Like everyone, when I had a baby, my life completely changed. And because I had spent two hours a day tied to a breast pump since my baby’s birth, being a mother and an exclusive pumper became very intertwined for me. Exclusive pumping was a big part of my identity. Because of this, it was really important to me that I was successful. This meant (after my supply snafu early on, when I would skip pumping sessions more than I should have) being a bit obsessive about getting my pumping sessions in.
Exclusive Pumping Part 2 – The First Year
The Routine Early On
When I started exclusively pumping, I pumped whenever my baby ate. My routine was that I would bottle feed him, and then I’d put him on my lap and hook myself up to pump. He would fall asleep there with the pump motor apparently functioning as a lullaby. (Maybe the Medela Freestyle sounds like the inside of a uterus. Who knows?) When I was finished pumping, he’d be conked out enough that I could move him to his bassinet for the rest of his nap. [Read more…]
8 Reasons to Wean, NOT!
If you are a breastfeeder you have most definitely heard at least one of these. I am not here to tell you when to wean, but I am certainly here to tell you when not to wean. Breastfeeding is hard and days can be difficult to get through. Weaning often crosses our minds because we think life will be easier without it. But many of us don’t want to wean. I made a list of terrible reasons to wean! They all come with links to whole episodes from The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast that I cohost with Dianne Cassidy, IBCLC. The podcast is dedicated to correcting the bad information floating around out there.
You can find almost 50 episodes of information that you need. Podcast for Apple / Podcast for Android [Read more…]
Breastfeeding Through Harassment
By Badass Roni
My photo of me proudly tandem nursing my babies was shared a couple times yesterday. But only this account [an account on Instagram not named here] got me receiving rude comments. At first I was hot with anger (“who the f*ck are they to write anything about my kid’s age?”) and why do people have to say anything negative in general? I’ve literally never left a rude, off comment on anyone’s page ever. I keep it moving when I see something I don’t agree with.
My Birthday Breastfeeding Story
I have made various posts lately asking you all to share how long you have been nursing. Even I get surprised at how many of us are nursing toddlers and small children. [Read more…]
They’re Male Nipples, I Swear
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!
