Uhhhhmmm…
Beware, breast feeding stuff ahead. Do not read if you are squeamish about that stuff
Another weird interaction I had this weekend that has to go onto the blahg because WTF? I was sitting at the Den of Iniquity Tahquamenon Falls Brewery with friends and there were some women across the table that I did not know. My ears pricked up when one of them stumbled over the term “lactation consultant”. Being meeeee, I couldn’t help but enthusiastically and warmly (I thought) point out the correct term. I was puzzled about this because I couldn’t exactly tell how old these women were but they were definitely of an age where they could well have grown children and possibly grandchildren. So I was surprised when one of them immediately shot back with, “How would you know that term?” This was a person I didn’t know from Adam Eve, so I was totally dumbfounded and responded something like, “bdah bdah bdah, I am a MOTHER???”
I mean… … … I fed babies more years ago than I am strong enough to count but lactation consultants were around even back in those dark ages and I knew what they were so I struggled to figger out why these women couldn’t come up with the title. Fortunately the conversation veered off quickly, leaving me in the dust of whaaaaa? I didn’t ask any of these women if they had children.
I was very fortunate in that I did not need to consult a lactation consultant when I had my children but it is and has been an honorable profession because people who want to breast feed do sometimes struggle with it for various reasons.
I am here to say that *I* was squeamish about breast feeding in my youth and even when I became pregnant with my first daughter. I was formula fed myself and even given cow’s milk at something like three weeks old. I wish I could ask The Comm to confirm that but obviously I can’t. But that’s what she told me many times.
I got over my squeamish breast feeding feelings PDQ. I was very successful with breast feeding and have been a strong advocate for it ever since. With the CAVEAT that it does not work for everyone, even with the services of a lactation consultant. I don’t think anyone should ever feel stress or shame about how they are feeding their babies. What’s important is that the baby is fed adequately and the mother is not stressed out by folks who try to tell her what to do, etc.
February 13th, 2020 at 9:11 pm
I don’t understand why that woman snapped at you. I’m feeling anger about that. I didn’t have much success with breast feeding, so I gave it up after 6 weeks or so. I had to go back to work and it would have been very inconvenient for me to pump at school. Plus, I didn’t have much milk and had to supplement anyway. I’m telling Ashley that anything that works is the right thing for her to do. 100% breast feeding, a mix, bottle feeding, whatever. I too was bottle fed and have done fine.
February 14th, 2020 at 1:36 pm
I was very nervous at the prospect of breastfeeding, even though I knew I wanted to at least try. (I was actually more nervous about that than I was about childbirth). I remember in the 1980s when my son was born, La Leche League was rather…militant, and there was a lot of pressure to breastfeed, although I wasn’t affected by their stridency. And I found that I LOVED it. I had to go back to work after 8 weeks, so I had to wean at 6 weeks, which was terrible. (I worked at a misogynistic engineering firm, and pumping would never fly. I mean, maternity leave barely did). I remember my baby’s tears and my tears intermingling.