Hippie Mom in a Preppy World

Posts Tagged ‘lactivism’

This post is double the length of my average post because I’ve been running late on getting it finished.  I am tentatively changing the title of the blog and will no longer using week counter so I don’t have to worry about skipping weeks. Don’t know if the title will stick, we’ll see…

It is my intent to continue updating at least weekly but life may happen.

This has been and interesting week and some change.

We got our first Fox family Yule tree, never thought that I would get excited about the little things until becoming a mother, lol

I like the fact that even though Shammy lost most of his hair he didn’t fully lose his fiercehawk, the shedding is starting to slow down and new hair is starting to grow so he never quite reached the bald stage.  In the meantime, I’ve had to adjust the rise in his one size cloth diapers to the medium setting, yay!

Shammy is the only baby that I’ve seen manage to be cute while doing something completely gross.  He spit up milk on his bib and as I was approaching to clean it up he picked up the bib, brought it to his mouth and suck it all up with a yum expression on his face.  I was laughing at the same time that I was saying “ewww!”, this baby doesn’t believe in waste.

On other amusing news, I decided to line dry the cloth diapers outside even though we were under a freeze watch due to a cold front.  Imagine waking up in the morning to find frozen cloth diapers.  I would have taken a picture but you really couldn’t tell.  The covers were fine because the dried before the temperature drop but the inserts were as stiff as cardboard, it was too funny.  Thankfully I didn’t have an urgent need so I was able to let them thaw and dry without resorting to the dryer.

A benefit of having pumped milk in the fridge is that when it look like Shammy was getting congested either from the weather or from the cold I was fighting I squirted a couple drops of breastmilk up his nose, he gave me a “what the hell?!” look, sneezed and all was cleared.  Way better than being unable to sleep worrying about your congested baby being able to sleep, I also use it for rashes and dry skin itch.  I swear breastmilk has outranked WD-40 and duct tape as most versatile fix it all lol.

Last week I attended my first paranormal investigation since I relocated to the Treasure Coast.  This involved me missing Shammy’s bedtime and being gone for most of the night.  My initial plan was to pack the breast pump and pump in the car like I did at Halloween Horror Nights but I misplaced the battery pack so instead I packed a manual breast pump, not the same!

I didn’t have much chance to pump and the manual pump is a pain in the rear so I was only able to express enough to give me some relief until I got home.  When I finally arrived home exhausted I was so engorged that I had to pump immediately, I pumped 13 ounces in one session and my breasts still felt full, wow.

So I haven’t had doubts about my milk supply but this output gives visual confirmation on how much I can produce in just a few hours.

Shammy and I had a horrible Doctors appointment for his 4 month checkup.  I don’t have private insurance so we couldn’t go to Dr. Punger without paying out of pocket which is not feasible since I’m not back in the workforce.

I made an appointment with the doctor that took care of Shammy when he was born since he took Medicaid and I at least had a notion about how he worked.  BAD IDEA!

He’s completely different outside of the hospital.  He’s a vaccination nazi and refuses to continue seeing Shammy if he’s not up to date on his shots.  He is against delaying vaccinations yet the doomsday scenario that he used to try to scare me into a bunch of needles right then and there is for a vaccine that hasn’t been in the CDC’s vaccine recommendations for years and back when it was the shot wasn’t administered until 2 years old. wtf?

He also bashed the WIC program and gave advice against AAP recommendations and is against home made baby food, and the list goes on.

I can deal with a closed minded old fashioned doctor that doesn’t keep up with changes in medical science, what I can not deal with is a doctor that comes in, tells you what to do and walks out without giving the opportunity to ask any questions.  I miss Dr. Punger so bad!  She knows that I always have a list of questions so she covers those first before she even examines Shammy.  She would spend 30 mins with us compared to Dr. Old Fashioned’s 3 mins.

Screw him, I can get the immunizations for free at the health department and I downloaded the CDC’s vaccine scheduler and things have worked out so beautifully that the catch-up schedule recommended by the CDC matches what we had decided to do.

Shammy is above the 90 percentile for head circumference and it’s not empty space, I was thrilled to see him apply his problem solving skills when he wanted a toy that was hooked to a bar on his gym.  He tugged on it once, saw that it didn’t budge so he turned it around to see how it was attached, traced the hook with his other hand to figure out how it works and unhooked it in less than a minute.  Yet he still forgets how to move the bib when it accidentally covers his face, lol.

