Haven't done much blogging lately. It's true what they say: being a working mom keeps a person busy!
Anyway, I've been hearing about several friends either having babies or about to have babies lately, and since they haven't all asked me for my advice, (rude!) I figured I'd just give my advice to my blog. Here's the advice I would have given myself if I knew what I know now.
Bottles: don't be afraid of them. In fact, embrace them. The Internet and the world seems to be chock-full of people who seem to imply or outright state that if you give a newborn a bottle, you're a bad mother who can't figure out the simple act of breastfeeding and your baby will grow up to be a psychopath. Also, that once you give baby a bottle, he or she will never return to the breast. Pregnancy hormones and the desire to do everything "right" enforces those beliefs. Therefore, I was absolutely determined to exclusively breastfeed.
If I had it to do over again, I'd probably give Regan at least one bottle every single day, and it would probably contain formula. Gasp! In the beginning, that would have helped me get a bit of sleep (which would have made me a better mother), it would have allowed my husband to bond with the baby faster and feel more needed and competent, and it would have allowed me to get out of the house easier (more important than we realize!) without fretting over whether I'd be able to nurse the baby in a new place or that she was at home starving. As she got older, we could have avoided the "weaning" process before she started daycare, which was rather traumatic for both of us. Plus, she'd be used to formula in case something happened and she couldn't have breast milk. After the first few weeks, it takes more effort to make a bottle than to nurse, so I would have had to be determined to stick to this plan.
Truth is, there is some sense of pride that my daughter has only ever had breast milk. I do believe it's the best thing for her. However it is also important, no matter how much we as new mothers don't want to admit it, that the baby can be cared for by someone else. Sure, there's a sense of pride in breastfeeding; in being the only person that can calm her, feed her, and put her down to sleep. But after the first week or so of daycare, I realized that there was also a sense of pride knowing that the baby will be okay without me. After all, that's ultimately what raising a child is all about.
