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Thursday, July 12, 2012
I Don't Have Kids. . . Yet!
So if you are reading this, you are probably wondering what this lady is doing here talking about all things baby when she doesn't even have babies!! Well, it's true, I am not yet a mother. And there are reasons for that, one of which is NOT because I don't have the right future father for my child. And the reason is definitely not because I want to be baby-less.
I am a twenty something adult with a twenty something husband & we have made the decision to hold off on becoming parents and instead concentrate on education/careers. To be honest, it is probably the best decision we could have made, but it is often times one of the most painful decisions to me.
First, let's talk about the good side. We have been together since we were 17 years old -so a pretty long time! We have been married for about a year and a half & are very committed to each other. We went to the same college and lived together for most of our relationship. Education was and still is very important to both of us & we feel like education opens up doors for people. Our number one goal was to get through college 100% debt free. My husband is 2 months away from graduating with his Master's Degree and I am so proud to say that we are still 100% debt free - even through my two undergraduate degrees, his undergraduate degree, and his graduate degree! The average student debt figures range anywhere from $10,000 per student to $25,000 per student. Well, we are not a statistic! Not only do we have NO DEBT, but we actually have some savings! Our education was the main reason we chose to hold off on starting a family.
But the downside is, I am so ready to start our family!! I feel like I have been sitting back and just waiting for the day we can say our family is starting!! I have dreamed of being a mother even before I was old enough to be a mother. I always have known I wanted to be a mother. It has been painful to me to sit back and watch many of my friends work on baby number 1, 2, and even 3 while I sit here baby-less. And all the while, they met and subesquently married and had babies well after J and I had been engaged. So I got to watch many of my friends meet the guy, marry the guy, make babies with the guy, and I've just sat here waiting with my guy. I am incredibly happy for all of my parent friends, but at the same time, I want that too!
I know that our decision was the best decision for us. I have watched some of those friends struggle. If we had rushed into parenthood, we would have struggled or missed out, no doubt. We will be better off financially than we would have been if we had started our family sooner. I can't imagine we would still be debt free if we had already started our family while we were still in school. So we sacrificed starting our family early for a solid education that will last forever. Our way is not right for everybody, but it is right for us.
We did the traditional "right" thing and are trying to do everything in order. Marriage, getting through school, establishing the career, purchasing the house, then making babies. I can't wait for the day that I can announce, "WE'RE PREGNANT!" but until then, I am going to learn as much as possible about raising happy and healthy babies for less & posting all about it right here :)
I am a twenty something adult with a twenty something husband & we have made the decision to hold off on becoming parents and instead concentrate on education/careers. To be honest, it is probably the best decision we could have made, but it is often times one of the most painful decisions to me.
First, let's talk about the good side. We have been together since we were 17 years old -so a pretty long time! We have been married for about a year and a half & are very committed to each other. We went to the same college and lived together for most of our relationship. Education was and still is very important to both of us & we feel like education opens up doors for people. Our number one goal was to get through college 100% debt free. My husband is 2 months away from graduating with his Master's Degree and I am so proud to say that we are still 100% debt free - even through my two undergraduate degrees, his undergraduate degree, and his graduate degree! The average student debt figures range anywhere from $10,000 per student to $25,000 per student. Well, we are not a statistic! Not only do we have NO DEBT, but we actually have some savings! Our education was the main reason we chose to hold off on starting a family.
But the downside is, I am so ready to start our family!! I feel like I have been sitting back and just waiting for the day we can say our family is starting!! I have dreamed of being a mother even before I was old enough to be a mother. I always have known I wanted to be a mother. It has been painful to me to sit back and watch many of my friends work on baby number 1, 2, and even 3 while I sit here baby-less. And all the while, they met and subesquently married and had babies well after J and I had been engaged. So I got to watch many of my friends meet the guy, marry the guy, make babies with the guy, and I've just sat here waiting with my guy. I am incredibly happy for all of my parent friends, but at the same time, I want that too!
I know that our decision was the best decision for us. I have watched some of those friends struggle. If we had rushed into parenthood, we would have struggled or missed out, no doubt. We will be better off financially than we would have been if we had started our family sooner. I can't imagine we would still be debt free if we had already started our family while we were still in school. So we sacrificed starting our family early for a solid education that will last forever. Our way is not right for everybody, but it is right for us.
We did the traditional "right" thing and are trying to do everything in order. Marriage, getting through school, establishing the career, purchasing the house, then making babies. I can't wait for the day that I can announce, "WE'RE PREGNANT!" but until then, I am going to learn as much as possible about raising happy and healthy babies for less & posting all about it right here :)
Breastfeeding Vs Bottle Feeding
I would like to start cheapy baby off with a really good topic: Breastfeeding Vs Bottle Feeding. There is a lot of debate on the topic and if you were to google it, there are over 206,000 articles to muddle through. The bottom line is most scientists, doctors, and moms agree, breastfeeding is the healthier option for baby overall.
