Have you ever thought of breastfeeding as an empowering, even liberating, experience? I'm doing something for my child that can't be duplicated (no matter how hard they try).
I can go anywhere with my child...
I'm not tethered to the house where sterilized bottles are kept for formula.
When we're out and about, if she's hungry or thirsty I can feed her.
My breasts are givers of life.
Talk about a feeling of superiority.
Before I breastfed, I was self-conscious about my breasts, always concerned about what men thought of them.
Either I didn't want to flaunt them, or I wanted to show them off for men's pleasure.
As a breastfeeding woman, though, I don't feel ashamed of my breasts or my body.
I'm not concerned about what men think of them one way or another.
They're perfect! How do I know? Look at how well my daughter's growing.
Tall.
Strong.
Happy.
Healthy.
I find myself wanting to brag to everyone that I'm breastfeeding.
I remember when I went back to work while still nursing.
I requested, as was my right, that there be a place where I could pump milk in private (to protect my co-workers' sensibilities).
I was told there was a large bathroom available.
A bathroom?! Do people prepare food in bathrooms? I politely declined.
"I don't prepare food for my child in the bathroom," I told my boss.
Never in my life have I felt so empowered and liberated as when I became a breastfeeding mother.
As I watch my daughter grow, sometimes I stare at her in awe, thinking, "I grew her.
" From conception to birth to nourishment, I grew her.
How awesome is that?