do nurse your baby for an extended period of time, call the act something other than "nursing. I still remember going to restaurants with my friend and having her kid wail "I wanna nurse" at the top of his lungs over and over. Also, once the kid is old enough to unbutton your blouse and unhook the bra cup by himself, it's probably time to wean him.

I breastfed my daughter, and after the first week, found it much easier than a bottle (I had nannied for bottle-fed infants a few years prior). It was really difficult to continue with breastfeeding after I went back to work full-time. I worked at Kinko's, so I could have pumped either in the employee breakroom with 18-20 year old boys, or in the bathroom. I did lose pregnancy weight quickly, and my daughter has hardly been sick.

It works for some, not for others. I got guff from strangers for breastfeeding, and when I stopped, I got guff from strangers for bottlefeeding.

Imported and microbrew beer is actually recommended in small quantities while breastfeeding.

__________________
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/be30300653

On the whole, I found breastfeeding to be a whole lot more convenient than bottle feeding.

One thing I remember vividly: all the books had warned about a baby growth spurt that occurs around 2 months and how it will really take it out of you because it's about the time that you are feeling better and start overexerting yourself. True, true, true and it was much more intense than anything I'd anticipated. And, although I'd been warned, it caught me by surprise and I thought I was going crazy. So if you find yourself suddenly feeling as though you're spending your days with a parasite attached to you, check the calendar -- if it's about eight weeks after delivery, know that this will probably pass in a week or less.

__________________
LBphilly
lb_philly@yahoo.com
"Free speech is enhanced by civility."--Tim O'Reilly

Phillyblog's best tool to enhance civility
Look far left on the blue bar, right over the Google search bar:
User CP > Miscellaneous > Buddy/Ignore Lists

Definitely, I agree.

I agree with Arlee on breastfeeding. If it works for you, fine. If it doesn't, ignore any scorn or scare tactics. (And just wait, you will not want to dump whatever you might pump!)

Good luck and enjoy the baby!

Well, since most of the posts are related to breastfeeding, I'll give my pros for bottlefeedings. My son is now 3 and never had any breast milk. As people mentioned earlier, breast vs. bottle is a very personal decision and I made mine for a variety of reasons. Anyway, my son is very healthy and except for various colds and a few ear infections his first year (while in daycare) he hasn't had any major illnesses. I found bottle feeding to be very easy and it gave my husband and other family members a chance to do feedings which helped both my sanity and helped my son bond with his dad, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Basically, you have to make whatever decision is right for you because as long as your child is fed and happy (however it happens) he'll generally be fine and there's enough to worry about with a baby without feeling guilty about your feeding choice!