Extended Breastfeeding
This is my father-in-law. I’ve posted about him before because he has an interesting breastfeeding story. I’m posting again because he died a couple of weeks ago at 92 years old. And I’d like to share his story again.
His parents immigrated here from what is now Poland and he was born in New York City in 1925. He was breastfed for 3 or 4 years. He remembers breastfeeding from his mother. He never thought that this was strange. His memories of breastfeeding were just like any other memory he had of his mother nurturing him.
Grandpa Lou was always supportive of my work here. Whenever I saw him he asked about this community and all of you. He talked about breastfeeding openly. I breastfed openly and comfortably in front of him. He talked passionately and constantly of social justice issues. He made connections between the breastfeeding movement and women’s issues such as the sexualizing of the female body and women’s role in society.
I have heard too many times over the years that I need to stop breastfeeding my sons because they are getting older and will remember it. People tell me that if they can remember it later they will be traumatized and psychologically damaged. I know this to be utter garbage because I knew an adult who remembered breastfeeding. He was intelligent, gentle, kind, an influential sociologist and researcher, a veteran of the United States Navy, a lover of music and art and a loving father and husband.
Which of these do I not want to pass onto my children exactly?
Breastfeeding in Public
Every time someone says breastfeeding in public is indecent they make the world a little bit more dull. Breasts are for breastfeeding. Breasts are also beautiful and you can see a bit of side boob when breastfeeding so what is up everyone’s butt about this? Stop trying to control us, stop messing with our babies and stop sexualizing every last thing about us. Our bark is loud, but our bite is much worse. If you need a pep talk about nursing in public head over to The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast, we have a 3 part series to help you breastfeed in public with confidence!
We Need Breastfeeding Support
Right now insurance companies don’t recognize IBCLCs in PA and this makes accessing quality lactation and breastfeeding help even more challenging. It’s yet another hole in women’s health that needs correcting.
We are looking for signatures for the petition, but more importantly STORIES (the comment section is at the bottom of the petition). We want YOU to share with legislators why IBCLC care is important and to do that we need to hear from moms. We need to hear how access to an IBCLC helped a mother reach her goals or how a lack of access to an IBCLC care hindered her breastfeeding goals. Signatures and stories can come from those outside of PA, the more the merrier.
Here’s the link to the petition:
http://bit.ly/2HcbKtQ
Parenting on Social Media
Here’s a peaceful picture taken this afternoon in Chicago as the snow started to fall. I saw this scene from across the room and immediately took out my phone and was about to put it on my personal Facebook account. But then I stopped. Today was a really bad day. I feel all out of sorts. I was across the room because I couldn’t deal with them close up anymore. I’ve yelled at my kids many times. Exley has thrown several tantrums. Jack has bucked against everything out of my mouth. I feel overwhelmed and broken down. We have these days sometimes. We struggle to get along and flop around like fish out of water. I apologize and try to make right, sometimes I make it worse. When I think I can’t take it anymore the day ends and we wake up new tomorrow. This is just life, but the idea of posting this photo on Facebook today made me feel like a fraud. Like maybe there was going to be someone out there having the same bad day and when they saw this photo it would make them feel more isolated. They might think, “Look at all these families in my newsfeed having pleasant days ands I’m over here crying in the bathroom.” I’d hate for anyone to see this and not know that it was absolute bat-shit crazy chaos in here just moments ago. Remember this when you see perfection on social media. Here’s to all of us who cried in the bathroom today.
Breastfeeding Babies Cannot Spoil Them
Isn’t it crazy how controversial this is? But it’s true. It’s absolutely impossible to spoil a baby. You cannot hold a baby too much. You cannot pick them up too much. You cannot breastfeed them too much. You cannot keep them too close. It’s what they are meant to do and where they are meant to be.
Crappy Breastfeeding Advice That’s Ruining Your Breastfeeding Journey
If you’ve ever heard anything about breastfeeding chances are it’s wrong. Most of the information on the internet and being spread by the medical community is flat out untrue. I decided to compile a list of myths and bust them here, but it turns out there is so much terrible information out there that I would have to write this post for the rest of my life to address it all. So I picked a few to give more information on, complied a large list of other myths and started a podcast called The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast with Dianne Cassidy, IBCLC. The podcast is dedicated to correcting the bad information. So check out some common myths here and head to the podcast for more information to help you reach your breastfeeding goals.
Podcast for Apple / Podcast for Android [Read more…]
Breastfeeding Through the Night
Does your baby nurse all night? Have you tried co-sleeping?
Many people think there is something wrong when their baby nurses all night long. It’s totally normal! Your baby is normal! But it’s really tiring, I’ve been there. Co-sleeping helped us get so much more sleep. And it can be done completely safely. Check out The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast for episodes on night nursing, co-sleeping and so much more! Search for it wherever you listen to podcasts!
There’s No Such Thing As a “Former” Breastfeeder
I see this a lot. A mom finishes breastfeeding and then she posts on our wall or in a breastfeeding support group that she is leaving because she no longer belongs.
NO.
That is not true. Actually if you are totally done breastfeeding then you are the expert! You have so much valuable information to pass on to others. You have done it from beginning to end! No matter what happened during your journey you are sitting on some seriously helpful information for another mom. Please stay and connect with other moms. Pick your favorite breastfeeding group and stay! Be the mom that’s been there through it all.
My Mom on the right nursing my sister. Her sister (my aunt) on the left nursing my cousin. Both woman are deceased. The babies are 42 now. Pic from 1976. Photo shared by Virginia.
My Weaning Story
My blog is 6 years old this week. Exley was hanging out on my lap today while Jack was playing video games when I realized that by the blog’s 7th birthday I won’t be breastfeeding anymore. Jack is on his second week of not nursing. And this guy asked to nurse today, but only because I was about to post this! He goes days between asking. It won’t be long now. When he nursed he asked why there was no milk. I said he can still nurse, but that the milk is gone. I explained that as kids gets bigger and eat more food they nurse less and eventually there is no more milk. This is all part of the journey. Whether you’ve followed from the beginning or are just joining us you’re witnessing my weaning story.
