I have been reviewing Facebook and Instagram’s policies on nipples and my head feels like it’s going to explode. I have never seen anything picked apart so much in my life! My nipples are sore from all the regulation. [Read more…]
Exclusive Pumping Part 1 – Making the Decision
By Amanda Glenn
Before I had my first baby, I had three missed miscarriages (which means I didn’t know I’d miscarried until we had an ultrasound and there was no heartbeat). As a result, I was kind of used to being told by healthcare providers that my body had failed at what it was supposed to do. Of course, most of them were very kind, and they would never have intended that I take the sad news this way. But that’s how I felt while I when devastated by the losses and unsure about whether or not I would ever have a baby. [Read more…]
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 Does NOT 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!
