mmmmm....boobies.

I love nursing! What a gift we have to be able to bond and support our new little ones.
With my first boy, it was a rocky start. first, I had VERY sore nipples, then a bout of yeast that ended up inside my breasts, then a couple of bouts of mastitis---arrgghhhh...but with Aram it has been wonderful. It helped that we had 3 months together from the start to learn the delicate dance of nursing. No one ever tells you how hard nursing is to learn to do...I mean they talk about the being tired and the labor...but man, the nursing is the most important and most hard part of being a mom, I think.
This time around it was easier for several reasons. One, I knew from the get go that I would spend the majority of my day doing it in the beginning. I remember realizing with Jasper that more than 70% of my day I had to sit and let a little thing be nurished by me and I felt confined and trapped. It wasn't until my mom told me to buck up and be a mom, even though it seemed harsh at that time, that I got over it. Two, I knew how to do it and what a good latch felt like and looked like. I also knew what all the signs were for troubles so that I could prevent them from happening this time around. Three, this confidence I had this time really helped Aram in learning to latch as well. It did not take long for my milk to come in (2 days) and before we knew it we were nursing like pros. I love the connection that happens between mom and child (it is really hard to describe if you have not experienced it) and I love the fact that it forces me to sit down and relax and focus on loving my little one.
It is not an easy skill to learn and I am always sad when I hear that women give up trying. It makes me want to give up my profession and become a lactation specialist to help other mothers learn to love it as much as I have.

Plus, I love that my son knows how to nurse too!