My Soap Box: Breastfeeding the Best feeding

I must say that one of the absolute best things about being a mommy occurs while I am, of all things, feeding my little one. I was not such a huge fan of the whole breast feeding thing at first (it really does take practice, and a couple weeks of pain) but, now I wouldn't trade it for the world and there was never any choice in my mind as to how Lincoln was going to be fed. I love the point of view it gives me for checking out all of the features of my handsome little guy and most of all I LOVE it when he take little break only to look up at me and smile! OH MY, how it melts my heart. He also has this habit of gently patting my back with one hand while eating. He enjoys his food :0) It is so sweet. Breast feeding is definitely hard work, I am the only one who can do it (I prefer not to use a bottle... Linc gets a little lazy if we use one too often) and that requires a lot of dedication to not just give up and switch. Also since Lincoln has such a sensative stomach it requires a strict diet and sometimes, when he does have a tummy ache, it is a struggle but, it creates a bond like nothing else. I am SO amazed at the creation that God has made in children and all of the intricacies that he has engineered to insure that bond between mother and child occurs. There are so many people out there who consider breast feeding weird or inappropriate at times but I sincerely disagree, it is the most natural thing a mother can do. I have on several occasions gotten some seriously distrubed looks when I tell people I am breastfeeding. It is taboo for many people in our society and many would never even consider it.

I remember one instance at Walmart (which should give you some indication of who I was dealing with) in which a clerk was ohhing and ahhing over Lincoln and she asked who he liked better, Levi or I. I of course said "well he is a little biased, I am the food source" to which she basically exclaimed "YOU'RE breastfeeding!, I would never do that, I didn't even consider it for all six of my kids". Well that left a significant imprint on me. I have since been jokingly called the Dairy Queen and several other funny comments and I have been stared at numerous time just for feeding my baby, for providing a primary element in his life. How can that be weird? After all that is what they are made for. I am not, by any means, un-modest. I try VERY hard to be modest and yet I still draw stares.

Just recently Portland was voted the number one city in the nation to raise children and among the reasons was the cities acceptance of Breastfeeding. There is even a law in place that allows nursing mothers to nurse anywhere, no questions asked. I am very thankful for the right to feed my baby the way God made me to. This has become somewhat of a soapbox for me. I know a couple of my readers are soon to be mothers and with that I would sincerely encourage every mother to whole heartedly consider breast feeding... the rewards are overwhelming!