To Nurse or Not to Nurse... Part 2

So how long do I plan on keeping up this roller coaster of a ritual? My original goal was 6 months. If I stayed at home with him that long, there should be no reason I couldn't’t reach this goal. I’ve made it 4 months without a drop of formula, and I’m so proud of my accomplishments and how my son is thriving- each successful day gives me strength and will to make it one more tomorrow. Even as I face the obstacle of working outside of the home more often in the near future, I feel confident in my abilities to continue filling him up with the good stuff.

Although I’m beaming with pride today, I know how easily the feeling can turn into distress and what used to be an amicable situation may one day be unmanageable. My first child and I endured the nursing process for his first 4 months. At the time, I was working away from home full time. Spending so much energy and effort pumping milk and being away from him for so long just made the experience less than enjoyable for everyone. I gave up the fight at the right time and eventually tested and decided on the perfect formula and he’s grown into an amazing and delightfully wild toddler. After surviving this weaning process once before, I am better prepared to notice the signs that it’s time to move on. This must be half the battle, the harder half actually. Consistently re-evaluating your own situation is key to success in motherhood, but what are some important guideposts for weaning?

• Consider your own nutrition. How well are you taking care of yourself and ingesting the right nutrients for baby? If you can't keep up with your own health, its probably time to consider a formula- they are designed to keep baby healthy and nourished after all, and that's priority number 1!


• Working outside of the home, spending your evenings at football or ballet with the older child and fulfilling your role of wonderful wifey all at the same time may put you over the limit of reasonable duties. Evaluate your important daily tasks, if you're at your limit and can't eliminate some of them (many families can't), breastfeeding might not be for you. Trying to be Supermom is a great aspiration, but even Supermom knows when to say Yes and No. You're not really flying around gracefully in a cape saving the world if you're so frazzled you forget to put the darn thing on!

Making the decision to feed your baby formula should not cause you to be riddled with guilt! Understanding that there are benefits for yourself, your family and your baby in feeding a formula is important. Here are some guilt-free nourishment tips when you've reached the intersection of "Boobie and Not the Boobie".

• Formula has come a long way in the past years and improvements and varieties are constantly being made on all brands- a healthy happy baby is the goal of everyone, even those companies making a substitute for your own lovingly created milk.


• Saying goodbye to your pump can be extremely liberating and a huge relief. There are multiple inconveniences associated with these machines- sore breasts, time consuming pumping sessions- and many women have trouble getting adequate amounts of milk to reserve causing detrimental damage to their milk supply.


• Formula can be pretty easy to transport. For those less brave souls who don't fancy whipping out a breast in public, a pre-sorted container of powder and some warm water goes a loooong way for comfort.


• Baby will likely get more bonding experience with friends and family when formula is used for feedings. Until this point you may have a Momma's boy/girl (and who wouldn't be?). Introducing an easy bottle fed dinner from Daddy will not only give you some extra time and freedom, it will give Dad a chance to google and gaga with Baby in your place- which he has been secretly jealous of for a while now :)


• Goodbye engorged breasts, helllllloooo dinner and a movie with your husband! Or how about a day trip to a nearby lake or beach with friends. No pumping or discomfort required. Can you imagine it? What about that weekend conference on the coast next spring? Your friend's wedding across the state? How about a cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate your anniversary? All of these things become possible when baby can be safely left with good nutrition and loving caretakers!

I've found that starting out with supplemental bottles worked best for us. The more he started eating each day, the less my body could keep up while I was working. We introduced formula bottles usually with solid food feedings, and saved the breastmilk for our time together. With my second son, I plan on introducing the formula mixed with the rice cereal. My breasts don't respond favorably to frequent pumping therefore it's difficult for me to keep up his normal feeding supply, plus reserves for mixing with cereals. Being the best Mother to my children isn't always easy but with the support of my friends and family and the guidance of my doctor and our boys' pediatrician, I haven't had to sacrifice my confidence along the way!

*My boys Noah 2 mo., Shane 23 mo. June 2008