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feeding sessions! My daughter took at least an hour to nurse, often even longer. So it sometimes seemed as if only minutes had passed before I was unsnapping the nursing bra I'd sworn I had just snapped shut.

These round-the-clock feedings will slow down eventually. Just as you are beginning to think motherhood had turned you into nothing but a glorified milk machine, your baby will give you a break.

BREASTFEEDING = HUMAN PACIFIER

Along with the nursing 24/7 concept I mentioned above, oftentimes young babies nurse even when they are not actually hungry. Enter the "human pacifier" role that many new mothers play. This can make you feel like you are literally doing nothing but nursing your child, while in actuality, you are simply pacifying her.

Become wise to your little one's tricks! If you discover your breasts have become your baby's favorite pastime, it's time to introduce a real pacifier. Not only will this give your tired breasts a break, but will also free up some time for some quality "me time" that is crucial to maintaining your sanity.

BREASTFEEDING TURNS YOUR BREASTS INTO BALLOONS

Having mistakenly thought that my breasts had gotten as big as they were going to get when my baby was born, I bought several nursing bras right away. As soon as my milk came in (about 4 days later,) I realized I had seriously miscalculated. My cup size jumped from a 34B to an astonishing (for me anyway) 36DD.

Once it's time for you to wean your child from nursing, it also becomes time for your balloons to deflate. And deflated balloons are exactly what your once-proud and firm breasts have been reduced to. The advice I can give you to avoid this is to develop an upper-chest exercise routine to keep your breasts and surrounding muscles as firm and tight as possible. If you continue to practice these exercises, hopefully you won't be left with a chest that resembles a couple of tires that have had the air let out of them.

Breastfeeding is a beautiful and special time between a mother and her child. It can be a wonderful and rewarding experience that will never be forgotten. Despite the surprising little-known facts that I wasn't aware of, I would still have made the decision to breastfeed my daughter. I nursed her for fifteen months, and I don't regret a single minute of it.

Learn more about this author, Alaina M. Coyle.
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