Breastfeeding Lifestyle

We talk about all the benefits of breastfeeding. Of course the health benefits are vast for both mom and baby. But I would like to highlight a benefit we do not always list. The benefits of the breastfeeding lifestyle itself, I feel are often overlooked.

When you are a breastfeeding mom, particularly if you are latching baby for most or all feeds you have a convenience that makes all the difference. In all manner of situations you can feed and nourish your baby, typically without a second thought. Forget the diaper bag? No big deal, milk on tap. Experience a natural disaster? While obviously a big deal, you don’t have to worry where your baby’s next bottle will come from. You have milk that is clean, warm, and available at a moments notice.

No time for a toddler tantrum? A few minutes of milk will solve most woes.

At an event and you or baby need a quiet moment? Step away to a quiet room to feed.

Don’t get me wrong, breastfeeding is work, often more work in the beginning. Formula can seem very easy and convenient in the hospital when the nurse hands you a premade bottle that you can toss in the trash when baby is finished. But once you get into the depths of home life you realize the bottles, the boiling, the mixing, the washing, and the potential waste of milk is stressful.

Nursing at the breast does take some practice, in the beginning both you and baby are learning, growing, and gaining new skills. But once it clicks, the breastfeeding lifestyle becomes one of the most convenient parts of motherhood. Another benefit, often overlooked, but often enjoyed by mothers and babies everywhere.