raeanna74

Most women who stick with breastfeeding for 6 months do enjoy it. It fosters a level of sweet intimacy with the mother and child. The mother feels as though she is really needed by the child.

To begin with it can often be a bumpy ride for mothers. Especially first time breastfeeders. Personally I got extremely sore for a couple reasons. 1. my daughter didn't learn to latch on right away. 2. my milk didn't come in for 7 days because I was on heavy duty pain killers and because of my daughters poor latch. This resulted in my getting particularly sore. I even got to the point where my nipples were cracked and bleeding and yet if I wanted to persist in breastfeeding I had to allow my daughter to latch on every couple hours at least. It was extremely painful and brought tears to my eyes for a time until my milk came in and my nipples healed. It was only a little while later that my daughter got thrush and so did I. Which once again made my nipples sore, cracked and bleeding. This rough start meant that I went for a month with 8-10 feedings a day that were at best mildly uncomfortable and at worst extremely painful. That wasn't a sexual experience or even pleasant for me physically to begin with. I was convinced that this would be the best course for my child and was determined to stick with it despite the discomfort. Once things healed it was smooth sailing.

As for it being sexual - It really isn't, beyond the chemistry of things. I never felt any sexual turn on toward my child or anything. When a breastfeeding mother nurses her body responds with chemicals that stimulate the production of milk, letdown(when the milk is first released each time the child nurses), and contraction of the uterus so that things will go back to their normal size and shape more rapidly. One of the main chemicals that is released is oxytocin. This chemical is also released when a women experiences orgasm. Sometimes during the first few months while a mother's body is learning when to release the chemicals and how much she may even leak some milk when she has an orgasm during sex. This is only because it's the same chemical that is released at both times and her body hasn't learned the whens and hows yet of this function. Some women who are extremely sensitive to this chemical can actually orgasm when they nurse and the chemical is released. This is actually quite rare.

I know my body responded somewhat to the chemical in what one might consider a sexual way but at the time I was so tired and run down and focused on my child and sometimes even the pain that I didn't find it sexual at all. It is simply a physical reaction and not related to sexual emotion.

Now breastfeeding feels relaxing and nuturing. Like when you snuggle your child but a little closer, deeper feeling. The actual sensation of nursing is simple to understand. The emotional bond is different. I have enjoyed breastfeeding. It has been easy. I could even let her nurse while I slept and I got the much needed rest I needed. I never had to get up to prepare a warm bottle in the middle of the night. I never had to pack formula when I went out. I had a ready, easy source of food with me at all times.

Some say the attachment that breastfeeding fosters can make a child dependant on the parent. I think this probably depends more on the child than the source of food. My daughter has always been outgoing and rarely afraid of strangers, new situations, or even being left alone with a new sitter. It doesn't matter who her sitter is - she rarely cries when I leave her.

I hope this helps you understand the dynamics of breastfeeding a little better.

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