On the other hand, there is a new study that suggest that breastfed babies develop nut allergies more often. Results from this Australian study, summarized by ABC, found that breastfed babies were 1.5 times more likely to develop a nut allergy. Of course, more research needs to be done on that subject & at this point it seems all the health benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the increase in nut allergies found in this study.
Of course not everybody is able to breastfeed, so formula is the only option sometimes due to medical reasons or work. Even working mommies can breastfeed though! I have known many working moms that still made breastfeeding a priority. Or course, it is more difficult to pump at work in the women's restroom, but it CAN be done.
I am definitely pro-breastfeeding, and will breastfeed my children if it is possible. I write so strongly for breastfeeding because this Cheapy Baby, and breastfeeding is a whole heck of a lot cheaper than formula! Not only is breast milk FREE (so OK you might possibly need a pump, some storage containers, and some lanolin cream), but it may also help mommy slim down (although more research needs to be done on that subject). Breastfeeding all around just seems like the best option.
Most professionals recommend that babies are fed breast milk exclusively for at least the first 6 months. After that breast milk should be a part of baby's diet for at the first full year or two years, depending on what professionals you are talking to.
The health benefits of breastfeeding are many, including:
To find out more about the benefits of breastfeeding:
All in all, it is important to remember, which ever option you choose, there should be no guilt. There seems to be a lot of guilt associated with mothers who choose to forumula feed, and that just shouldn't be the case at all. They make formula for babies for a reason & the formulas are always getting better and better. There's no shame in taking the formula route!
So what did you decide? Leave us a comment below letting us know which option works best for your family & why. We would love to hear about your experiences.
On the other hand, there is a new study that suggest that breastfed babies develop nut allergies more often. Results from this Australian study, summarized by ABC, found that breastfed babies were 1.5 times more likely to develop a nut allergy. Of course, more research needs to be done on that subject & at this point it seems all the health benefits of breastfeeding outweigh the increase in nut allergies found in this study.
Of course not everybody is able to breastfeed, so formula is the only option sometimes due to medical reasons or work. Even working mommies can breastfeed though! I have known many working moms that still made breastfeeding a priority. Or course, it is more difficult to pump at work in the women's restroom, but it CAN be done.
I am definitely pro-breastfeeding, and will breastfeed my children if it is possible. I write so strongly for breastfeeding because this Cheapy Baby, and breastfeeding is a whole heck of a lot cheaper than formula! Not only is breast milk FREE (so OK you might possibly need a pump, some storage containers, and some lanolin cream), but it may also help mommy slim down (although more research needs to be done on that subject). Breastfeeding all around just seems like the best option.
Most professionals recommend that babies are fed breast milk exclusively for at least the first 6 months. After that breast milk should be a part of baby's diet for at the first full year or two years, depending on what professionals you are talking to.
The health benefits of breastfeeding are many, including:
- Baby receives mommy's antibodies to fight off illness so baby isn't sick as often
- Creates wonderful bonding between mother and baby
- Breast milk is easier on baby's stomach
- Breastfeeding may lower the risk of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, postpartum depression, and type 2 diabetes for mommy.
- If you are at home breastfeeding, there are no bottles, nipples, bottle warmers, measuring scoops, etc to have to worry about keeping track of or having to clean up.
- Breast milk is free! You can save lots of dough! One article estimated the savings to be around $1,500 a year by breast feeding rather than formula feeding!
- Less waste is created as a result of not needing formula cans/bottles.
- Mommy doesn't have to miss work as often because baby doesn't get sick as often.
To find out more about the benefits of breastfeeding:
- Women's health - the benefits of breastfeeding
- A Well-Kept Secret — Breastfeeding's Benefits to Mothers (Copyright © La Leche League International
- Breastfeeding.com covers all the basics through every question you could have about the topic
- Women's health Your Guide to Breastfeeding
- Baby Center guide to breastfeeding
- LaLecheLeague guide to all things breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding Today -an online magazine just for breasfeeding parents
- KellyMom has tons of articles about breastfeeding
- Kid's Health -the article is pro-breastfeeding
- American Pregnancy Association -a great list of pros and cons for both
- WebMD has a great summary on the topic
All in all, it is important to remember, which ever option you choose, there should be no guilt. There seems to be a lot of guilt associated with mothers who choose to forumula feed, and that just shouldn't be the case at all. They make formula for babies for a reason & the formulas are always getting better and better. There's no shame in taking the formula route!
So what did you decide? Leave us a comment below letting us know which option works best for your family & why. We would love to hear about your experiences.
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