Close to me

I always thought I'd be breastfeeding The Beast til he was one or so. I think the video about the woman who nurses her eight year old is just the sweetest (and most fascinating) thing. After all, as one of the woman's daughters says, "I'd rather have lots of breastmilk than a million melons." But I've found myself using the bottle far more often lately. I swear, my boobs sigh with relief when I substitute bottle for breast. 

I have several reasons why, but the one that I've been feeling the most lately is that we are so physically close- co-napping, sharing a room, together all day every day, he's going through a needy period where he wants to be held for hours at a time- I guess I'm creating space where I can get it. 

I'm trying not to accidentally wean him, and I was hesitant to even write about it, because so many people are such proponents of breastfeeding (myself included) but can be a little over-zealous. All I can say is, I had a lot of opinions that went straight out the window once he got here. And for those of you who have never breastfed but still have opinions, I suggest you tape a piece of ultrafine sandpaper to the tip of your thumb and forefinger and pinch your nipples gently for fifteen minutes every three hours for six months and then get back to me.