Ganon has been sleeping for a nice 6 hour stretch each night - which is great for my rest! He has started to wake up in pain, though, as his teeth begin to work their way to the surface. Poor kid. :( He also likes to nurse about twice as often when the teething pain hits, so I can't get much else done. Ah well, at least I have the week off of homework! He's gotten his next round of vaccines as well, and was such a champ again! This time, I didn't even get his pants back on before he stopped crying!
His little fingernails grow so quickly, I clip them almost every day, and they're still always sharp! It wouldn't be such an issue if he hadn't started to grab everyone's face... At least he gives lots of sloppy kisses!
Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Public Decency
A while ago, I went on a road trip with my family to the Mall of America. Out of convenience, I did not bring any bottles, frozen milk, or even my breast pump. I would be with my son, and could nurse him myself - I didn't need the extra bulk or worry of forgetting something. I did put my Triforce nursing cover in the diaper bag, however, since I didn't know the ins and outs of Minnesota law regarding breastfeeding. Using the cover, I nursed him in the mall several times throughout the weekend. He's a terribly patient child, crying his distinctive 'hungry cry' while in the stroller, then quieting when I picked him up and staying quiet until I could find a place to sit and get him in position.
If you don't know, there is a Nickelodeon theme park in the middle of the mall. I did use the nursing cover, but it was still quite obvious what I was doing, and to be honest, it doesn't hide much. When I nursed Ganon in the theme park area, the only looks I got were from curious children. It seemed that my fellow parents just understood. But when I was nursing him in the clothing wing of the mall, the dirty looks abounded. Only one look was from someone who had a child with them, the rest were from lone women or groups of women.
Shortly before we were leaving the mall, I was quite warm from all the walking, and Ganon kept pulling the nursing cover aside (he was overly warm as well). With a shrug, I pulled it off entirely and put it back in the diaper bag. I was on a bench in the hallway, and my mother had a comically shocked look on her face when she walked out of the store and saw me there, nursing uncovered! I very nearly laughed out loud - but it would have startled the baby.
Now, if you think about it, a baby nursing doesn't show much breast. My shirt covers the top part of my breast, my bra covers the bottom and outer side, and the nipple is in the baby's mouth. His head covers even more, but you could conceivably look around it from certain angles. The only thing even possibly visible is my cleavage, which my mother, once upon a time, encouraged me to show more of. (Ooh, dangling participle! There will be more of these.)
What people don't seem to think about is that breastfeeding is what breasts were made for! Breasts are not 'dirty' or 'indecent'. All mammals have them, and their sole purpose is to nourish the young. While large breasts do attract mates, that is hardwired because of the reproductive implication that a large-breasted woman would be better able to feed offspring. (Not true, just as it's not true that a wide-hipped woman is better at bearing children, but it still causes a physical pleasure response.) So whip out those ta-tas and feed your tots! :D
If you don't know, there is a Nickelodeon theme park in the middle of the mall. I did use the nursing cover, but it was still quite obvious what I was doing, and to be honest, it doesn't hide much. When I nursed Ganon in the theme park area, the only looks I got were from curious children. It seemed that my fellow parents just understood. But when I was nursing him in the clothing wing of the mall, the dirty looks abounded. Only one look was from someone who had a child with them, the rest were from lone women or groups of women.
Shortly before we were leaving the mall, I was quite warm from all the walking, and Ganon kept pulling the nursing cover aside (he was overly warm as well). With a shrug, I pulled it off entirely and put it back in the diaper bag. I was on a bench in the hallway, and my mother had a comically shocked look on her face when she walked out of the store and saw me there, nursing uncovered! I very nearly laughed out loud - but it would have startled the baby.
Now, if you think about it, a baby nursing doesn't show much breast. My shirt covers the top part of my breast, my bra covers the bottom and outer side, and the nipple is in the baby's mouth. His head covers even more, but you could conceivably look around it from certain angles. The only thing even possibly visible is my cleavage, which my mother, once upon a time, encouraged me to show more of. (Ooh, dangling participle! There will be more of these.)
