My son just turned two, so I've been breastfeeding him for two years now. It's not something I expected. I did set out determined to breastfeed, but I thought it would be "6-9 months, tops!" It wasn't until I started that I realized if I stopped that early, I would have to supplement with formula and I knew I did not want to do that.
My son never took to a bottle. He drinks from a cup now, but never took a pacifier or bottle. Not once. He just refused and spat it out. Luckily, I've always been around for him and I feel privileged that I still am.
I'm not going to claim it was all rainbows and roses. I did get thrush. I got cracked nipples. I had over-active letdown. I thought of giving up. But I persisted and was stubborn because I firmly believed I was doing the best thing for both myself and my baby.
This is purely selfish (and I'm allowed to be! Mommies give all the time!), but I credit breastfeeding with helping me be able to fit into my regular clothes by 6 weeks post-partum. It has made me a calmer and more patient person, able to appreciate the rare little quiet moments in life more. Someone said, "breastfeeding was invented to make mothers sit down."
Mommies-to-be: You can do it! Just push past those first 3 weeks (it's a steep learning curve for mama and baby) and be easy on yourself for the first 3-4 months. If you get that far, you'll be fine. Visit LLL and get support. They're lovely people.
I don't know how long I'll keep doing it for. I'm pretty much leaving it up to him. But it's a sacrifice and an accomplishment and I'm going to pat myself on the back, thank you very much!
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