There are many things I enjoy about breastfeeding my daughter. These range from benefits to special moments. While there are some days I may not like how dependent my daughter is on me, those are far and few between. The pros outweigh the cons!
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Among the plethora of benefits from breastfeeding, my personal favorite is the bonding time. Sure, I’m happy about providing nutrition and all, but for me, nothing compares to the emotional connection provided during a nursing session. I think this is one reason I’m not looking forward to weaning. Is it selfish? Maybe a little, but Rissa seems to find comfort in it too.
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Check out my guest post today over at Toygaroo’s blog where I talk about using playtime for bonding.
Here’s a little bit of it…
Bonding is a process. It’s not something that happens instantaneously. Moms often get a head start on this process though (pregnancy, breastfeeding), so it can take dads a bit longer to catch up. This isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes dads aren’t sure how to help the process along. One great way for daddy to bond with baby? Playtime!
Ever notice how much babies like to play? As they grow and develop, they get more curious about everything around them. I admit, our daughter was kind of boring until she was about four months old. Before that she wasn’t all that interested in doing much nor was she able to developmentally.
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Previously I talked about my experiences nursing in public. Due to my own modesty, I haven’t been very comfortable nursing in public. Using a blanket is a pain because I have to try and keep it over us while holding babygirl, getting one of the girls out, and trying to see what is going on. I don’t generally keep the blanket over Rissa’s head, rather I try to wrap it around her and make a wall once she’s latched but it’s a challenge… I hate wrestling with that darn blanket!
It’s not a good solution. It’s uncomfortable and impractical. Rissa yanks at the blanket and I’m afraid to show too much skin (be it breast or belly).
Enter BabyBond. It’s an ingenious approach to a nursing cover that covers mom, but not baby! I’ve been trying to win one for a couple months so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review my very own! I selected the Couture style to review because of its versatility – it can be used for covering the top or go underneath to cover belly and back. I wear more shirts that I need to lift up when I nurse, but I also have several shirts that I can nurse out the top.
We attended our breastfeeding class on Saturday. We learned some basics about it such as, positioning, latching on, identifying early hunger cues, health benefits, financial benefits, etc. We also learned about nursing bras, breast/nipple care, pumps, and storage of breast milk.
There was a lot of information and right now that’s what I want. I’m trying to absorb it all like a sponge. Brian goes with to learn and help remind me when pregnancy brain hits. Plus, if I’m feeling overwhelmed after she gets here, he will probably be able to recall things easier than my stressed out, sleep deprived brain.
The idea of a breastfeeding class before having baby might seem odd at first because it’s not like you can really practice until the baby is born. But, knowledge is power. The more I know about options, resources, and what I might need help with …. the better prepared I am. It’s very important to me to breastfeed babygirl, so I don’t want to get frustrated and give up right away.
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