I breastfed my daughter for four years and increased my cup size by three sizes; even five years later, my breasts are still this large. I really don’t think that this is the best reason to breastfeed, but it DID make a catchy title for this article. As an immunologist, I’d read that breastfeeding protected babies from diseases by transferring some immune molecules from the mother to the child. I had also learned in my psychology class about the monkey studies that showed how important touch was to a baby. For these reasons as well, I agreed with many experts that breastfeeding was the right choice for my child.

Breastfeeding Benefits

After having my daughter, I soon learned the benefits of sleeping with her and breastfeeding; it allowed me to get almost normal amounts of sleep and allowed me to get her to sleep without crying. I will say that after four years I really did get tired of the whole thing, but the benefit of that seemed to be that my body naturally weaned her without trauma. One day the milk just stopped flowing and there were no tears on either side. My mother did not breast feed me, so I was a little worried what it would be like for my daughter to breastfeed so long that she remembered it. So far she seems to only have fond memories of the experience. I also got out of jury duty for many years, so that was a surprise benefit for me as well.

Breastfeeding Equipment

Although I did not work out of an office at the time I was breastfeeding, I did use a breast pump on occasion to “pump and dump” or to increase milk production. I went through three breast pumps, each time spending more money and finding that they were more comfortable, faster, and more efficient. If I had to do it over, I would start with the most expensive one I could buy, preferably a used high-end breast pump if that was all I could afford.

Breastfeeding and Work

Some people have claimed that the push towards breastfeeding in many parts of the US is just a hidden way to keep women at home again. As a feminist, I can see why people may think this, but I do not agree that it has to be the case. I do believe that it is best to have a parent or close reliable relative with a baby, but even if that is not psychologically or financially a possibility the mother can still breastfeed and work with the aid of a good breast pump. Many states now are implementing laws that require work places to be breast pump friendly, so as this trend increases, as I believe it will, working and breastfeeding will be even easier for women.