I was fully set on following the AAP and WHO recommendations to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months but after much deliberation we have decided to slowly start introducing solids at just under 5 months or whenever we finally get a high chair, lol.

Shammy has been developmentally ready for solids for over a month now and his interest in food is so strong that I feel bad eating in front of him because he looks at me with puppy eyes begging for scraps.  The plan is to start with organic whole grain brown rice cereal, 1 tablespoon mixed with breastmilk and gradually build from there depending on how he likes it.  Then we’ll introduce vegetables once I get a Magic Bullet or food processor to puree the food.

I’m a strong supporter of Dr. Greene’s White Out movement and that is why I’m using brown rice cereal instead of the usual white.  They are empty calories and that is not the best taste to get used to first.  I credit this with my life long fixation with white flour products which are not the best, I wish I liked whole grains more but I simply don’t.  White bread, etc are comfort food for me.  This is also why I am starting vegetables first, I want Shammy to enjoy veggies before starting fruits.  I had been introduced to fruits first so I rejected vegetables and had to literally teach myself to like veggies as an adult and there’s still many kinds that I don’t eat.  All I want is for healthy eating to come more naturally for him.

Daddy thinks that Shammy is so interested in foods already that he’ll get hooked on solids and wean himself quickly.  I hope not but I do believe in child led weaning so I don’t plan to shove my nipple down his throat.

I’m proud to report that the CBS reported that accepted the 30 day cloth diaper challenge with her baby is a convert!

I have used most of the types of diapers in this video.

In news that make me want to bang my head against a wall.  Similac has decided that they don’t make enough millions on baby formula and now are marketing a formula for pregnant and breastfeeding moms.  Gotta make money out of breastfeeding too I guess.  This would be awesome in developing countries where nutrition is a challenge but I find no place for it in America where a healthy diet is easily available and products like these promote further junk food consumption knowing that baby is getting all the vitamins from the plastic bottle.

Most of the time I feel like the only mom that is able to successfully breastfeed exclusively beyond a couple of weeks.  If it wasn’t for the internet and La Leche League I may not have.  People need to understand that even though breastfeeding is natural it doesn’t always come naturally or easy.

It wasn’t so easy for me at the beginning.  I’m so glad (seriously… soooo glad!) that I kept at it and stuck it out. The reward has been enormous. I remember one time during the beginning where I had nipple pain and was thinking of ways on how to endure another nursing session. it got better. And better. And better. Now, I can’t wait for those moments to connect with my son.

My advice for new moms:  Promise yourself you won’t quit in the middle of the night. Everything is better in the morning. And really, give yourself and your baby at least 4-6 weeks before you quit, if at all possible. Most of the kinks are worked out after 6 weeks and then it truly does become natural and second nature.

I keep hearing from about 10 different moms “I saw a bunch of lactation consultants” upon further probing, none were IBCLC and most were not even certified in anything breastfeeding related!

Check credentials!  Look for IBCLC at the end of their name this stands for International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, this means that this person has gone through extensive training and practice in human lactation.  When asking a doctor for breastfeeding advice look for FABM at the end of their name, this stands for a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and means that this physician has demonstrated advanced knowledge and skills in breastfeeding and lactation management (read between the lines: this doctor is not just giving “breast is best” lip service while handing out formula samples and undermining moms).

Like in every other field, there are some imposters.  If your “lactation specialist” in the hospital is judgmental or dismissive, grabs your boob without permission, hands out nipple shields like candy, or otherwises raises your finely-tuned mom’s instinct antennae, call your La Leche League group, friendly doula/midwife, or local breastfeeding boutique for the name of a good one that can visit you in the hospital.

The most common excuse that I hear for moms quitting or supplementing (which ultimately leads to quitting in most cases) is “I couldn’t make enough milk”.  Here’s the scoop:

4% of women can’t make enough milk
Most women I talk to who don’t breastfeed say that they didn’t have the supply needed to feed their child. I truly believe that is true, but the reason their supply was low was probably based on a bad latch, poor nutrition or bad milk supply management (all of which could be remedied with support, education and better birth policies at hospitals).

Let’s take a closer look:

-  Nutrition:

Did you know that there are certain foods that can lower your milk supply? Sage and peppermint are known for decreasing milk supply.  Love mint tea?  take it easy when nursing.

