Sunday, September 23, 2012

Why my son knows more about breastfeeding than most of our society

MEET HEATH

Heath is a fun and loving 4 year old who love tractors, the color blue, and wrestling with daddy.
Heath was only breastfed for one month before I returned to high school.
I always feel regret about not breastfeeding him longer, but it's not because he isn't bright or anything, it's just I believe it would have helped our bonding had I pumped and nursed him at night. I spent majority of the day at school and then almost all day at school and work. Yes I could have pumped, but I lacked the support, motivation, and the education.
 
Heath is the sweetest child, and he is an amazing big brother!
 

How Do I Teach Heath That Boobs are Awesome?

Ever since Heathy Bear could walk, I was constantly having to make him leave the bathroom while I did my business.
One day (I think he was 3) he waltzed on in, looked strait at "it" and said, "momma what is that?!"
I then explained that "that" was "women parts" and boys are not supposed to look at them.
I explained the difference (kinda) and he seemed like he understood fine.
He also started going through phases that mommy could not see him use the bathroom because she is a "dirl" (he has issues with the "G" sound).
 
He would also coming prancing into my room while I was changing, and of course I would cover my breasts and fuss at him to get out while I change.
 
So, if Heath has seen me be so modest around him and telling him you can't see a woman naked...
WHAT THE HECK WAS HE GOING TO THINK WHEN MOMMA POPPED HER BOOB OUT AND STUCK IT IN HIS BABY SISTER'S MOUTH!?
 
I knew I needed to prepare him for what he was about to see in the next couple of weeks.
I decided we would sit down and talk about it and this is how our conversation went:
 
Me-" Heath, Hayden will be here soon. I wanted to let you know that momma will be breastfeeding."
Heath-" What?" *super-confusion* (what is a breast?)
Me- "Momma is going to be feeding Hayden with my boobs. My boobs will make milk and she can get   the milk from Mommy's breasts."
Heath- "Why?" *look of weirded outness*
Me- " Because it is very good for her. You where breastfed as a baby, and now I am going to breastfeed your sister. God made mommas to where they can make milk to feed their babies. It is super healthy and natural, and is best for babies. She won't need a bottle either!"
Heath- " Like you fed me?"
Me- "Yes"
Heath- " how do you do that?"
Me- " Well............ mommas body make milk and it goes into my breast ( at this point I had pulled up on the Internet a medical drawn picture of a baby on a mothers breast and it showed how the nipple goes into the mouth) and then Hayden will drink from mamma's nipple. She will eat eat eat until she is all filled up! Do you understand?
Heath-  *million yard   stare* ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... *snaps back into reality*....   "Ha ha, like a cow!!!!"
Me- " *-_-*....yes sweetie like a cow."
 
 
So that's how I told Heath. After that he would occasionally ask questions about why Hayden would not be using a bottle like other babies, so I would explain about how much better it is for babies to breastfeed than to formula feed.
I explained the whats, whys, and hows up until the day I had her.
 
 

Hayden is Here, so Will he Understand?

July 10 at 5:30 p.m, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl weighing 7 pounds, 3 oz.
We started breastfeeding about an hour later. It was mostly fine, just had some trouble getting her to open her mouth big enough to latch. It did not take long for Pretty Girl to figure it out though ;)
 
7 ibs 3 oz, 19 1/2 inches long
 
breastfeeding like a champ in the silly hat momma could not resist to put on her.
 
 
 
Heath came to the hospital the next day to see us. I was so excited because I missed him sooo sooo much. Chey (husband) went downstairs to get him, and sure enough, Pretty Girl got hungry. I thought nothing of it and just lifted my shirt and started feeding her.
A few moments later, Heath came in grinning and excited to see his new baby sister.
He climbed up on the bed and said "What is she doing?"
I replied "eating"
...."oh".
 
He crawls in front of us, leans over and watches. He was amazed. He was talking to her and laughing because mommy was feeding Hayden with her boobs. He gave her a kiss and went back to playing.
His easygoing response made me feel better about it all. I was worried that myself and society had already plagued his mind that boobs are for attraction, not food.
 
 
 

A Story

One day at Heath's football practice, a little girl came up to me while I was feeding Hayden under a nursing cover. She stood and watched and finally turned around to ask her momma what I was doing.
Her mom told her the baby was taking a nap.
The little girl was only 3, so I can understand how a ballpark was not the best place to discuss the "nature of things", but it did make me wonder how so many kids probably don't know that there is such a thing a breastfeeding. All they see boobs for is to fill out a t-shirt or bikini top. Not to mention the way media displays them as sex objects through skimpy clothes and movies.
Why is breastfeeding not normal?
Why does everyone picture a bottle when baby feeding comes to mind?
*UGH*
 
So, when Heath gets a water break during practice, he comes over to sit by me. He looks up under the cover, pats Hayden's head, gags me with his sweaty stench, and watches for a minute before putting the cover back down. The little girl walked back over and looked at me again. I smiled at her and told Heath to say hey, but instead he says,
"My mommas feeding my sister with her BOOBIES!"
 
*BLUSH*
I looked over at the little girls mom who could not help but laugh.
Later turns out she breast fed her kids too. Go Her!
 
 
 
I felt so proud of Heath.
He knows what they are for -> Little sis's food
He knows breastfeeding is healthy.
He knows mom can take care of him and still breast feed sister.
He knows breastfeeding is natrual.
He knows breastfeeding is normal.
And he knows breast is best.
 
He seems to know more than most of our society.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 


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