Now you are 1... Breastfeeding 1 year on
Last Sunday we celebrated Little Bear's first Birthday. Did she know it was her birthday? Well... she knew she came downstairs to find new toys and brightly coloured wrapping paper. We went to the zoo with all her friends and family and she knew there were several familiar faces on our day trip. She knew she got to try cake for the first time. She knew everyone sang and clapped at her. And she knew she had a fun day. But did she know it was her birthday? I doubt it. Did she know she was now one? Of course not. Does she know what is expected of a one year-old? No. As far as she is aware, she had a nice day out with friends and family. Nothing else has changed.
As a mother, I feel there are certain expectations of a one year-old. From friends, family, parenting websites... and in my case, even closer to home, my husband. My husband had suggested that once our daughter reaches 'one' perhaps that would be a good time to stop breastfeeding. I want to make it perfectly clear - we are a parenting team. He would never push me to do anything I was not comfortable with, and ultimately, in the case of breastfeeding, it is up to baby and me. Nevertheless, I respect his opinions and will always consider his point of view, and vice versa. So is it time to stop breastfeeding?...
When I was pregnant I thought I'd quite like to breastfeed if I could, but I was just as prepared to formula feed. I had no idea I would be breastfeeding a year on (especially given our rocky start). It was never my plan, its just how things turned out. The first two weeks of breastfeeding were pretty tough, I'm sure that's pretty normal? When my baby arrived (by C-section), she latched immediately and fed for 45 minutes. 'Wow,this is easy' I thought to myself! 'I'm obviously a natural', 'I was made to do this'. I felt pretty smug. 8 hours later... she had yet to fed again. My bubble had burst.
Several midwives came in to offer advice (opinions), and they all contradicted one another. I had my boobs massaged by two different midwives, I have no idea how normal this is (it didn't feel that normal) but I went with it. I wanted to do all that I could to try to make this work, at least for the short term. The next 3 days went the same way, contradicting advice, struggling to latch, feeling like a failure. I had fallen so far so fast. On the 3rd day little bear was weighed and had dropped from her birth weight (more than the 5% - 10% expected). I felt even more of a failure. The midwife I saw this time gave me the most useful advice I had had up until that point. She helped me with latching on, she suggested a different position for feeding, and advised to feed every 2-3 hours. It was a hard slog but when we returned the next day she had gained so much weight that the midwife thought there might be an error with the scales!
I was back on track (phew!). It took a couple more weeks to really get to grips with breastfeeding, we were both learning after all, and once we both got the hang of it I was so happy I had stuck with it. Breastfeeding was definitely the right choice for me.
In that first six month period (0-6 months), breastfeeding mums are treated like heroic figures, I was complimented so many times for doing a great job, health visitors seemed to hold me in great regard for doing something that actually came pretty easy to me. It's easy to see why the breast vs bottle debate is so prevalent, (although BS in my opinion, if you are happy, your baby is happy, you are doing the right thing, end of)! Breastfeeding, for me, is the easy option. Getting up multiple times a night and heading all the way downstairs to our freezing cold kitchen to make up bottles; having anything else to remember when leaving the house; dealing with sterilising bottles... It all sounded like a lot more effort, and more things to think about in my small, tired and already full to the brim brain!
After 6 months... the compliments slowed and the questions started. "Are you still feeding her?", "How long are you going to continue breastfeeding?", "You'll have to stop that once she gets teeth?". It felt like suddenly tables had turned. The thing I had been being complimented on a month ago was now regarded as unnecessary? I kept going, it was no one else's business, but as the months past I started to feel more and more uncomfortable.
Now a year on and I am still going. I have been asked several times - 'when am I going to stop?'. I'm not sure that that is something I can plan. The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding up to and beyond 2 years old. And the average age children are breast-fed to world wide is quoted as 4.2 years, although there is little evidence to back up this quote. There are health benefits to both mother and baby as a direct result of breastfeeding. Yet the UK has the worst breastfeeding rates in the world (according to the BBC report - 2016) with only 0.5% of mothers continuing breastfeeding after a year, this makes me 1 in 200! Maybe that's why I keep getting asked when I am stopping!?
