Pre'Toria's Breastfeeding Story
December 4th , 2022 marks the beginning of my breastfeeding journey for my sweet boy and I.
Long before he was born, I made the decision to breastfeed and my husband supported it 100%. I read every possible article, made sure we had everything needed to nurse and even set up multiple house visits with our lactation consultant before our baby boy even arrived. I was determined to breastfeed by any means necessary. I still remember being in the hospital bed and experiencing his first latch. I will admit that at first I thought to myself, “I do not know if I can’t do this.” Thankfully my husband was right by my side to lend a hand to help with positioning our boy and to offer encouraging words. With each initial latch, I felt my uterus contracting. This was a pain that seemed almost unbearable to me. I know it was only temporary and that it would be worth it.
Our initial goal was 12 months, then 18 months and now here we are on month 20 with no end in sight. I absolutely love that my body has been able to provide him with the nourishments and nutrients he needs. Thankfully, I’ve been an overproducer and we have never had to supplement him with formula. We currently have a deep freezer full of frozen breast milk and have donated hundreds of ounces.
We still nurse around the clock when I’m home and even a lot in public. Some people say “that boy is too old,” or “when are you going to stop breastfeeding him.” My response is, “he’s not too old and Americans are the only people who look down on breastfeeding after one,” or my favorite is, “I’ll stop when you stop drinking milk from cow breasts.” People do not seem to like the second response, but I find it offensive when random people or even people that I know insert themselves into something that doesn’t concern them. I have no problem with educating people on the benefits of nursing after one, but some people rather just remain ignorant to the subject.
I recommend breastfeeding to any mom. I understand that some mothers literally cannot, but if you can then it’s definitely worth it. The bond that my son and I have, I definitely feel as if breastfeeding has made it so much stronger.
