Boob juice

This morning I looked at my ten month old and thought 'my what a long way we have come'. My husband was feeding her the bottle and she insisted on doing it on her own.
When she was born my life was - eat, sleep (as much as I could) and breast feed. I used to give bubba the boob juice always! Unlike Rakhee, I knew that breast feeding was something I  wanted to do and I would love. I invested in a nursing cover, so I could do it in public, I read up on it and after being wheeled into my room post op - I asked for her and fed her immediately.
There it was - that instant connection, that bond, that feeling of wow, I am a mom and I can feed my bubba. In the first few days I enjoyed breast feeding her, she slept, I kind of slept - or tended to the visitors or just watched her sleep. I bought the maternity tops and bras so it was easier for me to click things off and on and it was good.

Every mother has a different tale. Every mother has their way of raising their child. Every mother - no matter how well the child latches (or doesn't) will suffer sleep deprivation and forget to shower and if you are a breast feeding mother - be prepared to be emotionally tied to feeding your baby, sagging boobs (oh yes, they can and will go south if you don't buy the right bras) and have your breasts so full at one point or another that you want to kill the next person in sight (you will be in so much pain you want to just scream, but you cannot because baby just went back to sleep).

If you are breast feeding, be prepared to eat for an army. Rakhee explained it to me best - she said breast feeding is like running 40 kms every time you put the baby on the boob. It is exhausting, it drains you and you will look and feel like shit. When you are not feeding and your baby is hungry, your boobs will leak - if you are at nakumatt doing a shop or sleeping or meeting your father in law - the boobs will leak - so buy the breast pads and REMEMBER to wear them!
When you take your bundle of joy out, as much as you do not want to feed in public, you will. Just remember the nursing cover. She will ask for food when you are chatting to her doctor, or when you just sat down for a luncheon with your gal pals.
Whatever you do - do not just pop the boob out - it is slightly offensive as much as it is 'the most natural thing in the world'. Your boob is not pretty, it is huge and no one really wants to see that - even if it is your bff!

Lastly, when you do decide to make the switch or stop altogether, just do it cold turkey. Be prepared for your  body to still produce milk for about two or three days before the boobies dry up. But, be strong when you say no more breast. I stopped, then went on a guilt trip and started again. Then stopped and felt awful - like I was depriving Ariyana of everything that is great in life and started again and then my breast pump stopped working and I took this as a sign - and just said enough. The boob juice is done and over, no more getting bubba boob drunk - she would now be exposed to other tastes and textures and ta-da  the boobs were reclaimed!