Happy World Breastfeeding Week!
World Breastfeeding Week starts today, August 1st, and runs through the 7th. Breastfeeding seems to be perceived as this crunchy, inconvenient thing that is a little weird to most people. However, the long term benefits of doing it and doing it for as long as you can are well documented. Breastfeeding promotes mom-baby attachment; it lowers obesity rates for baby and helps mom lose weight in a slower but more long-lasting way; it boosts immunity in baby and mom; and IT FEELS GOOD once you get past it feeling really not very good at all.
Please, please, please PLEASE!!!! If you’re pregnant, consider breastfeeding!
If you’re already breastfeeding, keep doing it! If you’ve already gone past the grueling two-month mark, you’re already a PRO! Keep going!!
If you are going back to work, ask your insurance carrier for coverage of pumps– many will pay but it’s a little-known fact.
If your place of work is not supportive, try to get them to work with you. After all, if they are not accomodating of a breastfeeding woman but somehow they can accomodate employees’ smoking breaks that is called DISCRIMINATION and there are laws that can protect you.
If you think breastfeeding is gross or unsanitary or strange, you are not alone. I strongly recommend going to a wonderful site like kellymom.com or even the La Leche League site and reading up. If you have a friend who breastfeeds, talk to her and be openminded, please.
Do it for your baby, and do it for yourself! Get educated and BREASTFEED!!!
And don’t forget that adoptive moms can breastfeed, too — pregnancy is not a requirement for breastfeeding!! 🙂 (Sorry, just had to get that in there…)
Happy Boob week! Way to go Meow! We are almost at our 8 month mark here. We had a great town picnic today to mark the start of BF week here at the University campus. It was well attended.