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

#poetry #breastfeeding