4 year old funny...

Maybe it's just the mama in me, but I think my boys are 99% ridiculously hilarious.

 Here's a snippet of a pretty common conversation in my house...

Me:  Hop up Turkey
TT:  Okay Chicken *bahahaha*  I'm so funny
Me:  *chuckles*  Yes, you are!
TT:  I'm funny like DADDY!  Daddy's a chicken *bahahaha*

…breastfeeding, babywearing & child birth {Part I of a Muddled Intro}

A Muddled Mama

…breastfeeding, babywearing & child birth
Part I of a Muddled Intro

I've been on a bit of a hiatus from my blog. With three beautiful boys needing more of my time (and an absolute inability to prioritize; while being a top-notch procrastinator), I just haven't been able to hammer out any posts, but I have gone back and read some of my older posts (for inspiration and nostalgic reasons). In doing so, I realized that I've never really and truly introduced myself... so here is Part I of a Muddled Intro... in part one, I am going to focus on Breastfeeding.

I grew up as the youngest of three in a pretty mainstream family. My dad worked full-time and my mom kept the ship, also known as home, running smoothly. My parent's did not practice attachment parenting but I knew from a very young age that I was loved and quite blessed. As an unhindered, childless adult I could not think of any reason why I would not parent in much the same fashion. I had a wonderful childhood and I turned out great, thank.you.very.much!

Pregnancy was the beginning of my AP leanings, we were inundated with advice and books. One series by the Sears' family, particularly held our interest, for different reasons. I pored through 'The Pregnancy Book' while the hubs read through 'The Baby Book'. I scoffed, rolled my eyes & snorted in derision over various things (what, I cannot honestly remember... ). While unbeknownst to me, my other half was nodding his head in agreement.

I vividly remember (verbally) tearing that book apart, we were not going to be doing this, this, that & the other thing. My child would not be clinging from me like some primate... and they certainly would not be walking, talking and still breastfeeding.

The hubs stepped in and voiced his strong desire for me to at.the.very.least initiate breastfeeding. Fine, I could compromise with the best of them, I told him that I would absolutely try to nurse our baby (secretly, I had no intentions of trying very hard).

I started out with small goals. I wanted to feed TT the colostrum. I wanted to nurse him back up to his birth weight. I wanted to go another week. Okay, a month. Six months... so on & so forth. Until at about 10-11mos, I looked at the hubs and said “I'm going to allow TT to self-wean”. My sweet husband, smiled at me and said “I know...”, insinuating that he had known this all along! 2 years later, C-McC was born and I knew that I was going to breastfeed him until he weaned (my goal was two years... he weaned at 20months, while I was pregnant with WC).

That's right, I didn't start out as a lactivist! If it had gone my way, I would not have nursed my children! I didn't understand how absolutely beautiful, how wonderful and how necessary nursing is. I type this as a mama who had minimal problems (aside from my own stubborn desire to not initiate) nursing. I realize that there are women who cannot nurse. I also realize that most women who are unable to breastfeed, are failed by their healthcare providers and society in general. They are told that 'breast is best' but no one gives them the tools to do so.

Honestly, this double standard is the driving force for my breastfeeding passion. How can we expect women to reach the basic of guidelines (exclusively breastfeeding until 6mos and nursing in accompaniment of solid foods to two years, and beyond) when we don't offer women any help?

Formula is not (and should not be) the only answer to breastfeeding issues.

Why are our doctors not better versed in various breastfeeding issues and solutions... (especially, GPs, OBs and Peds)?

Why are resources such as Newman Breastfeeding Clinic not covered under OHIP (or your provincial healthcare)?

It bears repeating, we tell mother's that 'Breast is best' and then we set them up for failure (by not having any resources in place to help them nurse their baby, by telling them at every chance that they should just feed them formula, by telling them that they're making too much/not enough).

Are you a lactivist? How do you you support breastfeeding?

'Extended' versus 'Term'

The words we use in our daily life portrays our views & feelings regarding a plethora of things.  Inadvertently, we may be projecting ideas and thoughts that we have not intended.

With this in mind, I've tried to be very conscious of the words I use and how they may impact people's perceptions of my parenting choices.

Extended

I've been a self-professed 'extended breastfeeding' mama.  I'm sure you've seen this phrase come up on my blog a time or two...

Lately, I've been thinking of the unintentional impact that 'extended' has on my peers... or really, anyone who happens upon my blog.

When you read 'extended' you think "beyond the norm".  Which, inadvertently, makes you think "this is not normal".  Which is exactly what I'm not trying to do.

What am I doing to change this?  I am trying to make the conscious effort to use 'term breastfeeding'.  Sounds a little more mainstream?  A little less "beyond the norm"?  Doesn't it?

Term breastfeeding is nursing your child until mutually desired by nursling and mother... it just takes away from the "beyond the norm" connotation of 'extended'. 

What words do you use in your daily life, that upon further reflection muddle what your intended message was/is?