You Can Take a Break During Breast Feeding

So, the most liberating piece of advice ever given to me as a breast feeding mom was that I was not locked in during a breast feeding session.  Someone said to me that when I was feeding, I could stop.  The baby may get upset but my needs are equally as important as his.  This advice was particularly freeing in the middle of the night or when I was home alone.  It is for the silly things, like needing desperately to pee while trying to feed, or being so parched with thirst the sound of the baby sucking and quenching thirst is literally painful.  This advice does not mean that you can deny your baby for simple things such as answering the phone, or turning the TV on.  It means that while feeding your baby is important, breaking during a feeding every now and again will not permanently scar your child, it does not mean you are a bad mother and it will not lead to any return to breast feeding issues.  Your baby may need to suck for a subsequent let down, but it is not the end of the world.  This advice was so wonderful to me because I really felt trapped while breast feeding.  After get this advice, I also realized that, if needed, I could even walk around while breast feeding or do it standing or with two children on my lap.  These scenarios are obviously not ideal when feeding your child for several reasons, such as comfort and ease while swallowing but, when necessary, it is okay.  The most important thing about breast feeding long term and without relying on breaks with formula or stopping before your child is ready would be to make it equally as comfortable and manageable for you as for the child, and this means methods and solutions to prioritize the Mom's well being, such as breaking when feeding.