I was going to write today about weaning or tandem nursing (what I have to say about pumping, you probably don’t want to hear.) But, in the last two days I have read and heard several discouraging things about World Breastfeeding Week and mocking breastfeeding in general.
THAT is why I do this year after year. As much as it can seem like breastfeeding is the easy choice (free! convenient!) there’s a reason so few moms make it to even three months of exclusive breastfeeding, even if they want to. It’s hard, and our culture doesn’t make it any easier. When women no longer stop me at church to say how much they admire me for nursing in public UNDER A BLANKET, when I turn on the tv and no one makes a breastfeeding joke, when moms have the resources they need to get through rough patches, I’ll stop blogging about it.
Well said!
honestly, we are just so undereducated as a society about breastfeeding, and we have no one to ask about it. If we want to read up on it, most people just read from one of their free parenting magazines which are extremely biased anyway.
I am so thankful that a friend bought me “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” and that I read almost all of it before having my son. I learned so much from that book. Also, I am so thankful that my 2 sisters both had experience EBF for one year. That was such a huge encouragement, to know that I wasn’t alone.
It is hard. And it is different with every child. But so worth it!
I have so enjoyed reading all the WBW posts this week. I know there are may different philosophies out there and strong opinions on every side. Its always important, especially when dealing with other brothers and sister in Christ, to remember Christian Charity.
I wish I had had more support when I was nursing my first. I only lasted 7 months. There is a definitely need for more education in our culture, especially in the disenfranchised (if you will) population. I have first hand seen the amount of money that the government pours into WIC and other programs like it. They have nutritionists on staff, however questionable their nutrition advice is. (I mean, what child needs 5 gallons of juice a month??) But there was absolutely no nursing advice or recommendation whatsoever. They just expect and push all the mothers to use formula. What a waste of money! So sad. Keep up the good work!
Great job, Kristen.
I tried to leave a comment the other day for “Amber”, I think. . .I wanted to let her know about the lact-aid. Amber, if you really want to breastfeed your adoptive child, you might want to check it out. I used it with my first because of low supply issues, and we worked so hard I didn’t need it with my second and third! Anyway, it’s supposed to induce lactation. Good luck!
http://www.lact-aid.com
It’s either California or the fact that if you’re not a mom that all of this is way under your radar, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard a breastfeeding joke. I do think I made one about the six-year-old kid I was sharing a train compartment with in Germany who just lifted his mom’s shirt, tugged her boob out of her bra, and munched away. But that strikes me as different from what you’re talking about. Breast-feeding always just seemed normal to me.
What am I missing?
The joke (on national tv) was about how moms of new babies think they can bring them everywhere and just start breastfeeding them.
Why yes, they can. Even, yes, they should.
Also, I hope that my posts this week (and always!) have been charitable, but there’s a weird line here since this is my blog and not real life interaction. I want to put forth the best information that is out there to help moms, since that’s my point in blogging about WBW. I have always said that people can make their own choices with that information, and I have very good friends that make different choices, and I’m fine with that.
I didn’t intend to imply that you have not been charitable. It is something that I need to remind myself all the time. I think you have done a great job. Thanks again!
By “fine with that” do you mean that you curtly nod at each other when fate dictates that you pass each other in the hall near the bathroom at church? Because that would be awesome.
Seth… :)
Okay, I might not be excited to listen sympathetically when I hear someone talk for thirty minutes about sleep training and the ins and outs of letting their babies scream for thirty minutes because they need to self-soothe, but we can still be friends. Close friends, even. We just agree to disagree and don’t need to talk about it endlessly.
Well I wouldn’t be excited to listen to such a tale, either. But I don’t have very vocal kids, as it goes.
Anyway, also wanted to say I enjoyed WBW. It’s more fun when you’re actually going through it at the same time. When I don’t have any nursing babies, I don’t really think about it much. But since I have one now, I do!
Thanks.
Thanks for all your efforts to raise awareness, Kristen! While I’m not yet a mother, I do desire to breastfeed when I am, and am glad to know that there is a support network out there. The following may have already appeared in the comments of another post this week (I don’t have time at the moment to go back and read them all), but in celebration of WBW, the UN Pulse blog featured spot on breast crawling: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/india_40548.html.