Do you get enough water? When I struggled briefly establishing my supply at first I discovered that I wasn’t drinking enough water.  I used to force myself to drink more water. I am now a water junkie. I now drink 5 to 6 16oz bottles of water everyday, minimum!  I am on an almost pure water diet (in terms of beverage). Water is amazing. I truly believe it is what gives me my supply. DRINK WATER!

Trust me on this, it is way easier to drink a glass of water at home than have to go to the store to buy formula.

What do you eat during the day? Protein, calories and nutrition are important. What you eat goes into your breastmilk. If you’re not eating enough to properly care for your own body, your milk will suffer. I admit that my diet is not always the best but I do make an effort to add nutritional content for Shammy’s benefit.

- Hormones:

Did you go straight onto hormonal birth control? Did you know that it can decrease your milk supply?  There are ways to be on birth control without compromising your supply.  Plus if you breastfeed exclusively during the first 6 months the chances of becoming pregnant during that period are less than 3%, comparable to most birth control pills.

- Your baby’s latch:

Most LD Nurses and I hate to say it, Lactation Consultants aren’t very helpful when it comes to breastfeeding. That being said, some are great! If you get a good one, you will learn to properly get your baby to latch at the hospital. Some women leave the hospital with sore nipples, a starving baby and stress. I highly recommend all new mothers read as many breastfeeding books as possible before birth, talk to friends, mothers, sisters, aunts, etc. Once the baby is born, go to a breastfeeding support group, LLL meeting, have friends come over and pick up the phone. Breastfeeding is not always natural. I cried and cried while my nipples hurt. I used my first few weeks with baby to learn how to breastfeed. It took work, courage, late nights and lots of patience. By the end of 6 weeks, I was well on my way to success. Now at almost 5 months old, I’ll whip it out in public and nurse that baby…. though you’re not likely to see any boob, I’m pretty inconspicuous.

I leave you with some holiday cheer:

On the first day of Christmas
There stood before me,
A mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the second day of Christmas
There stood before me,
Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the third day of Christmas,
There stood before me,
Three support groups,
Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the fourth day of Christmas,
There stood before me,
Four (FABM) MDs,
Three support groups,
Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the fifth day of Christmas
There stood before me,
Five Baby-Friendly Hospitals,
Four (FABM) MDs,
Three support groups,
Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the sixth day of Christmas,
There stood before me,
Six great IBCLCs,
Five Baby-Friendly Hospitals,
Four (FABM) MDs,
Three support groups,
Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the seventh day of Christmas
There stood before me,
Seven partners protecting,
Six great IBCLCs,
Five Baby-Friendly Hospitals,
Four (FABM) MDs,
Three support groups,
Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the eighth day of Christmas
There stood before me,
Eight friends a-helping,
Seven partners protecting,
Six great IBCLCs,
Five Baby-Friendly Hospitals,
Four (FABM) MDs,
Three support groups,  
Continued

Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the ninth day of Christmas
There stood before me,
Nine celebs a-nursing,
Eight friends a-helping,
Seven partners protecting,
Six great IBCLCs,
Five Baby-Friendly Hospitals,
Four (FABM) MDs,
Three support groups,
Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the tenth day of Christmas,
There stood before me,
Ten nursing nooks,
Nine celebs a-nursing,
Eight friends a-helping,
Seven partners protecting,
Six great IBCLCs,
Five Baby-Friendly Hospitals,
Four (FABM) MDs,
Three support groups,
Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the eleventh day of Christmas
There stood before me,
Eleven strangers cheering,
Ten nursing nooks,
Nine celebs a-nursing,
Eight friends a-helping,
Seven partners protecting,
Six great IBCLCs,
Five Baby-Friendly Hospitals,
Four FABM MDs,
Three support groups,
Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
There stood before me,
Twelve supportive employers,
Eleven strangers cheering,
Ten nursing nooks,
Nine celebs a-nursing,
Eight friends a-helping,
Seven partners protecting,
Six great IBCLCs,
Five Baby-Friendly Hospitals,
Four (FABM) MDs,
Three support groups,
Two doula/midwives,
And a mother wanting to breastfeed!

