Breastfeeding

There seem to be debates all over the place about breast versus bottle feeding.  I've seen mothers who proclaim "breast if best" as if it is a battle cry rather than a way to care for your children.  The new thing seems to be the term "full term" breastfeeding, which--as far as I've been exposed to it--seems to imply that you're cheating your child if you don't breastfeed them for two whole years. 

Likewise there are those who don't want to be judged for not breastfeeding.  Some people medically can't (like an epileptic friend of mine who is not allowed to breastfeed her baby because of her medications), some people have other reasons for not breastfeeding.  The two groups seem to clash a lot on parenting forums, etc.

I don't want to make this all political or start a fight.  I just feel like a should post about feeding my baby.

Little Boss is still completely breastfed.  Both of his big sisters were exclusively breastfed until six months (Angel did start getting some bottles of expressed milk at around five months).  I plan on exclusively breastfeeding Little Boss until he's six months and can start a few solids.  After that, we'll see what happens. 

I believe in baby-led weaning, meaning that he'll slowly stop breastfeeding as he loses interest in it.  Princess completely stopped breastfeeding around her first birthday.  She went down to just a feed before bed at night, and the nights she fed became more and more infrequent until she stopped.  Angel stopped when she was seven months.  Once she started having bottles and sippy cups and real food, she lost interest in breastfeeding.

For me, breastfeeding has always been a very natural thing.  I fed my babies as soon as possible after they were born.  With Little Boss, I fed him in the private recovery room as soon after the section as I could trust myself to hold him.  He rooted around for a few minutes, bobbing his head around looking for milk.  His little newborn head looked so tiny next to my huge milk-filled breast.  There's no denying that, health wise, breastfeeding really is best for both of us.  It's also best psychologically for me.  It gives me a quiet time to cuddle him, to be forced to sit still and just enjoy holding my baby.  I find breastfeeding easy, and definitely less hassle than sterilizing bottles, making formula, etc.