I am copying the letter I sent to the author of the article. It seems to me
that someone who is not persuaded to breastfeed by all the advantages that
she is well aware of, needs to hear a different message. Because all those
advantages tend to overlook the one thing that really is in it for mom. I
use this argument also with mothers of twins who think that if they
breastfeed, they won't be able to handle the work of twins. They get a
double shot if they breastfeed. I don't know how MOT do it if they DON'T
breastfeed. Anyway, here it is.
Marsha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations
as all other earthly causes combined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~John S. C. Abbot~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Tish,
I don't like being fat.
I don't like heartburn.
I don't like having to pee constantly.
I don't like having to wake up to turn over.
I don't like pain.
I don't like to eat healthy.
I definitely don't like being awakened at night. My family knows that if
I'm tired, the whole world can go to you-know-where and I don't care!
I don't like being constantly touched, hung on, spit up and peed on.
I don't like hearing "Mooooooommmmm" a thousand times a day in a whiney
voice.
Nor do I like waking up to find two little eyes looking at me or two little
legs thrown over my stomach!
I don't like lugging carseats.
I don't like fevers or coughs.
And I don't like looking for out of the way places in deference to someone
else's squeamishness about my choice of feeding method.
I could go on and on. There's plenty I didn't like about pregnancy and
motherhood. But, I'm done with it now. My children are grown and having
their own children. So, how did I make it through all that stuff I didn't
like? First, love. Love for the child that was coming and for the family
we were creating along with my sense that it wasn't just about me anymore.
Second, Mother Nature in the form of hormones! Oxytocin, known as the love
hormone; and prolactin, the "mothering" hormone. Both of these hormones are
released liberally when you breastfeed. The one thing I love to hear (and
do quite often) from women who are breastfeeding is "No one ever told me it
would be like this". Women often choose to breastfeed because they know how
good it is for the baby. What they don't know is how much they will love
it. They think they are making a sacrifice on behalf of their baby, much as
you suggested, only to find that the feelings this action engenders are
beyond words. A bonus they had not anticipated.
Sure it's work. Especially at first. But Mother Nature so wants you to do
this that she rewards you for the effort. That is not written in books.
That is not readily revealed in research. That is not easily defined or
described. But that is precisely why so many of us have devoted our lives
to helping women breastfeed. Because a love like that doesn't come along
every day. Except when you are breastfeeding. How about trying it just to
prove me wrong?!
Marsha, soon to be Grandma for the first time, who wouldn't trade a minute
of her children's "needy" years!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations
as all other earthly causes combined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~John S. C. Abbot~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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