I am in my 37th week, now. It's hard to believe that the end is near (well, probably not that near; if this pregnancy follows my previous patterns, I have anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks left, but—I can see the finished line, you know?) I have most of my birth supplies, now; I still need to purchase a car seat (um, yeah. I should probably get on that, huh?) and a throw-away bottom sheet to put on the bed for D-Day, but other than that, I think I'm all set in that department. I bought a little boy and a little girl sleeper last week, so we'll see which one gets returned. My mother-in-law will be coming out, probably beginning of March, or so, and my mom will come a week or so after that. I'm kind of looking forward to getting some naps in, and having a few extra sets of hands to help out with the kids—I have been so tired lately, it's just really hard to get stuff done. I'm still waiting for nesting to kick in, and I'm afraid that I may just miss it this time. Which is kind of disappointing, because my house could really use a good scrubbing.
In other news, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my still-nursing-really-frequently toddler. I'm not planning to wean him, but he nurses waaaay more than my older two did by now, and I'm not sure that I'll be up to cluster-feeding a newborn, while my toddler throws a tantrum on the floor because I'm not cluster-feeding him, too. And bedtime is going to be a challenge if he doesn't at least partially night-wean soon (which he's showing no interest in even considering, right now). We may have to cut back a little, against his wishes. I don't know how that will work out, though. My four-year-old is down to one or two sessions a week, now, and only at bedtime, so I'm not terribly worried about her. I've been thinking of throwing her a weaning party to get her to finish up, but I'm not sure if she's completely ready, yet. She still asks for milkies fairly often at bedtime (our new rule is that she only gets it if it's not past bedtime). First-world problems, huh? I suppose we'll get it all figured out when the time comes that we have to. And I'll just have to not think about it until then.
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
February 11, 2013
October 08, 2012
Nursing in Public, Sunday-Style
My sister and I visited a church this weekend; it wasn't a church that either of us would ever, ever attend. Ever. But we both went to the school associated with this church, years and decades and lifetimes ago, and we still know and love a lot of people there.
So we sat up in the balcony with our two and three kids respectively, while the pastor stood up at the pulpit and made it very clear that noisy/crying/distracting children should be immediately removed from the service, as we would not want to hamper the work of the Holy Spirit. Who is, apparently, a lot less powerful than I always gave Him credit for. So five minutes into the song service, my eighteen-month-old started talking. Loudly. So I took him to the designated "cry room," which had been pointed out to me the moment I stated that my kids would be sitting in the service with me. Yes, even the baby.
The cry room was--weird. There were no less than thirteen people in there, several of them men. The chairs were arranged in rows, facing the front of the room, but no one was at the front of the room. The sermon was being piped in, and everyone was sitting in the rows of chairs, facing the empty front of the room, listening to the sermon. I was one of two people with a child. I sat in the back, next to a lady that I had known when I went to the school, and started to discreetly nurse my baby.
"Do you have a blanket or something to cover up with? That doesn't bother me, but there are men here."
"No, and my baby won't nurse under a blanket."
"Here, I'll get you a blanket from the nursery." She laid her coat over my baby's head and stepped out.
My baby immediately threw her coat on the floor.
We stopped nursing, and tried our luck walking around in the lobby. We ran into her as we were leaving--I told her my baby was done, and she handed me the blanket anyway. "The nursery has little curtained rooms in it if you need to nurse again."
Honestly, I was annoyed. Probably incensed. I was nursing my baby in the only place I knew to nurse him (and really? I'm supposed to shut myself up in a little curtained room every time my baby wants to nurse?). I was covered, but apparently, because that covering was a tank top, my shirt, and my baby, instead of a giant flannel blanket, I was being dirty. Immodest. Disgusting. Probably causing men to have lustful thoughts.
In the five-and-a-half years that I have been nursing, I have never encountered negativity while nursing in public until now. And of course, it had to be in a church, because obviously, God hates breasts. Especially those used for nourishing a baby.
So we sat up in the balcony with our two and three kids respectively, while the pastor stood up at the pulpit and made it very clear that noisy/crying/distracting children should be immediately removed from the service, as we would not want to hamper the work of the Holy Spirit. Who is, apparently, a lot less powerful than I always gave Him credit for. So five minutes into the song service, my eighteen-month-old started talking. Loudly. So I took him to the designated "cry room," which had been pointed out to me the moment I stated that my kids would be sitting in the service with me. Yes, even the baby.
The cry room was--weird. There were no less than thirteen people in there, several of them men. The chairs were arranged in rows, facing the front of the room, but no one was at the front of the room. The sermon was being piped in, and everyone was sitting in the rows of chairs, facing the empty front of the room, listening to the sermon. I was one of two people with a child. I sat in the back, next to a lady that I had known when I went to the school, and started to discreetly nurse my baby.