So yes, evidence suggests that I am a minority. But I am happy, my baby is happy and content, we are both getting health benefits, so why should I stop? Nothing has changed with me or my little girl since she turned one. So why do people feel that now is a good time to stop? Don't ask me when I am going to stop,because I don't know. With everything I have encountered on my parenting journey, I am 'winging it', and letting my baby lead me. Being asked 'when I am going to stop?' is making me feel that I shouldn't still be feeding her. It is making me feel self-conscious feeding her in public. I highly doubt we will make it to the illusive 4.2 year average, I don't think we will even make it to the World Health Organisation recommended 2 years. But as long as she is happy and I am happy we will continue for now...
http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/breastfeeding/en/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-
Please check out my Etsy Store - www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OneLittleBearLTD
Follow me on Instagram - www.instagram.com/onelittlebearltd
Follow me on Facebook - www.facebook.com/OneLittleBear/
As a mother, I feel there are certain expectations of a one year-old. From friends, family, parenting websites... and in my case, even closer to home, my husband. My husband had suggested that once our daughter reaches 'one' perhaps that would be a good time to stop breastfeeding. I want to make it perfectly clear - we are a parenting team. He would never push me to do anything I was not comfortable with, and ultimately, in the case of breastfeeding, it is up to baby and me. Nevertheless, I respect his opinions and will always consider his point of view, and vice versa. So is it time to stop breastfeeding?...
When I was pregnant I thought I'd quite like to breastfeed if I could, but I was just as prepared to formula feed. I had no idea I would be breastfeeding a year on (especially given our rocky start). It was never my plan, its just how things turned out. The first two weeks of breastfeeding were pretty tough, I'm sure that's pretty normal? When my baby arrived (by C-section), she latched immediately and fed for 45 minutes. 'Wow,this is easy' I thought to myself! 'I'm obviously a natural', 'I was made to do this'. I felt pretty smug. 8 hours later... she had yet to fed again. My bubble had burst.
Several midwives came in to offer advice (opinions), and they all contradicted one another. I had my boobs massaged by two different midwives, I have no idea how normal this is (it didn't feel that normal) but I went with it. I wanted to do all that I could to try to make this work, at least for the short term. The next 3 days went the same way, contradicting advice, struggling to latch, feeling like a failure. I had fallen so far so fast. On the 3rd day little bear was weighed and had dropped from her birth weight (more than the 5% - 10% expected). I felt even more of a failure. The midwife I saw this time gave me the most useful advice I had had up until that point. She helped me with latching on, she suggested a different position for feeding, and advised to feed every 2-3 hours. It was a hard slog but when we returned the next day she had gained so much weight that the midwife thought there might be an error with the scales!
I was back on track (phew!). It took a couple more weeks to really get to grips with breastfeeding, we were both learning after all, and once we both got the hang of it I was so happy I had stuck with it. Breastfeeding was definitely the right choice for me.
In that first six month period (0-6 months), breastfeeding mums are treated like heroic figures, I was complimented so many times for doing a great job, health visitors seemed to hold me in great regard for doing something that actually came pretty easy to me. It's easy to see why the breast vs bottle debate is so prevalent, (although BS in my opinion, if you are happy, your baby is happy, you are doing the right thing, end of)! Breastfeeding, for me, is the easy option. Getting up multiple times a night and heading all the way downstairs to our freezing cold kitchen to make up bottles; having anything else to remember when leaving the house; dealing with sterilising bottles... It all sounded like a lot more effort, and more things to think about in my small, tired and already full to the brim brain!
After 6 months... the compliments slowed and the questions started. "Are you still feeding her?", "How long are you going to continue breastfeeding?", "You'll have to stop that once she gets teeth?". It felt like suddenly tables had turned. The thing I had been being complimented on a month ago was now regarded as unnecessary? I kept going, it was no one else's business, but as the months past I started to feel more and more uncomfortable.
Now a year on and I am still going. I have been asked several times - 'when am I going to stop?'. I'm not sure that that is something I can plan. The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding up to and beyond 2 years old. And the average age children are breast-fed to world wide is quoted as 4.2 years, although there is little evidence to back up this quote. There are health benefits to both mother and baby as a direct result of breastfeeding. Yet the UK has the worst breastfeeding rates in the world (according to the BBC report - 2016) with only 0.5% of mothers continuing breastfeeding after a year, this makes me 1 in 200! Maybe that's why I keep getting asked when I am stopping!?
So yes, evidence suggests that I am a minority. But I am happy, my baby is happy and content, we are both getting health benefits, so why should I stop? Nothing has changed with me or my little girl since she turned one. So why do people feel that now is a good time to stop? Don't ask me when I am going to stop,because I don't know. With everything I have encountered on my parenting journey, I am 'winging it', and letting my baby lead me. Being asked 'when I am going to stop?' is making me feel that I shouldn't still be feeding her. It is making me feel self-conscious feeding her in public. I highly doubt we will make it to the illusive 4.2 year average, I don't think we will even make it to the World Health Organisation recommended 2 years. But as long as she is happy and I am happy we will continue for now...
At the zoo for Little Bear's 1st Birthday
http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/breastfeeding/en/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-
Please check out my Etsy Store - www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OneLittleBearLTD
Follow me on Instagram - www.instagram.com/onelittlebearltd
Follow me on Facebook - www.facebook.com/OneLittleBear/
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