Mother Musings: Breastfeeding

I am truly grateful that I have never struggled with breastfeeding Rosie. Sure, there was a week of pain as I got used to it, but it’s been smooth-sailing and I am constantly in awe of what the human body can do.
I don’t ever take it for granted, I just sometimes have to have a little moan about the things I miss about not breastfeeding…

1. I want to be able to get dressed in the morning in ANYTHING I like, not worrying whether there is easy access to the boobs. I have so many dresses that I haven’t been able to wear since before I was pregnant and now that I’m at a really happy and healthy weight, I want to show off a bit…but nursing bras ain’t pretty ya’ll and having to take off your entire dress to feed isn’t practical.
2. Going to bed without wearing a bra would be lovely. As Mel Gibson’s William Wallace cried in Braveheart, Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom – I want it. But then I’d have to buy Mr H a wetsuit for bed time.
3. I’d love to not have to remember to put in breast pads every day…because I often forget, and then I go by the name Patches McGee. So awkward.
4. It would be great to not be a fire hose. Breastfeeding is not subtle. Boobs have zero chill. If they are in full flow and your baby pulls away, they don’t stop for NOTHING. It’s almost like having a superpower, if spraying breast milk was cool. It’s not.
5. Getting in and out of the shower shouldn’t be an Olympic sport. In the very beginning of breastfeeding, I had to strip to starkers in seconds and then leg it into the shower because of leakage. Then, once cleaned, I had 20 seconds to towel dry before flinging a bra and breastpads on otherwise I’d have to go back into the shower again. As things have settled down now, those moments have become few and far between but you never know when the games might start up again.
6. If baby misses a feed, your boobs become solid angry juggernauts. Seriously, rock hard takes on a new meaning and it’s pretty damn painful.

But, saying all this, I love the golden moments spent with Rosie when there are zero distractions and we can just have a quiet feeding time together…until she starts biting.