I love being a mother.   It feels like one of the most important
and toughest jobs anyone will ever have.   When I was pregnant
with Brandon,  I knew that I would breastfeed him. 
I didn't know why it was important to me but it was.  After he
was born, I was happy but I felt kind of detached.  That all changed
the moment he latched on.  It was like a feeling of no other.
Anyone who has seen a baby breastfeeding or seen that child fall
asleep at the breast has seen the closest thing to heaven on earth.  
The peace and tranquility on Brandon's face made up for all
the pain of childbirth.  I will always have those memories
to cherish long after he has grown. 
 
New mothers wanting to breastfeed should be shown how to hold the
baby by a competently trained lactation consultant/nurse.  There
are certain ways you must hold the newborn baby while learning
how to breastfeed.  If you don't learn to do it correctly, it
can contribute to the insecurity that comes with breastfeeding. 
New mothers may give up prematurely because they feel they don't have
enough milk.  The baby may be having problems latching
on simply because they are not being positioned correctly.  
 
I was lucky to have Brandon at New York Cornell Medical Center where
they do as much as they can to promote breastfeeding for those wanting to
breastfeed.  I have heard of mothers who were not so lucky with their
hospitals,  including my mother.  She was told she did not have enough milk.
  I too had that same fear.  The nurses reassured me
that milk did not come in until several days later.  Instead, colostrum
comes in which does not seem like much to feed a baby.  They again
reassured me and told me that babies have enough fat in their body to
live off for the first couple of days until the milk comes in.  They
were encouraging and were constantly showing me how to position correctly
until I got it right.  Thanks to their support,  I'm still breastfeeding. 
 
Believe what they say about demand feeding. Scheduled feedings of
any kind will have the potential to lower your milk supply thereby
necessitating supplementary formula feedings which will further
lower your milk supply, etc.  It becomes a vicious cycle until
one day you find yourself no longer breastfeeding.   The
engorgement experienced by a new mother after her milk comes in
can be painful.  The best advice I can give is to breastfeed often.
Although I never have, many sites suggest that a new mother join a
breastfeeding support group.  I think this a great idea
especially if the new mother has any questions,doubts, or problems. 
 
Breastfeeding gives me and Brandon a close bond (which I am firmly convinced
cannot be duplicated with a bottle).  Even more important are the health
benefits your baby will have from breastfeeding.  One of the
best benefits of breastfeeding is the antibodies in the mother's
milk that help to boost the baby's immune system.   A
breastfeeding mother needs to spend a lot of time with her baby which
really helps in the bonding process.

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