Breasts

There, I said the B word. I bet that got your attention. Good. Now that I have it, read on. Cuz I have something to say today. I had a few posts in mind for this week. But when I read this, and this, and this I got pretty agitated. I mean really. I. Just. Don't. Get. The. Big. Deal. Over. Breastfeeding. I really, really don't.

We see much worse on TV, movies, and simply hanging out at a mall on a weekend night. And it's not just adults that dress provocatively. It's young children too.

So, how is it, in our society, that that is OK, however, seeing someone nourish their child is not?

I just don't get it. I never have.



I breastfed my son. I was miserable during my pregnancy. Throwing up at least once a day for 8 months and then every other day for the last 4 weeks. I had terrible acne all over my face, chest and back. I was put on some light restrictions. As much as I loved having a child, I hated being pregnant. (and yes, I do completely realize it could have been much worse, but I was miserable).

I remember after my csec recover (oh, yea, to top off the pregnancy, Son turned breech a week before my due date AFTER I had been 4 cm dilated for 2 weeks), the nurse handed me my Son. I immediately asked if I could breastfeed him. The nurse said sure. I latched him on, perfectly the first try and he began sucking away. The nurse had to ask if this was my first because it all happened so naturally. All those yucky 9 months were so quickly pushed to the back of my head. This was what it was all for. To have my son and to be able to nourish him.

I went back to teaching when he was 3 1/2 months old. I pumped, and pumped, and pumped. We had about a 6 month supply of milk in our freezer. And, although I wasn't spending my days with him, I had complete trust and faith in his daycare and he was still having a part of me even though I wasn't there.

There was something about breastfeeding that just worked for me. I absolutely loved it. I kept it up until Son was 11 months old.

Did I go around flashing my boobs to the world when Son was hungry. Well, at home I did. But in public I just put a blanket over us. It's easy to do. And I do realize that some people do not want to see my boobs. That's OK.

But for society to have a problem with women breastfeeding - that's just wrong. Yea, it's a boob, but when you are breastfeeding, it's for nourishment, not to arouse the person next to you. That's what watching TV, movies or hanging out at a mall on a weekend night is for.

So, if you too are agitated, please join me, along with bunches of other breastfeeding Moms, in this Internet, Mom-blogging protest. If we don't' fight for the right to feed our own children, who will?!?
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