Reasons I Love Breastfeeding

Since I probably scared off anyone who is thinking about breastfeeding with my recent post, I thought I would dedicate a series to "Reasons I Love Breastfeeding". Because even though we have had our share of stumbling blocks, there really is a lot to appreciate about breastfeeding.

#1 Reason I Love Breastfeeding: Bonding

The relationship between a mother and her breastfed baby is very special. It's the one thing that only Mama can do for her children.

I love the connection I feel to my baby while feeding her. There is nothing that can replace the look of contentment in my baby's eyes. And because it's difficult to multi-task while nursing (although you can do a few things), you are forced to just sit and relax and focus on your baby. It's our time.

Also, studies show that babies that spend large amounts of time in contact with their mommy's (or daddy's) skin thrive much more than if they do not; especially in those first few weeks. (Of course, it's not the end of the world if you aren't able to do that right away. :)

A few of these pics are blurry! Sorry! I'm still trying to figure my camera out!

I believe that the benefits of skin to skin time continue as babies grow older.There is just something about  that special time with just you and your baby, skin to skin, when all is quiet... Ok, so it's hardly ever that quiet around here, but you know what I mean.

It's also nice when you get past the "newborn" stage and their personality starts to show through a little more. Lorelei does this cute thing while she's nursing - she'll kind of "grunt" or just make a little sound, then I'll do it, then she does it, etc. Eventually she starts laughing! It's adorable!

So there you have it! My favorite thing about breastfeeding is bonding with my babies!

What's yours?