Feeding the Beast

August is National Breastfeeding Month. Today, August 15, is supposed to be a public breastfeeding day. I may or may not breastfeed in public depending on whether or not we go out for a few hours and whether Mina gets hungry, since it is really all about feeding your baby. I did think this would be a good opportunity to share a bit about Mina's feeding journey.
A few weeks ago at Disney World, I realized how far we had come. I was really nervous about having to take time out and find a place to feed Mina several times since we'd be gone all day. In the end, it was so credibly easy and comfortable. But let's start at the beginning.
Shortly after Mina was born, she needed to eat. It amazed me that she knew exactly what to do right away even though I really had no clue what I was doing. I thought feeding Mina would be so easy. I wasn't exactly prepared for the next few weeks. I definitely didn't think it would be nearly impossible to wake her up to feed her but she was (and still is) a very sound sleeper. The next surprise came on Mina's third day of life when I had to go to urgent care for an epidural complication. Due to me being unable to sit up and receiving morphine, Mina had formula that whole day. I panicked that my milk was never going to come in and Mina wasn't getting enough nutrition because of all the things I'd read about formula destroying breastfeeding. Guess what? Mina didn't grow any extra limbs and my milk still came in that same evening and everyone was happy.
The next several weeks were a bit rough. We didn't experience any major problems, but it is strange being someone else's food source. I went from feeling like a vending machine to viewing Mina as a tiny vampire sucking the life out of me (I guess her name is from Dracula). I had to remove onions from my diet and experimented taking out dairy, soy and eggs but decided it wasn't worth it. I ended up being so grateful for the free bottles of formula the hospital gave us. Other than that day in urgent care, I think I only used three or four of them but they were at the most crucial moments. The night I found out I shouldn't eat onions, Mina couldn't keep any of my milk down. It was the only way she could get eat. At other points, I was ready to give up on breastfeeding and even being a mother. It was such a blessing that Ben could take the baby and a bottle and help out until I could get my crazy post-baby emotions in check. By month three, everything had gotten so much easier. My body figured out how much milk Mina needed and when and I (sort of) determined the difference between hungry and other cries.
The only remaining struggle was breastfeeding while we were out of the house. I tried blankets, but Mina would just kick and pull them off. They were also keeping her way to warm in the summer months in DC. Then I discovered how to use clothes to my advantage. I have several lightweight scarves that I can easily add to an outfit. They keep me covered without making me or Mina hotter. Another winning outfit combo was a stretchy tank top underneath that can be pulled down while the top shirt is pulled up. I found when I used my outfits like this, hardly anyone even noticed, I was feeding Mina (I confused a waitress once when the baby just disappeared). More importantly, both Mina and I were comfortable. I hear a lot of stories of women being asked to leave places because they are breastfeeding, but this has not been my experience. I have fed Mina in museums, on a plane, at Disney World, in front of the US capitol, in restaurants and many other places.
Although difficult at first, feeding my baby has become second nature over the past six months. I don't know what we will do when I go back to work as pumping may not be feasible in a restaurant setting, but we can figure that out when we get there. Mina is now eating oatmeal, fruits and veggies as well and she is loving them. I guess Mina has not been exclusively breastfed since birth but she has been loved, she has been fed, and she has been happy. I support feeding your baby whenever, wherever and however, you need to. This is the story of how things have gone for Mina and I but I'm sure it is different for everyone. I hope this can encourage others to do what is best for them.