Breastfeeding Awareness Week...

I know you're probably thinking, why would I write a post about this since I'm not breastfeeding... Well just because I couldn't breastfeed Benjamin doesn't mean I have thought about everything that goes with breastfeeding.

A little over 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I will most likely be on medication for it for the rest of my life. The 2 medications I am currently taking are Pentasa and Enotocort both were fine to continue taking while pregnant but not safe for the baby while breastfeeding. So my hopes of breastfeeding were denied.

Since we knew that I couldn't breastfeed while I was pregnant it was one of our considering factors to cloth diaper. The cost of formula isn't cheap, so to save ourselves some money we decided to cloth diaper. So it may be more "convenient" (anyone/anywhere can feed him) but it definitely isn't cheap. In the last few weeks the convenience could be argued since we have had to make special trips to the store for formula and the other day we both realized we were out at 11:30pm and Craig had to run to the store so that we would have food for him in the morning.

But the real reason I'm writing this post is lately I have really thought about breastfeeding and part of it is the fact it is Breastfeeding Awareness Week. But the other part of it is sometimes I feel guilty that because I have Crohn's I wasn't able to give Ben nutrition/antibodies from breast milk.

I had thought about talking with my doctor about stopping the medication so I could breastfeed then I realized that if I stopped the meds my digestive system would go completely out of whack and I probably wouldn't absorb the nutrients from the food I'm eating and wouldn't pass them to Ben therefore I would probably not have the best breast milk for my little man.

I guess the biggest thing for me about being a new mom and not breastfeeding is having to explain why I'm not. Whenever someone has asked if he eats formula or breast milk and I say formula, I then sometimes get a look, and I feel like I have to justify my reason for having to formula feed. I think a lot of the reasoning behind it is the idea of "Breast is Best" and if you aren't breastfeeding you are giving your child less beneficial food.

I am happy to report that as a formula fed baby, Ben has yet to be sick *knock on wood*, even while being in daycare. He has gained 9 pounds, he went from the 5th percentile in weight when he was born to 50th in 3 months. He is a very happy HEALTHY baby boy, even while being exclusively formula fed! So for those moms out there who are able to breastfeed- Congratulations! I am excited for you but breastfeeding isn't for everyone (sometimes for very good reasons) and it also isn't your place to place a judgement look on that mom when she tells you she is using formula.