The Exclusively Nursing Life: A Poem
I became an exclusively nursing mom sort of by accident. I had initially planned to both nurse and bottle feed and had even bought various bottles to try. However, in the first six weeks, we tried to avoid artificial nipples because the doctors said that it would interfere with our baby learning how to nurse. What they did not tell us was that by six weeks, many babies already develop strong nipple preference and stubborn bottle refusal. After dumping countless ounces of milk down the drain, my husband and I decided to embrace exclusive nursing; I enjoyed the experience, the milk is fresh and free, and best of all, there are no dishes to wash, so why not?
The next five months of exclusive nursing (before starting solids and sippy cups) became a most incredible time in my life. What I quickly learned was that exclusive nursing is not merely a way to feed but an entire lifestyle -- it affects everything from my social life to my diet to my sleep and has become a huge part of my identity.
I don’t know any moms around me who nurses exclusively and often find it difficult to explain why I have to hide in a room every two hours. The following poem is my attempt to express what life is like for me.
It’s sitting on a bed for countless hours
Him snuggling close to my side
My fingers stroke his downy hair
Trace the brows above his eyes
He holds on with his tiny hands
And drifts into the land of dreams
I soon join him as the rhythmic tugs
Lull me into a similar sleep.
At times it’s a shot of brain-numbing pain
From razor teeth just coming in
Or struggling with rustling, wriggling
As he turns at every distraction
Meanwhile he tugs at everything
My straps, my shirt, my spectacles
He murmurs and kicks to the rhythm of
A song that only he can know.
It’s watching everything you eat
No more junk food and cheap ramen
You burn five hundred calories a day
But your boobs sag and are uneven.
It’s free and natural birth control**
Say goodbye to dear estrogen
Sex drive is low, eggs are MIA
I’m dryer than I was at seven.
At times my body screams for sleep
From being on call around the clock
But sometimes his face looks so sweet
That I could hold him all night long
It’s a surefire way to dry his tears
But no one else can babysit
Forget movies, and for date nights
Bring a scarf and wear a loose outfit.
Not more than four hours have we been apart
Since the day he first became a dot
When I’m away, my thoughts are all of him
My chest becomes two bags of rocks
My constant companion and lil cub
I’m greatly blessed and honored to be
Your comfort, nourishment, and best friend
These short months of your infancy.
** Note: Breastfeeding has a 98% success rate of preventing pregnancy ONLY if:
You nurse exclusively without supplementing with solids or bottles
You don’t use pacifiers to replace comfort sucking
Your baby is less than 6 months old
