So on a more serious note today, I have decided to proclaim to the world that I am becoming a lactivist! For those who aren't informed about the subject, a lactivist is a breastfeeding activist. Now, now before you get all uppity about it, I am not anti-formula. I just believe if a mother chooses to breastfeed, she should be allowed - even encouraged - to breastfeed wherever she chooses. Let's be perfectly honest, it is one of the most natural things in the world. All mammals do it. And for those of you who balk and say that so is peeing and pooping:
1. Breastfeeding is not unsanitary. Stepping barefoot in Jeremy's freshly watered bushes in the front yard (yes, I am lazy and let him pee in the front yard) is GROSS! Stepping on breastmilk spilt on the floor would be the equivalent of getting some Maola on your foot. Hardly gross.
2. If a person chooses to formula feed, I cannot think of a single place in the world where she would be looked at in a strange manner (well, maybe in a bar in a smoking section). I am doing the same thing - only in a natural, unprocessed way.
That being said, my family and friends have been nothing but supportive of my breastfeeding my sons. I am continually amazed though at how people praise you for breastfeeding your child. Like it is not a normal thing. I guess it really isn't a normal thing. Let's think about it. When was the last time you saw someone breastfeed in public? I saw a woman sit down on the floor of the baby section of Target to breastfeed about 8 months ago probably. Seriously! If this were a perfectly normal or accepted thing to do, then I should be seeing it a lot, right? I mean, I do see a lot of babies drinking from bottles out there.
I am also amazed by how accomodations are not made for really easy requests. Let me give an example. In grad school, while I had to be away from Jeremy I pumped. It wasn't a big deal usually - classes were about an hour long and you can go three or four hours without pumping. Labs were a little bit more precarious, but I'd pump before and immediately after and all was well. Well, in one of my classes there was an entire day field trip. On a Saturday. You get on a bus, ride down and look at some trees, and ride the bus back 7 hours later. The whole time you were with the group. No breaks. The bad part is, you got a free 100 if you went, and a free 0 if you didn't to average in with your quiz grades. Nice. I figured, no problem - the prof will understand. Obviously he will know if I don't pump my boobs will absolutly explode and there will be milk everywhere. There was no where to pump, I'm not asking for the free 100, just don't count it for me. Average 9 quiz grades instead of 10 - that's a simple request, right. WRONG! I got the free 0. It irritated the junk out of me. He excuse was, "Sorry, that's what I do for everyone. Even if someone has national guard duty - they get a 0 for not going." I'm not even going to get into how wrong that is - for breastfeeders AND the national guardsmen of the world.
Alright, off my 'reasons to be a lactivist' story. Just know that I will be breastfeeding Daniel. And I will not feel bad about it. And I will not go into the restroom at Chili's. SERIOUSLY?!?!?! Would you eat in a bathroom stall? Good golly I recall breastfeeding Jeremy in a bathroom stall at the fair. Every time someone started the hand dryer (it was REALLY loud) he would start screaming. Not to mention sanitation....
I really don't mind being discreet in public. I will cover up with a lightweight blanket if my child allows it. If he flips out and doesn't like eating with a blanket over his head/face then I don't blame him. I don't like blankets over my head either.
I have to give a shout-out to my father-in-law at this point. When you first start breastfeeding, you really don't know exactly how to not 'offend' anyone. For a while when I went over to my in-laws, I would just go into a back bedroom. But we really didn't get to see them that often and right in the middle of something, inevitably Jeremy would get hungry and I'd have to go into the back bedroom by myself for 30 minutes while I fed Jeremy. I'm not sure I even asked if it was OK to breastfeed in the living room with everyone else, I think I just started doing it. Kenneth never batted an eye. Now, your father-in-law, maybe your brother-in-law...you'd think you'd feel weird breastfeeding around them. Kenneth never got up and left the room (hello, awkward), or said anything about it, or offered to bring me a blanket to cover up. One time he was even showing me photographs while I was breastfeeding. How many men do you know that would even come that close to a breastfeeding woman? I guess I think this is amazing because it seems like he grew up in a different time. I mean, for goodness sakes, if I get the story right - he wasn't even 'allowed' to go into the delivery room for Amy and Chad's births. He was there for Doug's and when Doug started getting queasy about going into the delivery room with Jeremy, Kenneth looked right at him and said, "You will do it. I did it with you." So a pretty forward-thinking man if I do say so myself.
Don't be offended that I mentioned Kenneth and not you dear reader. I'm sure you were very supportive. I just didn't expect support like that to come from my father-in-law (not a knock on you Kenneth - a compliment).
Anyways, off my soapbox. If you have made it this far into the post, congratulations! I saw some GREAT shirts on-line today and am thinking about purchasing one. Which one would you choose?
1. my baby doesn't like to eat in the bathroom....do you?
2. I make milk (what's your super power?)
3. Try eating with a blanket over YOUR head
4. Too lazy to bottlefeed.
I'm leaning towards "I make milk (What's your superpower?)" right now.
If you're interested, here's a great story about a pumping mom's dedication and service to her country. Awesome!
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2008/jan/09/long-journey-for-mothers-milk/
6 comments:
You go! I breastfed the twins for one year and one day (I was kind of done after that) and donated milk to the milk bank. I can thank my mother for the milk-cow abilities. And neither of my kids put up with the blanket over their heads.....and in the beginning, I couldn't do it because I couldn't see what I was doing! But once you get good at it, there's no reason people should be weirded out by it because unless they're really trying hard, they're not going to get an eye-full. Heck, there's even a story in the NYTimes today about a mom who's finishing her 4th year of medical school and she was breastfeeding ON CAMERA for all the readers of the NYTimes to see! Unfortunately, even people our mothers' age think it's weird, because when we were born, you didn't so much breastfeed. Sheesh. My mom got hassled by her DOCTORS when she told them she was breastfeeding twins. WHAT THE HECK? Argh. I like the milk superpower t-shirt. Isn't it weird that your body can make it on demand? I don't think I ever got over that feeling of "Whoa - it's all me keeping them alive right now." Sorry for the long post. Go super boobies!
"you go laurina", i think the supermom t-shirt is the best.
Sweet Laurina, I hate to admit it but I was one of those moms that breastfeed you in the bathroom stalls of public places. It was torture as you have nothing to rest your arm on that's holding the baby. By the time you're finished, your back is breaking from holding that position on the toilet for so long. Kim is right, when you two were born it was not the popular thing to do (even more unpopular than today). They made nursing bras but not tops so the shirt had to lay on top of your head when you were nursing.
Yesterday I got behind a van that had the license plate "bresfeed". I immediately thought about calling you!
Even though you don't want to hear it, I was super proud that you nursed Jeremy even though your schedule was a tough one. I'm so proud of the GREAT mother that you are.
I love you, Moma
I vote for the t-shirt you picked. Breastfeeding is great! Good for Baby and for Mom! Sometimes I would go to the car to breastfeed. When at the Mall, sometimes I would use the employees lounge at JC Pennys, I had a friend that worked there and that is what she told me to do. There was usually several mothers in there breastfeeding. I thoughtt it was great when you felt comfortable enough to breastfeed in the living room. In our house I think it was you feeling comfortable with it, because I breastfed and so did Amy.
Love you all,
Maw-maw
Maw-Maw
u go girl...more power to the u...love always, aunt shell
I think the superpower shirt is perfect because it is young and hip. If I were to be honest, though, my shirt would have been #4. The biggest reason I breastfed was to avoid fooling with bottles!
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