Nursing

The thing about breastfeeding is that your little baby is literally draining away all the minerals, vitamins, and fat from your body every time you feed her. It's been about 3 1/2 months and my hair is starting to fall out! I've heard (and seen, sorry!) of some women getting bald spots, getting brittle nails, and suffering from rickety teeth. And there's still 8 months to go. Wow! How do women who have 5 kids still keep their health?

On the PLUS side, nursing our little girl is really the sweetest thing to me right now! It's what I truly enjoy doing and really is so amazing that a little human being can survive (even GROW!), gaining pounds and pounds, off of nothing more than human milk.

It really makes me laugh some of the things that go on while she's eating...for example, she's really discovered the use of her nails. She really likes to scratch the sheets when she falls asleep for her naps. But when she's feeding, she has this habit of scratching my armpit or arm repeatedly, over and over and over. Meanwhile I'm dying, trying not to scream or make a peep because it's 3 a.m. and I don't want to give her the impression that it is okay to play and laugh in the middle of the night.

The girl's nails and hair are growing at a phenomenal rate, hence my theory that I am transferring all my minerals to her via breastfeeding. I cut her nails twice a week, and I can already put her hair in pigtails at 3 months. On top of that, she's drooling up a storm, sucking constantly on both fists jammed into her mouth, and crying when I touch her gums. Will my teeth start feeling rickety once hers make their appearance in a few months?