I never expected motherhood to turn me into a bigger geek than I already am but that is exactly what has happened.  I started to tinker with a movie creating program to create a dvd for my parents showing some video clips of Shammy since they’re not techie enough for YouTube.  I never would have guessed that I would get so into it that now the project has evolved into a full “history of Shammy” compilation.  It’s got photo slideshows of the pregnancy, the birth and Shammy’s first 3 months, it’s got background music, transition effects, captions and at 15 mins long already I’m not yet done.  The video along with this blog will document Shammy’s early history.  I hope that Shammy will appreciate this legacy that I’m creating for him, I wish my mom had kept a journal or something.

Who knows, perhaps this will just be volume 1 and I’ll create new chapters every few months or so….

I have given up and come to accept the fact that my son is going to be a technology geek, it’s int he genes.  He loves to stare at the computer screen, tap on the keyboard and even figured out on his own how to click the mouse.  When’s he’s fussy he’ll calm down when the TV comes on.  ::sigh::

He’s had a messed up sleep pattern lately, some days he’ll sleep through the night as usual and on other days he’ll decide that 4am is the start of the new day and he is not going back to sleep and wants to be entertained.   Out of exhaustion my husband sat him on his bouncy chair in front of the TV and turned on an infomercial and lo and behold, we got to snooze.  How sad is that?

As of this week I will have been breastfeeding exclusively for 4 months, I admit that at first I didn’t know if I would make it this far.  I am glad that I have and we keep on going strong.

I have finally found my pumping groove.  After struggling for months and dreading the whole process I have worked it out to a smooth routine.  I now pump once a day 1 hour after he goes to sleep for the night and I keep the pump parts in the refrigerator so that I don’t have to disinfect every day.  I’m also increasing the volume of the bags that I freeze for larger servings.

The other night I was preparing a bag to freeze when hubby walks in and asks “what are you cooking?”,  without hesitating I responded “breastmilk, want some?”

A lot of people may cringe but I have actually tasted my milk, I do it regularly too.  No, I don’t steal Shammy’s pumped milk to do shots with.  Instead I lick the drops of milk that fall on my arm during nursing or pumping, most of the time it tastes like vanilla soymilk but I love to notice the change in taste based on what I’m eating.  Shammy’s milk is a heck of a lot more interesting than formula and I do ask him “what would you like in your milk?” when I am trying to decide what to eat.  He gets birthday cake milk on his birthdays.

Since work has been dry for a couple of weeks thus needing less bottles I am finally starting to have the resemblance of a freezer stash.

Shammy got to celebrate his first Thanksgiving, his father insisted on instituting the tradition of having him watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade and see Santa.  Shammy’s act of peaceful rebellion was to conveniently fall asleep 10 minutes before Santa came on and waking up 2 minutes after it ended.

Shammy is now 4 months old!  And to think that I still get pain from the surgery, usually after physical activity.  I still can’t have the elastic in clothing sit on the scar without pain

I’ve had to adjust the straps in his car seat to a larger setting again, it was just over a month ago that I had adjusted it last, wow.

He has outgrown all of his sized diaper covers and I only have 1 one size diaper cover so we are barely using the contour diapers.  I now have a couple of [amazon_link id="B003K1CNBK" target="_blank" ]Fuzzibunz [/amazon_link]one size diapers that I had traded for and I must say that I like them so far.  I like the fact that they come in colors that are not available with Bumgenius such as brown and they are a trimmer fit which works well for clothes that Shammy is about to outgrow.  I also like the sizing adjustment process for them.  I haven’t tried them overnight so I don’t know how well they would hold but I would like to get more in different colors to better coordinate with Shammy’s outfits.

Speaking of diapers, I need a larger diaper pail.  The one that I currently have was designed for disposable diapers emptied daily and instead I use it for cloth diapers washed every other day so it doesn’t quite hold 2 days worth of diapers.  When I start working again I’ll look into getting a kitchen trashcan, that would probably be better for the task.

Despite books and websites repeatedly telling me not to expect Shammy to respond with sign language for several months I am happy to report early success with this approach.  He understands the sign for milk and has been known to use it (his dexterity is still developing so it’s not perfect but understandable).  He has also developed his own sign for “pick me up”.

I’m hoping to learn more signs to incorporate into our interactions.  Books advise to just pick a few signs and teach those but if I can learn more and just use them normally in conversation I don’t see how that could hurt.  What he has learned so far has been from regular “conversations”, I haven’t tried to do sign language lessons, instead I just make the sign whenever saying the word/doing the task and he’s learning by context very well.

And this week’s rant is a 2 part one:

I have been attacked on Facebook for being outspoken about breastfeeding thus making formula moms “uncomfortable”.

