Before you commit, you’ll wanna know WHY you’re pumping
(This is the second of what will become quite a few posts on our unusual breastfeeding journey. So feel free to skip if it’s not your thing.)
If you’re pumping, make sure you know WHY you’re doing it. Because this journey is not easy.
Early on, some wonderful humans kept saying, “Fed is best.” In case you didn’t know, pumping can be rough on a mom’s mental health. The main goal was to get Eloise fed, so switching to formula was absolutely okay.
I mean, my husband is literally one of the most intelligent and wonderful humans I’ve ever met and he never had a drop of breastmilk as a kid. And he turned out more than fine. So our kid would be okay, too. Right?
Despite that, despite Eloise’s slow weight gain, and despite professionals suggesting we add formula to her diet, my gut said Eloise NEEDED breastmilk.
For most kids, I don’t think whether they’re breastfed or not makes a massive impact on their adult life. However, in Eloise’s case, I think actually it did matter.
Why?
1. It helps develop white matter in the brain. White matter helps different parts of our brain communicate. Because of her genetic condition, Eloise had almost no white matter. Which meant her little brain needed all the help we could offer.
2. It helps develop a healthy immune system Kids like Eloise are sick a lot. A cold can send a healthy kid to the hospital or leave one with epilepsy with permanent brain damage. Very few kids like Eloise were able to receive breastmilk for long so I felt I HAD to give it to her as long as possible to help prevent future hospital stays and medical complications.
3. It can reduce seizure activity. I didn’t know it back then, but Eloise would eventually develop a form of genetically-derived, medication-resistant seizures. Most kids missing the same gene as Eloise started seizures in their first few months of life. Eloise, on the other hand, didn’t really start until she was 9 months old. I now suspect breastmilk may have delayed her seizures onset and, even now, reduces their severity.
I had my “why” of breastmilk early on. Every time I fantasized about quitting, I remembered that developing more white matter and giving Eloise a healthy immune system could make a huge difference in her life — and only I could offer her that. So I kept going.
All the posts from our breastfeeding series so far (more to come!)
- Part 1: I pumped for 16+ months — I didn’t think I’d make it past 1 week
- Part 2: Before you commit, you’ll wanna know WHY you’re pumping
- Part 3: What I wish I knew about exclusive pumping from the start
- Part 4: Why pumping didn’t work for me at first — until I learned a secret
Sending all my strength to you moms right now,
Mallory — mom of Eloise
Eloise The Tiny Fighter 