He Bites!

When I was pregnant with Collin we had a lot of choices to make and one of the hardest for me was whether or not to breastfeed him. Tim wanted me to for a variety of reasons, the main one being how good it is for the baby and, while I knew he was right about that, I found the thought of it rather creepy. So we took a class through the hospital before the baby was born to find out more information. We learned a lot about the benefits of breastfeeding (like healthier babies and faster recovery for me) and what to eat and what to avoid but I was still a bit uncertain. In the end what swayed me was pure economics. I went to the store and wandered down the baby aisle and discovered that a large can of formula was more than $20 and since babies eat every 3 hours or so that container wasn't going to last very long at all. I decided that I would at least try breastfeeding and if I didn't like it or if it wasn't working out, we could go to formula.

I'm not going to lie, it was difficult at first. Collin was a little guy and latched on to one side better than the other. The lactation consultant was in my room constantly trying to get him latched properly and at one point we even had to supplement him with formula because he was losing too much weight. There were times when I wanted to throw in the towel, especially in that first month. There are several ways to hold a baby while breastfeeding and it took a while to find the one that was most comfortable for both of us plus I felt totally tied to him. I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without him. After a while, we got things working just right. It was so much easier in the middle of the night to just run in, feed him and go right back to bed. I could do that and be back to bed in the time it would have taken to heat up a bottle of formula. But beyond that and the money we saved, I discovered that it created a bond between us. That was something that only the two of us could do. It was our time together and though I said I would be done when he got teeth, I managed to breastfeed him until he was 14 months old. By that time he was only fed in the morning when he got up and then again before he went to bed because he could eat table food and use a cup. I waited longer to ween him because he really liked breastfeeding. It was a source of comfort for him.

When I got pregnant with Nick, there wasn't any question about how I would feed him and I have never regretted my decision. He latched on right away and I was comfortable with it right from the beginning. However, while Collin only got sick once before his first birthday (something I attributed to breastfeeding), Nick is working on his 3rd ear infection already. Collin was 8 or 9 months before he got his first tooth. Nick has 4 already and more on the way and he has learned how to use them. I made it through the biting stage with Collin but it started much later. Nick actually draws blood which Collin never managed to do! So I feel torn. I want him to have the full advantage of being breastfed, especially since he gets formula at daycare but I know that my milk supply has dwindled to the pathetically low range and he's only nursed in the morning and before bedtime so how much can it really be helping? Is it unfair to him to quit before I planned to? When I do ween him, I'll miss those moments that belong just to us but he's never been as interested in feeding as his brother was. Maybe biting is his way of telling me I'm not what he wants anymore. I had planned to nurse him until he was at least a year old so it feels like giving up if I stop now. I'm wishing now that each kid came with a guide book so I could go "oh yes, here it is on page 237. Just before he is 9 months old, Nick will beginning biting while nursing and this is what to do about it". If only.... I think I will just give it time and let things work themselves out. Perhaps its just a phase that won't last long. One way or the other, it won't last long. Either he'll stop biting or he'll be biting a bottle in the near future.