A resource to inspire, inform and empower parents.

Become a Badass Public Breastfeeder in 7 Days: Day 2 – All Eyes on You

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder, breastfeeding in public. All Eyes on You: Dealing with staring

This was the most common concern I heard from women when I asked them what worries them about breastfeeding in public. You are already nervous to breastfeed in public. One day you get up the nerve to go to a restaurant. You start to breastfeed your baby and you notice a creepy dude staring at you. You notice a woman giving you dirty looks. [Read more…]

Become a Badass Public Breastfeeder in 7 Days: Day 1 – To NIP or Not to NIP

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder, breastfeeding in public. To NIP or Not to NIP

Nursing in Public (NIP) can seem daunting to a new mother. It can even be difficult and anxiety provoking for a veteran mother! I will spend the next 7 days helping you navigate the world of NIP. I will cover everything from clothing to comebacks to give you the confidence and tools you need to NIP without fear. Practice makes perfect with breastfeeding in public. The first time might be terrifying, the second time nerve wracking, but soon it will become as second nature to you as being outside has ever been. [Read more…]

My Gentle C-Section

Read this post at Breastfeeding Basics!

My Gentle C-Section

 

 

Our Birth and Lactation Story

by Bethany

I had planned to have a drug-free water birth at The Birth Cottage, a freestanding birth center in Milford New Hampshire. I had watched documentaries such as “The Business of Being Born,” “Gentle Birth Choices,” and “Orgasmic Birth,” and therefore was very well-informed of what goes on in many hospital settings. I didn’t trust hospitals and knew I wanted my baby to be born in a safe environment where the baby would remain with me and not be separated after birth, and where I wasn’t at risk of having unnecessary surgery. I had taken childbirth classes in the Bradley Method to prepare for a drug-free birth, during which we read about the many possible dangers to the baby of drugs during labor. I had interviewed and chosen a doula to provide labor support. I even chose to go to a birth center in New Hampshire, rather than having a home birth in Massachusetts where I live, because the laws regarding midwifery are different in New Hampshire and I knew that should I need to transfer to a medical facility, a New Hampshire midwife would get a lot more respect at a New Hampshire hospital than a Mass. midwife at a Mass. hospital. Midwives are actually licensed by the state of New Hampshire, and therefore are acknowledged providers there. [Read more…]

You Are Unstoppable

What are you struggling with right now? Milk supply? Mastitis? A nursing strike? A biting baby? A horrible mother-in-law? Money problems? An energetic toddler? Sleepless nights? Whatever it is that you are struggling with is small compared to what you have been through…

Read this post at Breastfeeding Basics!

 

 

 

 

A Book Review of Sage Parenting: Where Nature Meets Nurture

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder, breastfeeding her son.

Sage Parenting: Where Nature Meets Nurture by Rachel Rainbolt, MA could have drastically changed how I prepared for motherhood. When I became pregnant I read What to Expect When You’re Expecting like it was the holy bible for pregnant mothers. Each month I read the corresponding chapter about 12 times. I enjoyed reading about my baby. I didn’t know that there was a whole world of parenting books out there and when I gave birth to Jack, while I spent the whole pregnancy following his growth, I wasn’t at all prepared to be his mother. I wasn’t even prepared for birth or the decisions made immediately after birth. [Read more…]

Baby Blues: Postpartum Depression

Read this log post at Breastfeeding Basics!

Sex After Birth: The Real Story

Every woman experiences motherhood differently so naturally our return to sex after birth will differ. I felt alone when the women around me were talking about how horny they were hours after giving birth. I felt there was something wrong with me. I never want another woman to feel that way. No matter what is going on you are not alone. This story is not rainbows and cotton candy. This is my experience and mine alone. You’ve been warned.  [Read more…]

Mount Mommy: Discovering Real Strength

 What does it mean to be strong? People used to call me strong before I had a baby. I guess it was because I was opinionated and outgoing and rigid. I’m guessing. I was a passionate advocate for the kids I worked for. I never shied away from a fight for what I thought I was right. I suppose that is why. I never asked. I never really thought about it. I never really agreed. People call me strong now; after having had a baby. I supposed because I went through the process of labor and birth.

[Read more…]

Big: That’s Birth For Ya

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder in the hospital.

Back in high school my friend asked if I wanted to do acid. I asked him what it was like. He said “well, it’s… Big.” “Big? What the hell does that mean?” I asked. “I don’t know how to explain it, it’s just… Big,” he responded. I did acid with this friend and a few days later another friend asked what it was like. I said “well, uuuuh, it was…. Big.” I have read all the books by the writers who have experimented with acid. I have tried myself to explain it to people. Just as our reality is impossible to explain, all other forms of it are twice as hard. [Read more…]