Breast vs. Bottle
Ok, I can't decide what I want to do. I have successfully nursed Ryan for 9 months. For the past month, he has not wanted to nurse except on rare occassion. This poses a problem for me. It is very inconvenient to try and pump while he is roaming free, as this leaves him ample time to get into everything he shouldn't. And if I put him in the playpen, he screams at the top of his lungs until I am done. He takes both formula and breastmilk equally with ease, so that is not an issue. But the day that made it come home for me: having to pump in a bathroom while at a class last week. Here is how the dialogue went:
Scene: Computer classroom with a bathroom to the right. Everyone can hear what occurs in this bathroom, as it is not soundproof insulated and is 3 feet away.
Me: Is there a place where I can go to pump on breaks?
Instructor: There's a bathroom right there, or there is one down the hall.
Helpfull classmate: Yeah, I also saw one downstairs by the elevator.
Me [thinking]: Sure, let me just prepare your meal in the bathroom, and see how you like it.
So after that day, it got me thinking...if my new job does not allow a good private place for me to pump for 15 minutes, do I want to continue this for another 2 months and provide the breastmilk for Ryan, or do I call it quits and congratulate myself that I made it this long?
Though our society is screaming that breastfeeding is best, it is only best when it lasts for 3-6 months, or is not ever seen. I am catching so much crap because I am still pumping for my son. The same people that made me feel guilty because I wasn't sure at first if it was something I wanted to do are now critizing me because I still am. Go figure.
Next post: hopefully a video of Ryan walking. I will be working on it today.
2 comments:
Marcie, I think you know all the crud I got for nursing Jacob as long as I did. In our society today it is true....most people only believe in nursing for 6-8 weeks until you return to work. Yes everyone says that you should nurse until one year, but if they find out that you are then you are asked "Oh you mean you are still nursing???" I was told all the time that I needed to give that boy some real food and I was going to cause more harm to him then good. You have done an awesome job nursing for this long while working full time. Don't beat yourself up over this. (You also had a hurricane that contributed to you losing all your stored supply. Who would have thought that would have happened?) You are a great mom and have done such a good job. I am proud of you.
Jennie
I pumped at work for 4+ months. It sucked. Big time. At least my work gave me a nice room with a lock and a comfy chair. They totally thought I was working in there, because I always took a file with me, but I had a People magazine stashed in my pump bag. Sticking it to the man!
It's such a personal decision, only you can decide. But you've done awesome to get this far, and if you decide to move him to formula, it's only for a few short months until he moves to milk. No mommy guilt allowed!
(Yeah, right.)
Maybe you could skip the formula and move him straight to Coronas?
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