Thoughts on Nursing

 7 years ago yesterday I entered into motherhood, because Monkey was in NICU I didn't get to nurse her until until the next day.

My first time nursing ever

My first time nursing was stressful, the nurses were telling me it was taking too long, telling me my latch wasn't correct but not correcting it. They told me I needed to supplement with formula because it was taking too long for her to nurse and her sugars would drop and I wouldn't be able to take her home. I did give in and supplement.

For the last 7 years I have been nursing at least one child. I have breastfed through 2 pregnancies and 1 miscarriage. I have extended nursed Monkey until she was 4. I tandem nursed Monkey and Muffin for 10 months. I am still extended nursing Muffin and Tutu and tandem nursed the 2 of them for 20 months and counting.

 Tandem nursing Tutu and Muffin

I nurse on demand, to me breastfeeding cures all, hungry, tired, cranky, upset, bored all solved by breastfeeding.  I co-sleep so that it's easier to nurse through the night and I don't have to get up. Seriously I think this is a lazy mom's secret to success.

First time nursing Muffin

Here the baby is sleeping while the older sibling gets their share.

This picture of me tandem nursing the girls cause some controversy a few weeks ago on my facebook page. Almost 4 years after this picture was posted.

Below are my rants on the subject of being told I was brave to post these pictures on facebook.  The person who made the comment sent me a private message clarify it was the amount of skin showing that was brave as facebook is such a public forum and not the act of nursing.  To me showing this much skin or more to help make the act of nursing normal is acceptable. I know not everyone is comfortable with it but making the act seem normal helps other mothers in the future. I never have shied away from nursing in public with little ones. I don't do extended nursing in public because I don't want to educate others when I am out with my kids but I should if I feel so strongly about the subject. I guess the next time Muffin asks to nurse I will let her. If I talk the talk I should walk the walk.

Facebook Rants

I am very passionate about breastfeeding, I have been doing it for almost 7 years non-stop. I have tandem nursed twice (still doing it the second time around), I have nursed through pregnancy and miscarriage. I do not go around flaunting my breasts in public (well there was 1 time in college but only my friends saw ;)), but I do think that breastfeeding should be viewed as a normal act. I don't think it's brave for me to post a picture of me nursing. Breasts were meant to feed our children. It doesn't make me a hippy because I do extended nursing, or tandem nursing. It makes me normal. How do you think children got fed before formula was invented? It was breastfeeding. If someone wasn't able to there was wet nurses but it was still coming from a breast. Everyone has a right to choose to feed their child but breast is best. I will not judge you for how you feed your child; I do not walk in your shoes. I am proud of the fact that I am able to to do this for my children. I MAKE MILK WHAT'S YOUR SUPERPOWER?

Also we should be supporting one another as mothers and parents. There isn't enough breastfeeding support out there. I am blessed with many wonderful mamas who are knowledgeable about the subject, others aren't so lucky.

thanks guys, my whole thing is why is it brave to post a breastfeeding picture. I am not breaking ground with this. People show more boob on a regular basis then I do in the picture. Maybe if we thought of breastfeeding as a normal act then it wouldn't be considered brave.

 You probably know more about me now and have see more of me then you would have thought but it's all for a good cause.

Ania

Holiday Party

So last weekend not only did we celebrate Monkey's 7th birthday but the next day her BFF was having her 6th birthday. She also has a December birthday and it's just easier to celebrate it last weekend in November.  She had a princess party and Cinderella came to visit.

This Thursday  Monkey was part of the Glee choir at school and they sang at church for the Advent Mass.

And yesterday we had our work Christmas party, its a cheap night out where we get to dress up, have a nice dinner and dance.

This is me in the bathroom at the party. I never got around to asking anyone to take any decent pictures of me. You can't really tell in these pictures but I used a pair of socks under my hair to give some height up front.  I actually liked how my hair turned out it was a collaboration of a few different hairstyles I pinned on Pinterest. And I do like how this dress turned out, there are a few things I would do better next time but I am still proud of it.

Rock and I ready for a night out.  Look at how big his jacket is, he's doing so awesome with his weight loss I am so proud of him, he's lost over 130 lbs.

And while this picture was uploading he and I danced in our family room to Andrea Bocelli's Con te Partiro, it was the song we danced our first dance to as husband and wife.

A self-portrait after dinner.

Self-portrait on the dance floor

Tearing up the dance floor. I miss dancing but not a good mix with attachment parenting and extended nursing. I love that last picture of me; looks like I was having a good time.


And tonight we went out to dinner with my parents to celebrate Monkey's 7th birthday. She is being spoiled this year with birthday parties and special dinners.


Hope everyone else had a good weekend too.

Ania