Breastfeeding vs formula

We had five blissful days of sleeping through the night, then last night he woke after only four hours. I'm not going to lie, I was a little bitter. He ate then I put him in the crib where he put himself to sleep bit it still upset me. One step forward and ten steps back.

So Bloomburg (or whatever the mayor of New York's name is) has gotten a lot of talk going about formula vs. breastfeeding. As a first time mom I have to say, I feel like both sides of the issue are bullies. On one hand, formula companies are highly aggressive with their free samples and swag. On the other hand the "boob nazis" as I've heard La Leche League and lactation consultants referred to make me feel like a failure for even considering formula for my son. I'm not saying either side is wrong. In fact I don't think there is a right answer. What I do no is no one has the right to tell a mother what she should do. Let a woman choose to do what she wants for her child. For me the choice was breastfeeding, but that's not the choice for everyone.

Given the difficulties I've had with the lactose overliad and my dairy free diet you might not think it's worth it. And believe me, so do I. But when I'm doubting myself I remember why I chose breastfeeding in the first place.
        *It's cheaper
                 It doesn't get much cheaper than free and I never have to rush to the store because I'm out.
*It's better for the environment Yes, I pump and store milk, but I do so in reusable plastic containers that will produce less waste for the local landfill. While I'm no eco-freak picketing companies that don't have recycling programs, it never hurts to be a little conscious of the only planet capable of sustaining life. *Bonding time The time I spend nursing makes me feel that much closer to my son. And the look on his face makes me smile every time. *Always have it with me Since my boobs seem to be permanently affixed to my chest, I will never be without them, and therefore Little Man's food supply. *It's better for him A baby's body is quite literally made to process his mother's milk. Who am I to argue with that? So yes, there are reasons to breastfeed, but there are also reasons not to. Sore nipples, sore back, watching your diet for the sake of your supply are all tedious and valid reasons to decide to use formula. IN the end, as with everything it comes down to one thing for me. My body, my decision.

Family affairs

We took Little Man to Wisconsin to meet my husband's family this weekend. He's not a very good traveler because he doesn't like his car seat. Or rather he doesn't like the restraints of his seat. But we only had to stop one extra time than usual. We made it to my husband's grandfather's house only a little later than usual. This picture is of four generations together. :-)

The lack of blogs this week are directly proportional to my lack of sleep. Little Man decided we didn't need anything silly like sleep. It started Saturday with six hours out of twenty-four, then got a little better. He's been wanting to nurse every two hours at the most. But I made a discovery that should make a difference -- he associates nursing with going to sleep. Since that discovery, I stafted using other methods to help him get to sleep and we're doing better. Don't know how this will effect overnights but I will be sure to let you know. I will say that last night went pretty dang well.

Happy baby noises and a long weekend

So this week Little Man started making what I refer to as happy baby noises. I think it's baby babble, but what is know it is is stinking cute. He'll coo and make sort of high pitched drawn out  "ah" sounds. Even the lactation consultant thought they are adorable. I'm completely biased, so it was nice to have the conformation.

Saturday was a bad day for us. From midnight Friday night until ten on Saturday night he only slept a total of seven hours. My husband had watched him at one point so I had a little bit more sleep, but not a lot. By the time I got him asleep and in his bassinet, I barely made it to my pillow before I dropped off. I'm wondering if I'm not doing the block feeding right, if I'm giving him one breast too long. I have no idea how to tell if a breast is empty. So I went back to what I had been doing, giving him one breast each feeding, alternating between feedings. It's more comfortable for me during the overnight anyway.

Little Man is the squirmiest sleeper I've ever seen and I used to work in a daycare. He grunts and wheezes, stretches and raises his legs, rolling from his back to his side and back. He'll tighten his arms until they shake, raising them straight up in the air. Then he'll give me a sleep smile and be still, only to do it again in ten or fifteen minutes. It's cute to watch, but when I'm tired and just want to sleep, my heart drops every time...