Daily Archives: August 4, 2013

Breastfeeding Success from Start to Here

breastfeedingcafecarnivalWelcome to The Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival!

This post was written as part of the Breastfeeding Cafe’s Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Claire at clindstrom2 {at} gmail {dot} com. Today’s post is about breastfeeding success stories. Please read the other blogs in today’s carnival listed below and check back for more posts July 22nd through August 4th!

As I reflect over the span of the last eight and half years of breastfeeding four children, there have been many successes.  I have grown from a thinking that infant feeding was a choice to be made between breastmilk or formula, to being a lactivist very much opposed to the marketing practices used by formula companies.

The first success was the decision to nurse them, even thought at the time I didn’t have any contemporaries who breastfed, except our Bradley™ teacher.  We persevered through a rough start, and learned to breastfeed in spite of not knowing that we should have gotten help in those first few weeks that were so painful.

Here around 10 months old - big accomplishment considering how painful the first two months were because we didn't know enough to ask for help.

Here around 10 months old – big accomplishment considering how painful the first two months were because we didn’t know enough to ask for help.

Next was the decision to do extended breastfeeding.  We thought we were going to nurse until our daughter’s first birthday.  Looking back, I don’t think we even thought about what we were going to give her after that.  Her first birthday came and went.  It was clear that neither of us thought it was time to stop breastfeeding.  We went on to nurse until she was 22 months old.

This is Night Owl as a baby - I wish I remembered if he was nursing in the picture or not - he might be!

This is Night Owl as a baby – I wish I remembered if he was nursing in the picture or not – he might be!

My third success was achieving my goal to breastfeed through a pregnancy, and by extension, do some tandem nursing.  I didn’t just do “some” though.  I still have two nurslings, 21 months after our youngest daughter’s birthday.  You can read more about that journey HERE.

Nursing our sweet child

Nursing our sweet child

I have to give credit to my husband for being the biggest supporter of this choice.  It has meant a huge lifestyle change.  We used to enjoy a glass of wine together, lots of sushi and margaritas, date nights to go dancing until the wee hours of the morning…he has never once complained of my abstinence or wished anything different about the lives we are living today.

I know we both have the perspective that this time is so fleeting.  There will be plenty of time for wine, margaritas and dancing into the wee hours of the morning when these amazing little people are all grown up living their own lives.  In the meantime, we treasure our cuddle time, nurse those that are still breastfeeding, and marvel at the miracle of life.

I want to close out today’s post by thanking Claire Lindstrom, who has dedicated the last few weeks of her time to be the Blog Carnival Mistress…Extraordinaire!  It is an honor to be chosen as a guest blogger, and I appreciate the opportunity to be able to share other stories in the add-on links.

Thank you, too, readers, who come visit our pages.  I trust that you have learned something new, or gained more confidence in the last two weeks of reading about breastfeeding. I know I always do!  Cheers until next year!

 

 

Here are more post by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.