The best things aren't the easiest
Now that we are home from the hospital, we are finding that the best things aren't the easiest.
When making decisions about how to birth and raise Lincoln, we had choices to make. First, it started off by planning a natural childbirth, free of medications and a loud traumatizing delivery. Laboring for over 24 hours without medication wasn't easy. If I had taken the medication, would things turned out differently? Would it have been easier? While I was in the hospital, a lady next door to me came in at 0 cm and a few hours later I saw a pink ribbon hanging outside the door. I figured she had Pitocin and an epidural and got it done! She sure made it seem easy!
We also decided to breastfeed Lincoln. Growing up I wasn't around many breastfeeders. I wasn't breastfeed. I always said I wouldn't breastfeed because of the dependency I saw in the babies that did. I babysat one once and I couldn't soothe her because all she wanted was her mom. Sometime during the pregnancy I decided to breastfeed because of the health benefits. Breastfeed babies are healthier! Mom's milk produces immunizations against and treats illnesses. They have fewer ear infections and colds. The milk knows when baby is sick and produces the antibodies to cure the illness. God is an awesome Creator! Well, we have been breastfeeding since the recovery room in the hospital. It is important to start immediately to form the bond. There were tears in the hospital as I breastfeed every couple hours (or less) and soothed cracked and bleeding nipples. Breastfeeding is a huge commitment and I knew it would be as your body does not belong to you anymore. I went to Full Bloom Pregnancy & Early Parenting Center for assistance with the latch and a clogged milk duct in my arm pit. After my consultation, I felt like there was hope again and I didn't have to dread each feeding. There have been a couple times I have wanted to throw in the towel and open a can of formula. I have to remind myself of the babies with regurgitation problems and allergies to the artificial milk. I read that formula is #4 when it comes to what is best for babies. 1) breast milk from mom, 2) pumped breast milk from mom, 3) breast milk from another woman, 4) formula. I am reminded of why we are breastfeeding. It sure isn't the easiest choice, but it is the best! Joe said, "If it were easy, everyone would be doing it."
Another choice we made is to cloth diaper. There is more work involved because we have to rinse out the diapers, wash them, and put them away. There are a couple more steps involved when putting on a clothe diaper-using the Snappi clip to fasten them and putting the waterproof diaper cover on over the prefold. We are cloth diapering for a couple reasons-economically and environmentally. It is cheaper to cloth diaper and it prevents disposables from going to the landfill. There are health benefits too because of the bleaches used in disposables.
Another choice we made was not to use a pacifier. Two reasons, nipple confusion while breastfeeding is a problem when trying to teach a baby how to latch properly and then avoiding an addiction to pacifiers. It is a pet peeve of mine to see a two-year-old or even younger walking around with a pacifier. I think they look ridiculous. Then parents have to try to figure out a way to ween them off of it. My theory, they won't miss what they don't know. However, there have been a couple of times that I have wondered if Lincoln would like a pacifier to soothe himself. He likes to suck on his hands, which he has been doing since he was in the womb. (The ultrasound showed him doing it.) He also does it as a cue to let me know he is hungry. The pediatrician said today that pacifiers have been shown to prevent SIDS. It sure would be easy to stick a pacifier in his mouth when he is crying during a diaper change, but as of right now, I have not been convinced that they are best.
Rebekah
When making decisions about how to birth and raise Lincoln, we had choices to make. First, it started off by planning a natural childbirth, free of medications and a loud traumatizing delivery. Laboring for over 24 hours without medication wasn't easy. If I had taken the medication, would things turned out differently? Would it have been easier? While I was in the hospital, a lady next door to me came in at 0 cm and a few hours later I saw a pink ribbon hanging outside the door. I figured she had Pitocin and an epidural and got it done! She sure made it seem easy!
We also decided to breastfeed Lincoln. Growing up I wasn't around many breastfeeders. I wasn't breastfeed. I always said I wouldn't breastfeed because of the dependency I saw in the babies that did. I babysat one once and I couldn't soothe her because all she wanted was her mom. Sometime during the pregnancy I decided to breastfeed because of the health benefits. Breastfeed babies are healthier! Mom's milk produces immunizations against and treats illnesses. They have fewer ear infections and colds. The milk knows when baby is sick and produces the antibodies to cure the illness. God is an awesome Creator! Well, we have been breastfeeding since the recovery room in the hospital. It is important to start immediately to form the bond. There were tears in the hospital as I breastfeed every couple hours (or less) and soothed cracked and bleeding nipples. Breastfeeding is a huge commitment and I knew it would be as your body does not belong to you anymore. I went to Full Bloom Pregnancy & Early Parenting Center for assistance with the latch and a clogged milk duct in my arm pit. After my consultation, I felt like there was hope again and I didn't have to dread each feeding. There have been a couple times I have wanted to throw in the towel and open a can of formula. I have to remind myself of the babies with regurgitation problems and allergies to the artificial milk. I read that formula is #4 when it comes to what is best for babies. 1) breast milk from mom, 2) pumped breast milk from mom, 3) breast milk from another woman, 4) formula. I am reminded of why we are breastfeeding. It sure isn't the easiest choice, but it is the best! Joe said, "If it were easy, everyone would be doing it."
Another choice we made is to cloth diaper. There is more work involved because we have to rinse out the diapers, wash them, and put them away. There are a couple more steps involved when putting on a clothe diaper-using the Snappi clip to fasten them and putting the waterproof diaper cover on over the prefold. We are cloth diapering for a couple reasons-economically and environmentally. It is cheaper to cloth diaper and it prevents disposables from going to the landfill. There are health benefits too because of the bleaches used in disposables.
Another choice we made was not to use a pacifier. Two reasons, nipple confusion while breastfeeding is a problem when trying to teach a baby how to latch properly and then avoiding an addiction to pacifiers. It is a pet peeve of mine to see a two-year-old or even younger walking around with a pacifier. I think they look ridiculous. Then parents have to try to figure out a way to ween them off of it. My theory, they won't miss what they don't know. However, there have been a couple of times that I have wondered if Lincoln would like a pacifier to soothe himself. He likes to suck on his hands, which he has been doing since he was in the womb. (The ultrasound showed him doing it.) He also does it as a cue to let me know he is hungry. The pediatrician said today that pacifiers have been shown to prevent SIDS. It sure would be easy to stick a pacifier in his mouth when he is crying during a diaper change, but as of right now, I have not been convinced that they are best.
Rebekah
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