Are you familiar with the term muscle memory? Muscle memory is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the ability to reproduce a particular movement without conscious thought, acquired as a result of frequent repetition of that movement.”
Breastfeeding is muscle memory.
While your first attempts at breastfeeding might be clumsy and awkward, over time, you will deftly master the movement needed to successfully feed your baby. And become quite quick at it too, as nothing is as motivating as a crying, hungry little person.
Those reactions will lost their sharpness once your little begins to grow from a tiny baby to a toddler who can self feed, drink from a cup and be as independent as a strong willed toddler can be. You will marvel at how you ever accomplished to get your little person to sit still long enough to actually latch on to you. Then one day, poof! It seems like that breastfeeding skillset has up and disappeared.
Sometime later, you may find yourself growing your family and adding another to your tribe. You wonder, when this new baby arrives, how does this breastfeeding thing go again? Will I remember HOW to breastfeed?
The answer is a resounding YES!
Breastfeeding IS muscle memory.
Believe it or not, breastfeeding is just like riding a bike, roller skating or any other physical action you have to work to master. Muscle memory comes in to play with breastfeeding too - even though you think that skillset is long gone, it eventually returns and you will once again find yourself the master of all things boobie, breastmilk and feeding. hang in there mama!
