Demanding

This breastfeeding business is hard work. I had been told this right through pregnancy, which had surprised me a little as I had always been told by my mother that it was the best and most natural thing for babies (breastfeeding evangelist that she is). I couldn't understand why anyone would choose not to do it and feed with formula. Now, I am starting to understand.

I've been lucky enough that the Sproutling is very good at it - right from the start he latched properly and fed well, but after three weeks I was starting to wonder if the feeding every one to three hours was ever going to get better. I haven't had more than three hours sleep at one time since he was born, although I am starting to get used to the broken sleep. I wondered if I was feeding him too much - and a little guilty if I put him on a boob every time he cried. I can't be away from him for very long at all, which starts getting tricky for showers and when I need to eat.

Then my mum sent me a link to an article, and suddenly I didn't feel quite so bad about feeding so often. The article is called Breastfeeding in the Land of Ghenghis Khan. It was written by a Canadian woman who moved to Mongolia with her small baby and is about the cultural differences in the attitude towards breastfeeding she found there. I'm not sure if I'd like to breastfeed the Sprout until he's six years old, but it's an interesting take on the people of another culture's way of childrearing.

On the same site, I also found an article called So I Nursed Him Every 45 Minutes, which explores society's need to impose control on the way babies eat and sleep. It encourages us to trust our instincts as mothers - if I feel the Sproutling is hungry however many times a day, I'm now going to feed him and I'll try not to feel guilty or pressured by anyone that what I am doing is not the best for my baby. I'm not going to try imposing a schedule on him, although we might soon start a bedtime ritual for my own sanity as much as Sprout's. I haven't encountered much pressure just yet since I am lucky enough to have a very supportive husband and mother, but we shall see as time goes on.

The article also has a section further down on a Father's Perspective on Demand Nursing - it's worth a read, you dads.

I wouldn't mind more than three hours sleep in a row though...

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