"Do you have a blanket or something to cover up with? That doesn't bother me, but there are men here."
"No, and my baby won't nurse under a blanket."
"Here, I'll get you a blanket from the nursery." She laid her coat over my baby's head and stepped out.
My baby immediately threw her coat on the floor.
We stopped nursing, and tried our luck walking around in the lobby. We ran into her as we were leaving--I told her my baby was done, and she handed me the blanket anyway. "The nursery has little curtained rooms in it if you need to nurse again."
Honestly, I was annoyed. Probably incensed. I was nursing my baby in the only place I knew to nurse him (and really? I'm supposed to shut myself up in a little curtained room every time my baby wants to nurse?). I was covered, but apparently, because that covering was a tank top, my shirt, and my baby, instead of a giant flannel blanket, I was being dirty. Immodest. Disgusting. Probably causing men to have lustful thoughts.
In the five-and-a-half years that I have been nursing, I have never encountered negativity while nursing in public until now. And of course, it had to be in a church, because obviously, God hates breasts. Especially those used for nourishing a baby.
 |
| A mom nursing her infant as discreetly as I was nursing. |
August 15, 2012
What You *Really* Need for Breastfeeding
So I had another "first" prenatal with another doctor the other day, and they sent me home with another prenatal pack with info for new moms. I was actually semi-impressed with this pack--there was only one publication that contained formula advertising in it, and I couldn't find anything that was actually published by formula companies. It appeared that the hospital self-published much of their materials, and contained some fairly good information. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure none of their doctors have actually read said materials, because when I birthed there five-and-a-half years ago, they pretty much didn't do any of the good stuff. Which is why I now homebirth. Different topic, though. Anyway.
So they included a copy of the Babytalk pregnancy planner, which I ignored at first because a)most mainstream pregnancy publications suck, and b) this is not my first time around the block. But, yesterday, in a fit of procrastination, I picked it up. And it was every bit as appalling as I'd expected.
First thing a saw when I opened it was a full color double page spread ad for Similac. Now, I know they have to have advertising, and I know that lots of moms formula feed, and I know that since breastfeeding is free, no one can really make any money advertising breastfeeding, but, still. I'll give them a pass on that, though, for the above reason, and because it's a mainstream publication, and all mainstream publications advertise formula, and all kinds of crap that no one actually needs or use for their babies, but it makes you all warm and fuzzy feeling when you flip through it as a hormonal pregnant woman, so whatever.
What caught my eye, and, consequently, my temper, though, was the breastfeeding supply list. It just screamed "I was written by someone at the formula company!" Here is what the spring/summer 2012 edition of the Babytalk pregnancy planner says you need in order to start breastfeeding (this list can be found on page 39):
You don't need a breast pump. Not at first. If you're planning on going back to work at some point, then yes, you'll need a breast pump. But you don't have to go out and drop $250 on a Medela before you've left the hospital in order to succeed at breastfeeding. If you are having supply issues, your hospital can rent you a hospital grade pump to help your milk come in (and often, your insurance will pay for it). You can also hand express (the first time I tried hand expression, I was actually shocked at how effective it was. So effective that I had clean milk off the opposite wall when I was done). You can use a "much less expensive manual pump" if necessary. Really, though, if you're having supply issues, your best bet is not to go out and buy a breast pump, but to contact your local LLL representative and get help. Immediately.
Obviously, if you don't pump, you don't need freezer containers or bottles, since those would be absolutely useless to your breastfeeding baby. So I'm really not sure why these are on a list of things you need to breastfeed. Maybe they mislabeled the list for "Things You Need for Pumping."
Before my oldest was born, I bought a huge box of nursing pads, because all the lists told me that my breasts would turn into geysers after my baby was born, and I would soak through my clothes, and embarrass myself. I never used them. Not one. Granted, I know some women who do leak, so I'm not saying you absolutely, positively will. not. need. them. I'm just saying, wait. Find out what your body does with milk before you buy stuff that you won't ever use. Like I said before, the only things you need to start nursing is a baby and a boob.
Nursing pillows are--well, I hated mine. Hated it. It didn't sit right, and the baby would slip down between me and the pillow, and it never quite propped him up high enough, and it was so bulky that I could never take it anywhere, and at home I had free access to all kinds of pillows (which I could arrange to work much better than my nursing pillow did), so it was totally a waste of however much money the lady who gave it to me spent on it. Again, I know some women who love their nursing pillows. Wouldn't go anywhere without them. Can't imagine breastfeeding without it. That's fine. But wait. To get started breastfeeding, all you need is (let's hear it, ladies) a baby and a boob.
