Whenever I talk about my breastfeeding experience, it typically begins with, "I never though I would be doing…"  Today, that sentence is completed with "tandem nursing my almost 4 year old and my 3 month old."

As with most of my wacky decisions, this one started with me simply being open to the idea and not discounting it until I gave it a try.  My older child nursed all through my pregnancy even though my milk dried up around 12 weeks. 

Nursing two has had its benefits.

First, in this flu season, it has helped keep my kids healthy.  I am on day 6 of a nasty bout with the flu, but both of my kids are still totally healthy (read: full of energy)!  While it’s hard being a sick mom, it would be even more difficult if both my kids were sick at the same time and I’m certain that breastfeeding both of them is playing a role in this.

KellyMom explains how this works:

The best thing you can do for your baby when you’re sick is to continue to breastfeed. When you have a contagious illness such as a cold, flu, or other mild virus, your baby was exposed to the illness before you even knew you were sick. Your milk will not transmit your illness to baby, but it does have antibodies in it that are specific to your illness (plus anything else you or baby have been exposed to) – they’ll help prevent baby from getting sick, or if he does get sick, he’ll probably not be as sick as you.

What a great way to give my children, especially my infant, a ‘leg up’ in fighting disease!  As long as I breastfeed, all of the antibodies my immune system makes in response to diseases I encounter, my children will receive through my breastmilk.

The second amazing side effect is that I’m 3 months post-partum and 7 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight!  I actually was able to button up my ’skinny jeans’ yesterday!  (I still had a little muffin-top, but, they zipped!)  This is simply amazing because with my first child, I was carrying around that last 15 pounds for two years until I finally lost it through counting calories and exercise.  I’ve been eating what I want – without going crazy – and not exercising.  It’s incredible. 

While breastfeeding is certainly playing a role, I also think having a vaginal birth is partly responsible.  While I did experience discomfort in the days following my home VBAC, it was nothing in comparison to my cesarean recovery.  After about a week, I hardly felt like I had a baby and we were back in the groove of my life – albeit at a slower pace.  So I wasn’t sitting in front of the TV nursing depression and physical pain with food like I did after my cesarean.  In fact, I didn’t experience any depression after my home VBAC – wow, was that nice!

Don’t be to jealous though, my tummy is still entirely gelatinous.  It did firm up, eventually, with my first child, so I’m really hoping once I kick this flu and get to the gym, it will again.