A few final thoughts on why I practice responsive breastfeeding:
- Sometimes I'm parched and drink a quart of water in a few gulps; sometimes I take tiny sips over the course of a few hours. I don't drink water on a schedule, so why should I make my baby drink on a schedule?
- Sometimes I'm hungry an hour after eating a big meal; sometimes I'm not hungry for hours. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night ravenous; sometimes I don't feel hungry when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes I eat a lot; sometimes I eat a little. I don't eat my meals and snacks on a schedule, so why should I make my baby eat his meals and snacks on a schedule?
- Friends and family don't give me hugs and words of comfort on a schedule. God doesn't comfort me on a schedule. So why should I provide my baby with the ultimate means of comfort on a schedule?
Thank you so much for this! It is such a blessing to me! I'm going to be praying about how God wants me to be a better mother and comforter to my 6.5 month old! I absolutely love nursing him! I feel bad that he sucks his fingers while holding a blankie to fall asleep. So sad! :( Now that he has the habit, I wonder if he'll stop? I nursed him as long as he wanted before I put him in his bed too. He's in his own room that is right next to mine and I keep our doors open, but he never wakes up in the night. I wonder if he would wake up in the night to nurse if he slept next to me? Is that what he really needs, even if he doesn't wake up in the night right now? I just feel so sad that I haven't been doing all the things I could have been and that he needed me to do! :( He's crawling around so he's really busy and probably wouldn't want me to carry him around in the pack all the time, but do you know some ways that I can bond and love him better? I nurse kind of on a schedule, but try to follow his cues and nurse him as often as I think he wants. I'm going to try to aim for at least every 2-3 hours instead of 3-4 during the day. I feel so close to him and I could just play with him and hold him all day long! So I really want to know and do everything I can to have our time together bring us as close together as we can be. Thank you so much for this! I can't wait to put some things to practice tomorrow! I'd love to hear what you think I can maybe work on! :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad to be an encouragement! Some babies are "better communicators" than others - they let you know without a shadow of a doubt that they want to nurse. Others are more content to just go with the flow and don't make it as obvious. You know your baby best and will best be able to tell when he wants to nurse, and it sounds like you're doing awesome by not restricting his nursing and letting him nurse as long as he wants. Keep in mind that babies are constantly changing as they grow and master new skills, so there are always opportunities for us mamas to tweak things as we go.
ReplyDeleteIf your baby nurses as long as he wants and still sucks his fingers after falling asleep, I bet (1) he has a really strong sucking need, which is fairly normal, and/or (2) he may be partially waking up during the night but falling back to sleep on his own by popping his fingers into his mouth before he realizes he is really awake. I learned lots about sleep cycles in the book "The No Cry Sleep Solution." Even adults wake up multiple times in the middle of the night, but we typically don't remember the waking because we usually fall back to sleep quickly, before realizing we're awake.
One thing I love about breastfeeding is it's ability to calm any owie or source of stress. Baby topples over while learning some new skill and starts crying - pop him on the breast! Baby is in a new environment and acting clingy - pop him on the breast. Baby is teething and in pain - give him a homeopathic and pop him on the breast! Baby feeling a little icky and has a fever - pop him on the breast! At 6 1/2 months, you're sure to encounter new reasons to nurse on a weekly basis.
I wouldn't rule out baby-wearing at 6 1/2 months. I think I wore my baby more between 7 and 14 months than any other time. Even at 25 months, I still wear my baby occasionally - usually when he's really tired, or when we're out and about and I need to get somewhere quick (which means no dilly-dallying like we do when he's down and exploring something new ever 5 feet :) ). Just not nearly as often as before! You can wear him when you might normally use a stroller: out for a walk, in the grocery store, going from car to home/store with bags in your hands, if he's clingy and wants to be held but you need two hands (or just don't want the strain of holding him yourself - a carrier is much easier on your shoulders and back than lugging a baby around on your hip), if he wants to see what you're doing but you need 2 hands (think laundry, non-dangerous cooking, etc.). The Ergo is a great carrier for "older" babies (not recommended for babies under 4 months without a special insert). Most baby carriers have great return policies in case you or your baby don't like it. There are so many different types out there, and each baby (or mama) may not take to each one. So if you try one but don't like it, return it and try another. Or if you know anyone with an Ergo, ask to borrow it for a week to see what you think before buying it.
Remember you are the best expert on your baby, so keep trusting your mama's intuition, and keep experimenting and trying new things and tweaking things to meet your specific family's needs. And have fun in the process!! I'd love to hear how any new ideas you have work out!