Seriously? I am PROUD! I worked really effin hard at this and succeeded!  It wasn’t always easy, I cried, I dedicate a lot of time and energy but it is worth it.  I don’t always enjoy being covered in milk, or pumping on the highway, but I do it. It is the best thing I can do for my son, and I am proud of it.  I am sure we have a zillion things that we don’t agree on in all areas of being a human being. I post things on facebook as a reminder to myself and my dear pregnant friends, that they can do it. I have had more than one pregnant mom tell me that the pro-breastfeeding things I post on facebook has encouraged them and empowered them, so damn-it, I am going to keep on keepin’ on!

I happen to have good friends that are passionate about things that I am opposed to.  I just skip over those posts and I don’t put anything negative, it’s my personal choice.

! It seems like every single time I post something (or a friend posts something) about breastfeeding or circumsicion, at least someone gets offended and acting like I am attacking them directly. Nothing I post on Facebook is aimed towards anyone but myself, and my fellow natural moms who might want to read the same article. If it doesn’t apply to you, or you don’t want to read it, then skip it.   Though I am not as nice as some of my friends, I like to defend myself and I rarely apologize for anything I have said or posted, because again, its NOT aimed at YOU! Get over it!

I have also been attacked for being indescreet in my breastfeeding, I proudly admit to this.  Why do fatty men get to show their boobies (many of which are larger than mine!) but I can’t feed my kid?  If you don’t have to cover up when eating your cheeseburger or go eat it in the bathroom then baby shouldn’t have to do the same to eat his lunch.

Besides, breastfeeding needs to be normalized, not hidden.  Sundae Horn wrote a good essay on this topic on Mothering Magazine and she wrote the “Indescreet Breastfeeding Manifesto” which I happily subscribe to.

Indiscreet Breastfeeding Manifesto

• I will nurse my child anytime, anywhere, no matter who is present or what I am wearing.
• I will bare my breast with pride and confidence.
• I will not apologize for nourishing and nurturing my child.
• I will not smother my child with a napkin or blanket.
• I will smile at everyone around me and ignore rude stares.
• I will know that I am giving my child the perfect infant food from the most efficient, ecological, and economical delivery system.
• I will know that I am giving my child the healthy start that is his or her birthright.
• I will set an example for women and girls, educate the public, dispel breastfeeding myths, desexualize the breast, and make the world a better place, all through the simple act of feeding my child.

I’m not a fan of the performer Pink but I do tip my hat to her for making a powerful statement in her latest video by showing a row of human females pumping milk that is then fed to a young cow.  Powerful analogy for what most people just refuse to think about…

This last week marked the one year anniversary of the digital readout on that plastic stick said “Pregnant”, yet another thing that most moms don’t notice but I did discover that I’m not the only mom that celebrates “silly” things like that.

We’ve gotten enough “OMG your baby is so cute!” comments that Shammy is now in a Cutest Baby Contest, so please go and vote everyday for the next 8 days to help him win.  Click here to vote

Shammy has been laughing for a while now but recently we experience the first delight that is a non-stop giggle/laugh session, it was just too freaking cute.  Specially because his daddy wasn’t doing anything that funny to warrant so much laughter.

I have volunteered to be a mentor mom to another pregnant woman that is due on July 2011, I don’t yet know who I will match up with but I look forward to being able to help someone the way that I would have liked to have been helped while pregnant.

It has also been suggested that I become a Site Administrator and founder of a Treasure Coast chapter of the Mommies Network, at 501c3 nonprofit to help moms network.  It is very tempting but don’t know if I should commit so much time to such a task as it will take about 15 hours a week to get this organization off the ground, we’ll see…

This has been a week of reorganization, in that process I found a large batch of clothes in Shammy’s current size that had been shuffled in his closet.  It’s a good thing that I discovered them now while he can still wear them for at least a couple of weeks.

I also reorganized his cloth diapers, got small baskets at the dollar store to sort the diapers on the shelves under his changing table; night diapers, regular diapers, covers, doublers, contours, prefolds, they all now have a designated place.

Now I just need a larger diaper pail… but I’m managing just find and it’s small size keeps me from procrastinating on the cloth diaper laundry.  I will admit that I LOVE washing cloth diapers and prefer that over any other domestic chore.  I’m so happy that daddy Fox helped install an umbrella drying stand in our backyard and I was giddy with excitement as I watched the first batch of cloth diapers drying in the wind.