Nipple cream, of course, falls into the same category as nursing pillows and nipple pads. When I was first starting out breastfeeding, my nipples did crack and bleed and hurt like holy heck. I honestly didn't find that nipple cream helped me (it was a latch issue, and often is. Breastfeeding should. not. hurt.). Half the time I forgot I even had it, so, whatever. Some women probably find it really helpful, so I'm not saying it's not something that you may need. I'm just saying that, well, first of all, if your nipples are cracked and bleeding, or constantly sore, contact your local LLL representative and get help. And second, all you really need to breastfeed is--yeah. You get it. Right?
Nursing bras I can actually understand. I mean, I don't wear them anymore because I can't find one that's comfortable that I don't have to mortgage my house to pay for, and I've found it's quite easy to slip my boob over the top of my regular bra, and pop it back in when I'm done. I'm an experienced breastfeeder, though, and I'm not positive I could have done that with my first couple of kids. Also, I may have ill-fitting bras. But, a nursing bra is not something that you need in order to start breastfeeding. I mean, I don't know about anyone else, but the first two, three, fouryears weeks after my babies are born, I don't even wear a bra. At all. So I certainly don't require the services of a fancy, expensive bra in order to feed my baby with my boob.
A can of formula is something that a beginner breastfeeder (or any breastfeeder) should never, ever, EVER have on hand. Those first couple weeks of breastfeeding your first baby are, well, hard. I won't sugar-coat that. Depending on how much support you have, you may have people telling you that baby is starving every time he screams, and that you need to top him off with formula to make sure he's getting enough. You'll obsess over diapers ("Is this poop the right color? Is he pooping enough?"). You'll cry because you just fed this kid six minutes ago, and he wants to nurse again. It's a mountain, and if you're going to breastfeed, you'll have to scale it, at least once. Probably. And let me tell you, a can of formula will hold you back. It will sit on your shelf and taunt you. It will remind you of how inept you are at feeding your baby with your boob. It will ask you if you know for sure that your baby is eating enough, and laugh when you stammer back that you th-th-think so. It will glow in the dark when you get up for those great many middle of the night feeds, and remind you that statistically, formula-fed babies sleep for longer stretches of time (it will not elaborate on whether this is actually safe, however). It will sabotage you.
Incidentally, I find it (kind of) funny that the list of breastfeeding necessities is eight items long. Eight things that you're supposed to need in order to start breastfeeding. You know how long the formula-feeding list is? Six items. Six. Because last I checked, you need a lot more than a baby and a boob to formula feed.
Breastfeeding is--amazing. I've been doing it non-stop for five-and-a-half years, and I'm currently tandem nursing (while pregnant. Do I earn points for that?). I know whereof I speak, ladies. It may take some effort to get started, it may take some fortitude, some determination, some bull-headedness, some focus. But really, it just takes a baby and a boob. That's it. Now go for it!
So they included a copy of the Babytalk pregnancy planner, which I ignored at first because a)most mainstream pregnancy publications suck, and b) this is not my first time around the block. But, yesterday, in a fit of procrastination, I picked it up. And it was every bit as appalling as I'd expected.
First thing a saw when I opened it was a full color double page spread ad for Similac. Now, I know they have to have advertising, and I know that lots of moms formula feed, and I know that since breastfeeding is free, no one can really make any money advertising breastfeeding, but, still. I'll give them a pass on that, though, for the above reason, and because it's a mainstream publication, and all mainstream publications advertise formula, and all kinds of crap that no one actually needs or use for their babies, but it makes you all warm and fuzzy feeling when you flip through it as a hormonal pregnant woman, so whatever.
What caught my eye, and, consequently, my temper, though, was the breastfeeding supply list. It just screamed "I was written by someone at the formula company!" Here is what the spring/summer 2012 edition of the Babytalk pregnancy planner says you need in order to start breastfeeding (this list can be found on page 39):
Okay, so here's the deal. Really, the only thing you need to get started breastfeeding, is a baby and a boob. That's it. It's not complicated. It's not expensive.
- breast pump This purchase can make or break your nursing experience. If you're going back to work full time, you'll need to buy or rent a super-efficient (but pricey) double electric pump. But if you're staying home, a much less expensive manual pump may be fine.
- freezer storage containers or bag
- 4 to 6 bottles
- nursing pads
- nursing pillow
- nipple cream
- 2 nursing bras for now (your size may change when your milk comes in)
- can of formula in case of emergency
(it's always good to have one on hand!)
