Nursing The Baa-Baa's
by Amy Covington My first baby, a beautiful boy, was born after thirty hours of labor and an emergency c-section. I had planned to breastfeed and did so for eight weeks. I weaned him when I went back to work and because I thought he was not getting enough milk. He nursed constantly.... I thought he was starving. Hindsight being 20/20, I know better now and realize he was doing what breastfed babies do.  I felt horribly guilty when I weaned him. He'd wake in the night and throw his little head
back- rooting. The guilt was just horrible... and I vowed, that when I had my next baby, I
would stick with it. I thought in someway I had failed him and began reading all I could
get my hands on regarding breastfeeding. Weeks after my milk had dried up, I realized that
we had been doing fine. Be it lack of education in the hospital or my own lack of
knowledge, I was determined that with the next baby I would do everything possible to
succeed at nursing.Three years later, my husband and I were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. I put her to breast within minutes of her birth....and for the next 2 1/2 yrs that is where she stayed! How I loved gazing into her big blue eyes as she stroked my cheek or twirled my hair. The softness of her skin and warmth next to me .... knowing I had not only given her life, but now continued to nourish her little body from mine constantly reminded me of the miracle of motherhood. That same closeness and bond we shared is still prevalent today a year after she weaned herself.  When she learned to talk she referred to my breasts as "her baa-baa's".... she
was addicted and I loved it. She was healthy and growing like a weed. Even after she
weaned, occasionally she would still tell me "I need my baa-baa's".... usually if
she was not feeling well or tired. A year later, she could still recall the closeness and
comfort she felt while nursing. She is almost 4 now.... and I'm still wondering where all
of the time has gone. I was sitting on the couch the other day and she was sitting next to
me in deep thought. Finally, she said, "When I get big and you get little you can
drink MY baa-baa's.... and when I get big, Mom, I'm going to marry you too."It was one of those moments, that I just had to smile, and know I had done something really right. Amy Covington Troy, Ohio |
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