Breastfeeding is gross....or is it?

I know everyone has seen the new cover of Time magazine and EVERYONE has an opinion on it. I am really NOT going to get into that, I have my opinion and you have yours. What I am going to get into is just how uneducated people are. I really thought we were making progress and really opening people's eyes to breastfeeding. And by "we" I mean the breastfeeding community. It is so sad just how many negative comments I've read and heard about breastfeeding that have surfaced because of Time magazine. I feel like we are going the wrong way!

Some comments, to name a few, and my opinion on them were...

they said - "When they are old enough to ask for it you need to cut them off" (that one was said a lot)
I say - My babies can sign "milk" by 6 months old...does that mean they're too old?

they said - "Your milk has no nutrition past a year"
I say - That's just not true! Breastmilk NEVER loses its nutritional value! Plus, there are MANY studies that show just how much breastfeeding satisfies their emotional needs just as much as their nutritional ones.

they said - "1 Timothy 2:9 And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes." (this one REALLY got to me)
I say - Jesus was breastfed. End of story.

they said - "That's disgusting"
I say - The WHO (World Health Organization), recommends that a woman breastfeeds their child for at LEAST 2 years. Do you know that we are the only species that drinks milk as adults? If you're drink milk from a cow's breast, why is milk from a mother's breast considered disgusting?

they said - "If a kid can eat solids, time to get them off the boob"
I say - Babies start eating solids around 6 months old, so that argument doesn't hold water.

they said - "Breastfeeding should be done in private, if you are going out, pump it and put it in a bottle"
I say - This is what's wrong with this country. Breasts are made to feed your baby, that's why God gave them to us. The problem is that breastfeeding is no longer then norm, so no one likes to even think about it. We are one of the ONLY countries that looks at breasts as sexual objects. Sad.

they said - "once a baby has teeth it's time to wean"
I say - If you are latching baby correctly you will NOT feel teeth.

I truely could go on, there were SO many of them. I am just appalled with how people think! Saying "that's not for me" or "I don't agree with that" is one thing, but saying "that's disgusting" or "DCFS needs to be called" is completely different. Do you know that we're ALL here because someone in our family breastfed? I am not trying to put down moms who chose not to breastfeed, or tried but couldn't get it, or whatever your reason may be, I am just upset with hearing uneducated opinions. If you don't want to, fine, but please educate yourself on it before bashing another mom's decision.

And, while I'm on it...

- Breastfeeding is NOT supposed to hurt! If it does, get help.
- When your baby cries it does NOT mean there's something wrong with your milk! It means they're babies!
- If your baby is not sleeping through the night it does NOT mean there's something wrong with your milk! It means they're babies!
- If you pump and don't get much it does NOT mean you don't have much milk! It means you didn't PUMP much milk!

I could go on, but those are the main issues I hear doing my job.

Again, I am NOT BASHING ANYONE WHO DIDN'T BREASTFEED, and I am NOT specifically talking about Time magazine, just upset with the comments I've heard lately because of that magazine!

Try not to laugh...

Have you ever been all worked up about something, trying to have a SERIOUS conversation with your child and accidentally say something stupid? Then, you try to keep a straight face and not laugh about it? No? Me either! LOL! Benjamin went down for a late afternoon nap and I wanted to get a shower in before the kids get home from school so I turned on the tv and told Zack to sit there quietly for a few minutes and not come in my room because I didn't want the baby waking up. As I'm finishing up in the bathroom I hear "boom.......boom......boom" on my bedroom wall. So I walk out there to see a ball roll accross the floor and Zack following behind it. Upset, I asked him what he was doing. Of course he didn't answer, so I quickly followed my question with a VERY serious and stern "when you hit the ball on the wall, you make a boom in my room!" Immediatly, I saw the smile starting to appear on his face, realizing what I said I tried to stay serious, but by this point he was giggling. I did good and kept my stern face, never broke a smile....until I turned around and walked away. :)

Emergency Exit

Have you checked your emergency exit lately for soccer balls? Nicolas and Joshua were kicking a soccer ball outside earlier and both came in very upset and began telling me this story...

Nicolas: Mom, me and Josh were just kicking the soccer ball back and forth (by this time I already know this story isn't going to end well)

Josh: Nicolas kicked it to me and when I kicked it back to him it went the wrong way (in my head I'm already thinking the worst)

Nicolas: You know that house right there? (he points to the house 2 houses down)

Me: yes

Nicolas: well Josh accidentally kicked it over there and...

Josh: it accidentally landed in her emergency exit

Me: her what? (I'm trying not to laugh here because I don't know what he's talking about)

Apparently it went down into the basement window well, Nicolas asked if he could climb down there to get it since they aren't home...ummmm no! You cannot climb down the ladder of their house, son!