Bun in the Oven: Breast is Best

So I've always assumed I'd breastfeed, but the more I learn about it, the more I wonder what my fate will be. From what I can tell, everything boils down to convenience and ability, with many women weighing in heavily on one side or the other.

In the convenience corner, you can get yourself into some serious trouble with the so-called La Leche Nazis (a term I've heard from multiple mamas). Some women have no plans to breastfeed from the get-go because they just plain don't want the hassle. Breastfeeding takes patience and planning -- and for women returning to fulltime work, as many Austin mothers surely must do, it a can be a complicated bargain. Still, choosing to not even try is a tough stance to take, especially with pressure from all sides to adhere to the "gold standard for infant feeding". Ten months of defending such a choice would make anyone grouchy, and I can't even imagine the abuse an unsuspecting lactation consultant must receive when she unwittingly enters the hospital room of a formula mama, hours after labor and delivery. Can't be pretty.

To be fair, though, the good women at the La Leche League of Austin are just in the business of helping new mothers learn to breastfeed. LLL strives, among other things, to reduce the number of women who give up on breastfeeding out of frustration or lack of education. They're a supplement to the top-flight lactation consultants already available at most local hospitals. Why all the focus in such a specialized area? First of all, breastfeeding can be painful. Heard of engorgement? Exactly what it sounds like. As for education, well, I thought ya just took a baby, gave it a breast, and let nature take its course. Nope. Takes more than that. So the fleet of La Leche women have an admirable endeavor, and they're credited with helping thousands of women worldwide. Nevertheless, I've got a copy of the LLL bible, The Motherly Art of Breastfeeding, and to me it's very black & white on the breast milk vs. formula debate. To be blunt, the book left me feeling like I'd be a bad -- not just inadequate, but practically abusive -- mother if I gave up on breastfeeding and switched my baby to formula.

And that's where things can get really touchy. The ability factor. In the most severe cases, critically ill or very premature babies need breast milk but their mothers aren't in any condition to provide it. Austin has Mother's Milk Bank, which collects breast milk from kind and giving local mothers, pasteurizes it, and dispenses it by prescription primarily to babies in the hospital. If I end up being a pro at the pump, you can bet I'll be calling them up. However, what if I'm one of those women who can't breastfeed? Some women simply don't produce enough milk and their babies either fail to gain or even lose weight until they're forced to supplement with formula. I have a friend who, weeks after her baby was born, found herself at the grocery staring at cans and bottles of formula -- many of which included labeling stating the superiority of breastfeeding -- and feeling a sense of absolute failure. At least there are organic options; just this week Earth's Best (a brand available at Whole Foods, Wheatsville, Fresh Plus, and more) announced that it will be adding infant formula to its organic babyfood line of products. This is a step in the right direction for women who want to give their babies the best, but just can't.

To me, the choice is obvious. Whether or not I'll succeed...isn't. Earlier this week my OB, after asking me whether I wanted to breastfeed (good for him!), suggested I start a boob-conditioning rigmarole now, at 20 weeks, to toughen things up for future abuse. With lots of rubbing, scrubbing, and tugging, the process is a little intimidating, but I plan to give breastfeeding my best shot when the time finally arrives; so I'm on board. Heaven knows I've got the resources to do so!