From the day BiP was born my intention to breastfeed was often met with a vast number of questions. The one that has been asked repeatedly is “Isn’t it so demanding? Don’t you want your FREEDOM?”
I know I am not alone. Many women are asked about their compromised freedom when having a baby – as if breastfeeding is to blame.
Now BiP is close to 17months (and YES, still breastfeeding) I feel it’s time I talked about the freedom TO breastfeed.
FREEDOM POINT 1 – It’s just there!
My breasts are with me all the time, best part is they don’t need sterilising, mixing or shaking (even if BiP does try the last 2). I feel I have more freedom breastfeeding than I would bottle feeding because I don’t have to worry about temperatures, water, sanitation etc … Kinda kills that killer advice “Oh, just give the bottle – it’s SO much easier”.
FREEDOM POINT 2 – It’s MY decision!
I made a decision TO breastfeed. What is it to you? My breasts, my baby, my choice? I don’t chirp in about how you feed your baby so why do you do insist on doing it to me?
FREEDOM POINT 3 – Maybe I want to go out WITH my baby!
My favourite question when BiP was about 3 months old was, “don’t you want to go and spend a weekend away with you husband?” – Ummm yes, that would be lovely but I WANT my baby with me. Breastfed or not.
Personally I still can’t imagine leaving BiP for more than a few hours at a time but guess what? That’s MY choice.
So there you have it – so many see breastfeeding as something that holds women back – what about letting us be and accepting the fact that we are FREE to choose to breastfeed?
What would you add to this list?
I breastfed my boys close to a year but I have to say – running is a LOT easier with empty b**bs and running is my freedom 😀
Hahaha! I know I have asked you before, but WHY run if you aren’t being chased? LOL
It’s a choice isn’t it? Whatever we do in life but I have NEVER been questioned as much about anything as much as I have about breastfeeding!
I know, it just somehow seems to be everyone’s business. I hang out with Aussies or Estonians so luckily no one hassled me about feeding them for as long as I did. I think I would have been hassled if I hadn’t bfed.
Funny how cultures vary – here it’s considered very odd to do “it” past 3 months. 17 months on and well, let’s just say my doc keeps saying enough is enough … !
I soo agree with point 1: breastfeeding is ten times easier than bottle feeding. I remember my hubs saying how lucky we were that our baby was breastfed when we got stuck in airport for 12hours and other moms were complaining that they didnt have enough formula
There have been so many times where we’ve been caught out unexpectedly and would be so unprepared if it wasn’t for boobies to save the day!
Breastfeeding is so easy! I love the freedom it gives me. When I can’t be with my baby I simply pump. I cannot imagine dealing with formula, what a pain!
Don’t get me started on what I’m told to do in France… My bug bear at the moment is being told that I should wean her now I’m back at work? Why should I? As long as I can pump then I’ll continue and she’ll be breastfed when she’s with me.
Yes, obviously you can’t work AND breastfeed. Drives me nuts how they have such a ridiculous view on breastfeeding in France. Keep up the good work mama!
“It’s there” is even more convenient in the middle of the night or on the go. And I agree, I WANT my baby with me. If I left Sebastian for a getaway with my husband, we would have NO FUN. That goes for my husband as well. Sometimes we miss him if he takes an especially long nap – We almost fight over who tends to him when he wakes! Why people have babies only to need a getaway is beyond me.
How about “The freedom to have big boobs!”
We are like you – I am not ready to leave BiP – some parents are and that’s cool. People can do what they like but they really can keep their opinions to themselves! 🙂
Freedom to have big boobs? I am jealous – Mine were only big when the rest of me was big … *sigh*
My Freedom Point: I didn’t have kids to not spend time with them, to enjoy them, to live my life with them.
I love being able to shop with them, teach them things, learn from them…
I enjoy their need for me.
I do share your view but everyone is different!
I definitely agree that its way easier than dealing with all the bottles, etc. However I worked so breastfeeding still involved pumping, bottles and the whole bit which was sort of pain.
My only addition to the list is savings. Formula costs so much that even if for some reason I didn’t want to breastfeed I don’t think I’d be able to afford to not!
Hey Marta, I have so much respect for mama’s who pump and give BM in a bottle – its such a labour of love. BiP has never had a bottle but I pumped for the NICU for 3 months and that was hard enough and I didn’t have to pump anywhere near the amount needed to feed a baby for a day. Wow.
Breastfeeding gave me the freedom to love my body. Before breastfeeding my daughter, I had a love and mostly hate relationship with my body. I was overly critical of my body, not seeing its uses beyond its superficial appearance.