What people don't seem to think about is that breastfeeding is what breasts were made for! Breasts are not 'dirty' or 'indecent'. All mammals have them, and their sole purpose is to nourish the young. While large breasts do attract mates, that is hardwired because of the reproductive implication that a large-breasted woman would be better able to feed offspring. (Not true, just as it's not true that a wide-hipped woman is better at bearing children, but it still causes a physical pleasure response.) So whip out those ta-tas and feed your tots! :D
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Breastfeeding
Breasts and babies.
Breastfeeding.
The big taboo over the most natural thing in the world.
I don't have a problem breastfeeding in front of others. Yes, it's a private time between Ganon and myself, but the mere presence of others doesn't lessen that. I put him in position, pull my shirt up and my bra down, and my nipple is in his mouth. (Not that it was always that easy - but that's another post.) My brother and stepdad got used to it within a month. It's not like I'm just dangling my boobs out there for all to see - I cover up and angle as best I can without making things unnecessarily difficult for either Ganon or me. My grandfather (once it was explained to him that regardless of what he had been told, breastfeeding was better than formula) has never expressed any discomfort at the idea, nor when I managed to nurse in the same room as him. I have never known this man to hold his tongue. Though he would rather make a joke than say something that might be taken as insulting, he gets is point across. My mother and grandmother, however, seem to think that nursing in front of a man - especially a family member - was highly scandalous.
The first time I nursed Ganon while visiting my grandparents, my mom got up, got a blanket out of the diaper bag, and threw it over the baby while I was nursing him. Now, it was a very warm summer day, and my grandparents don't have air conditioning. There was no need for the blanket other than to 'hide my shame'. As my mother so delicately put it: "Your grandfather doesn't want to see that." [emphasis hers] More recently, my grandmother was holding Ganon when he got hungry. I stood up, took him into my arms, and went to sit back down on the couch. As I turned around to sit, my grandmother gave me a very no-nonsense look, and said, "You can go in the other room to do that." Rather than cause a scene, I pursed my lips and sequestered myself in her bedroom.
Slightly grumpy, I sat down on the bed and began to nurse Ganon when, to my pleasant surprise, my grandfather came in the room. He turned on the TV and fetched the remote for me. I couldn't help but smile, feeling both grateful and righteous. Not only was I made more comfortable and relieved of my guilt, but I was right in that my grandfather wasn't offended by my nursing. Not that that changed my mother's or grandmother's views, but I'm no longer insulted by their ignorance.
Breastfeeding.
The big taboo over the most natural thing in the world.
I don't have a problem breastfeeding in front of others. Yes, it's a private time between Ganon and myself, but the mere presence of others doesn't lessen that. I put him in position, pull my shirt up and my bra down, and my nipple is in his mouth. (Not that it was always that easy - but that's another post.) My brother and stepdad got used to it within a month. It's not like I'm just dangling my boobs out there for all to see - I cover up and angle as best I can without making things unnecessarily difficult for either Ganon or me. My grandfather (once it was explained to him that regardless of what he had been told, breastfeeding was better than formula) has never expressed any discomfort at the idea, nor when I managed to nurse in the same room as him. I have never known this man to hold his tongue. Though he would rather make a joke than say something that might be taken as insulting, he gets is point across. My mother and grandmother, however, seem to think that nursing in front of a man - especially a family member - was highly scandalous.
The first time I nursed Ganon while visiting my grandparents, my mom got up, got a blanket out of the diaper bag, and threw it over the baby while I was nursing him. Now, it was a very warm summer day, and my grandparents don't have air conditioning. There was no need for the blanket other than to 'hide my shame'. As my mother so delicately put it: "Your grandfather doesn't want to see that." [emphasis hers] More recently, my grandmother was holding Ganon when he got hungry. I stood up, took him into my arms, and went to sit back down on the couch. As I turned around to sit, my grandmother gave me a very no-nonsense look, and said, "You can go in the other room to do that." Rather than cause a scene, I pursed my lips and sequestered myself in her bedroom.
Slightly grumpy, I sat down on the bed and began to nurse Ganon when, to my pleasant surprise, my grandfather came in the room. He turned on the TV and fetched the remote for me. I couldn't help but smile, feeling both grateful and righteous. Not only was I made more comfortable and relieved of my guilt, but I was right in that my grandfather wasn't offended by my nursing. Not that that changed my mother's or grandmother's views, but I'm no longer insulted by their ignorance.
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