I also figured out how to fold his cloth wipes and put them in a recycled wipes container so that they pop out like disposable wipes.  I’m very proud of myself.  I have just enough cloth wipes right now but could use another dozen or 2.  I cut up some flannel receiving blankets but I don’t know how to serge the edges to prevent fraying.  It may be easier to just break down and buy some…

Once I get at least another dozen cloth wipes I’ll be able to ditch the disposable wipes from the diaper bag and there will be one less thing to buy. I absolutely love how we never have to worry about having to go to the store to buy diapers, formula or wipes.  At this rate I plan to make our own baby food as well.

I never thought that I would say this but the dog ate the diaper.  I wasn’t there but I sure would have loved to see that happen.  When grandma was last babysitting Shammy, one of her dogs decided that one of his cloth diapers looked like something fun to chew on, I didn’t see the results but I can only imagine.  Days later I still laugh when I think about it but the dog needs to realize that there are better chew toys than $18 diapers, lol.

This week was the first time that I missed Shammy’s bedtime.  Thankfully it was just a one time thing while I participated in a focus group.  It still sucked coming home and baby was already down for the night.  It was like the first day back to work all over again.

I’m now on the quest for a new pediatrician for Shammy, at least temporarily.  I love Dr. Punger and don’t want to stop using her but she doesn’t accept Medicaid and with me working so few hours I can’t afford to pay cash for visits.  I’m hoping to find a pediatrician that won’t give me a hard time about delayed/ selective vaccinations, considering contacting the doctor that took care of Shammy during his first few days of life as we really liked him.  We’ll see…

On the sign language front, I got a [amazon_link id="B002VH76VQ" target="_blank" ]baby board book on sign language[/amazon_link], it’s very cute but it annoys me that in the sign for milk the picture shows a bottle and a pacifier and in the sign for diaper it shows a stack of disposable.  I can’t blame the author for being mainstream and I’ll learn to live with it.

Onto today’s rant…

Nursing in public prevents angry, screaming babies.  I hate listening to babies cry hysterically.  It’s the worst sound in the world – give me fingernails on chalkboard any day.  Every instinct in my body drives me to find the sound of the screaming child and fix it.   Evolution or God made people that way – we react strongly to the sound of a distressed child, our hormone levels changing, anxiety activated.

If the child is hungry, the solution is simple – feed the baby. I’d so much rather round the aisle in Walmart and see a nursing mom than have to hear her child screaming across the store.

I was about 6 when I first saw a mom nursing, this encounter didn’t repeat itself until I was in my mid 20′s.  My mother claims to have tried to breastfed me but said that I wasn’t interested and refused to latch on.  The nurse said that I was going to starve,  she believed her and formula-fed me.  None of them stopped to consider that I had just been born via c-section and had to recover from being drugged while adjusting to this new bright harsh world.  There was no lactation consultant to help my mother nor did she know to ask for help.

I was in my mother’s place a few months ago, Shammy was also born via c-section and was not interested in the breast for the first few hours.  I didn’t worry and gave him time, when he was ready he latched on and nursed like a champ.  I chose not to worry and rush into an unnecessary bottle.  That is the difference that making sure that I did my homework in advance does in the lack of proper support.

I took a class. I read books.  Why did I have to take a class to learn how to breastfeed? Why did I have to take a class to show me how to latch a baby on my breast?  The answer is simple – I had never seen it, up close and personal.  Is it any wonder how difficult breastfeeding is for most?

If you want to know why so many women attempt to breastfeed and fail, I would say to look there.  They didn’t learn how, when they were 10 and first learning how to care for infants.  Why can’t fathers support breastfeeding moms and give advice?  They never saw it, in real life or on TV.

Here’s the truth.  Babies don’t come with bottles in real life.  They come with boobs.  We are mammals, and mammals breastfeed their young.   You don’t ask the mother cat with kittens to “cover up” – right?  If nursing moms always cover up, little boys and girls have to learn about breastfeeding from a BOOK.

If you only feel comfortable with a blanket and your baby is cool with it, go ahead and use the blanket, but don’t feel like a blanket or the bathroom are your only options.

Babies are people too.  They deserve to eat when they’re hungry. and they deserve to enjoy their meals without a blanket over their heads.  Pretty simple stuff.