Both of my children have been avid breastfeeders, despite the fact that we had some challenging starts to our breastfeeding journeys. My daughter, after a rough beginning go at it, ended up breastfeeding for 23 months, and my son is currently going strong at 18 months. It’s given me a lot of time to reflect on the benefits of breastfeeding, and beyond just the tangible benefits for your baby, things like what you can learn about yourself while breastfeeding. And also it's given me a lot of time to catch up on Instagram. (How the hell did people get through a nursing or pumping sesh without smartphones?)
But really, just like pregnancy teaches you things about your body, breastfeeding can do the same as well. There are so many life lessons we can take from the experience of breastfeeding that can be applied to other parts of our lives, for the rest of our lives. Personally, the most important thing that breastfeeding has taught me is that I should never be ashamed of showing parts of my breasts, especially when I’m using them to feed my child. When I started breastfeeding my first baby, I had a nursing cover, and would hide in the car or in the back room wherever possible, for fear of offending someone. I’ve come a long way since then. Now, I don’t stop to think about how others are feeling, because guess what? My baby is who is important to me, not some stranger.
Which leads me to the first thing breastfeeding teaches you about your body (something I hope we can all agree on)...