You don't need a breast pump. Not at first. If you're planning on going back to work at some point, then yes, you'll need a breast pump. But you don't have to go out and drop $250 on a Medela before you've left the hospital in order to succeed at breastfeeding. If you are having supply issues, your hospital can rent you a hospital grade pump to help your milk come in (and often, your insurance will pay for it). You can also hand express (the first time I tried hand expression, I was actually shocked at how effective it was. So effective that I had clean milk off the opposite wall when I was done). You can use a "much less expensive manual pump" if necessary. Really, though, if you're having supply issues, your best bet is not to go out and buy a breast pump, but to contact your local LLL representative and get help. Immediately.
Obviously, if you don't pump, you don't need freezer containers or bottles, since those would be absolutely useless to your breastfeeding baby. So I'm really not sure why these are on a list of things you need to breastfeed. Maybe they mislabeled the list for "Things You Need for Pumping."
Before my oldest was born, I bought a huge box of nursing pads, because all the lists told me that my breasts would turn into geysers after my baby was born, and I would soak through my clothes, and embarrass myself. I never used them. Not one. Granted, I know some women who do leak, so I'm not saying you absolutely, positively will. not. need. them. I'm just saying, wait. Find out what your body does with milk before you buy stuff that you won't ever use. Like I said before, the only things you need to start nursing is a baby and a boob.
Nursing pillows are--well, I hated mine. Hated it. It didn't sit right, and the baby would slip down between me and the pillow, and it never quite propped him up high enough, and it was so bulky that I could never take it anywhere, and at home I had free access to all kinds of pillows (which I could arrange to work much better than my nursing pillow did), so it was totally a waste of however much money the lady who gave it to me spent on it. Again, I know some women who love their nursing pillows. Wouldn't go anywhere without them. Can't imagine breastfeeding without it. That's fine. But wait. To get started breastfeeding, all you need is (let's hear it, ladies) a baby and a boob.
Nipple cream, of course, falls into the same category as nursing pillows and nipple pads. When I was first starting out breastfeeding, my nipples did crack and bleed and hurt like holy heck. I honestly didn't find that nipple cream helped me (it was a latch issue, and often is. Breastfeeding should. not. hurt.). Half the time I forgot I even had it, so, whatever. Some women probably find it really helpful, so I'm not saying it's not something that you may need. I'm just saying that, well, first of all, if your nipples are cracked and bleeding, or constantly sore, contact your local LLL representative and get help. And second, all you really need to breastfeed is--yeah. You get it. Right?
Nursing bras I can actually understand. I mean, I don't wear them anymore because I can't find one that's comfortable that I don't have to mortgage my house to pay for, and I've found it's quite easy to slip my boob over the top of my regular bra, and pop it back in when I'm done. I'm an experienced breastfeeder, though, and I'm not positive I could have done that with my first couple of kids. Also, I may have ill-fitting bras. But, a nursing bra is not something that you need in order to start breastfeeding. I mean, I don't know about anyone else, but the first two, three, four
A can of formula is something that a beginner breastfeeder (or any breastfeeder) should never, ever, EVER have on hand. Those first couple weeks of breastfeeding your first baby are, well, hard. I won't sugar-coat that. Depending on how much support you have, you may have people telling you that baby is starving every time he screams, and that you need to top him off with formula to make sure he's getting enough. You'll obsess over diapers ("Is this poop the right color? Is he pooping enough?"). You'll cry because you just fed this kid six minutes ago, and he wants to nurse again. It's a mountain, and if you're going to breastfeed, you'll have to scale it, at least once. Probably. And let me tell you, a can of formula will hold you back. It will sit on your shelf and taunt you. It will remind you of how inept you are at feeding your baby with your boob. It will ask you if you know for sure that your baby is eating enough, and laugh when you stammer back that you th-th-think so. It will glow in the dark when you get up for those great many middle of the night feeds, and remind you that statistically, formula-fed babies sleep for longer stretches of time (it will not elaborate on whether this is actually safe, however). It will sabotage you.
Incidentally, I find it (kind of) funny that the list of breastfeeding necessities is eight items long. Eight things that you're supposed to need in order to start breastfeeding. You know how long the formula-feeding list is? Six items. Six. Because last I checked, you need a lot more than a baby and a boob to formula feed.
Breastfeeding is--amazing. I've been doing it non-stop for five-and-a-half years, and I'm currently tandem nursing (while pregnant. Do I earn points for that?). I know whereof I speak, ladies. It may take some effort to get started, it may take some fortitude, some determination, some bull-headedness, some focus. But really, it just takes a baby and a boob. That's it. Now go for it!
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