The New Parenting Club

STANDING YOUR GROUND
For a breastfeeding mother, it is often difficult in our culture to deal with the critical remarks from uninformed and conventional people. Though well meaning, friends and family can put the breastfeeding mom on the defensive or quietly feeling embarrassed. How best can one ‘stand her ground’?
What you are doing is an ancient womanly art. Be proud as only truly dedicated and loving mothers nurse their young. Among the animal kingdom all mothers nurse their young. Know the facts and you can answer anyone who is ignorant about breastfeeding. The first thing I would say is to remind the person that the human being is the only mammal on the planet that denies their young the breast. Breast milk is loaded with the antibodies produced by the mother’s body and is a protection for the infant’s immature immune system. It’s always immediately available…and your baby never cries, because the time it takes from his or her first signal to momma’s breast is usually less than fifteen seconds. Compare that to seven or eight minutes to prepare and heat formula.
Beside the ‘anxious’ waiting time, the mother’s milk is super rich in everything the baby needs. Study the facts and have them in mind when the need for them arises.
Most important is to develop a circle of breastfeeding moms. This will create a source of learning, camaraderie and support.
I read a short heartwarming article in this week’s People Magazine I will share with you.
MOTHER’S MILK
June 10 would have been Robbie Goodrich’s third wedding anniversary. But instead of celebrating with his wife, he cast some of her ashes from the bridge where the couple had made their vows near Marquette, Mich. Susan had died from an embolism hours after their son Moses was born. In a remarkable turn of events, 25 Marquette women banded together to take turns nursing or pumping breast milk for little Moses. Says Robbie about the women’s ongoing efforts: “For all the health benefits of breast-feeding, I think the nurturing love Moses receives from each of the moms is just as important.” A reader, Angie Nolle of Tecumseh, Kans. Agreed: “As I read this story, I nursed my own son and held him a little tighter, thankful for the time we have together.”
I will close with a few words from my friend Sarah Kraft
www.mindful-mama.com –
About standing your ground.
“Whether it’s just saying no to plastic toys, breastfeeding without an exit strategy, or believing candy and kids are not a good mix, standing your ground as a parent offers plenty of challenges. A little self-trust goes a long way in making unorthodox choices, as does developing a thick parenting skin, and finding a community (virtual or real) of like-minded moms. So dare to parent with equal measures of intuition, common sense, nonsense, and ever-present humor. We applaud you for your staying with your gut, and who knows? One day your kids may thank you too.”

Post a Comment