I’m currently breastfeeding our third child. You can find me almost every 2-3 hours nursing my 4-month-old. When I’m not with him, I’m spending time with my best friend, Spectra.
So, needless to say, I’ve got breastfeeding on the mind. I wrote a post about our journey with breastfeeding here. All of that continues to hold true. I know you can Google all the benefits of breastfeeding so that’s not this type of post.
I’m here to share all those hidden benefits to breastfeeding you may not have thought of!
- Perfect excuse to get out of something. As a true introvert, this hidden benefit really has gotten me out of situations that I wanted to get out of! Oh, I’m sorry, my baby still nurses every 2-3 hours, I can’t make that (insert whatever obligation here).
- Alone time. Along with the first benefit, nursing your babe lets you slip away to nurse. Whether it’s at a social gathering or you just need some quiet time, what better way than to excuse yourself to go nurse your sweet babe!? While I don’t love pumping- this applies as well! It’s the perfect reason to sneak away!
- Get people to do stuff for you (namely your spouse). Picture this, it’s a quiet night at home, you’re lounging on the couch and nursing your sweet, sleepy baby. We’ve all been there- stuck underneath your baby- when thirst or hunger presents itself. Enter spouse. Have you guys seen the quote, “How to end an argument- Be Pregnant, that’s it, you’re done.” Well, I think it’s safe to say the same goes for breastfeeding. “Can you get me water, a snack, diamond earrings?” I nourish your son/daughter from my body.
- An excuse to eat all the snacks. When I’m breastfeeding, I get SO hungry! I have a number of snacks around me at all times in case the hunger bug strikes. There are snacks in my purse, the diaper bag, by my nursing spot. I often out eat my spouse and we joke that it’s worse now than when I was pregnant. But guess what mama, you have the perfect excuse to be snacking. You’re nourishing that sweet babe of yours!
- Catch up on reading. I should have counted all the hours I have spent nursing and rocking my babies because I’m sure it is in the thousands. The time I don’t spend staring at that sweet little face is spent reading, checking emails and the news, and scrolling through social media. Not to mention my advancement in levels in Candy Crush. It’s a perfect way to get a little “you” time (ironically as that is while you’re taking care of a tiny human).
- Breastmilk as a cure-all. Have you seen the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding?” If you have then you know about the Windex. Well, I view breastmilk the same way. Anytime one of my family members has dry skin or some other type of ailment, I immediately turn to breastmilk as a cure. It’s magic stuff, guys!
So, if you ever cringe when baby needs to nurse for the thousandth time that day (cluster feeding- I’m looking at you) or feel like you’re either hooked to a baby or machine at all times, may you find a way to see the slightly humorous side of breastfeeding.
August 1–7 is World Breastfeeding Week. The theme for 2019 is: Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding. Find more posts about the joys and challenges of breastfeeding and pumping here.
