“Are you still feeding?” “When are you going to stop?” I was asked these questions when my first son was very small, only months old. I knew of LLL long before I had my baby because my friend was a Leader. I saw her deftly dealing with bundles of leaflets and information sheets, wielding massive … [Read more...] about The Goodness Goes On
Articles
A week of nursing strike
Just after my son turned one, I returned to work and he started going to nursery. He picked up hand, foot and mouth disease during his first few weeks there, and so began his first nursing strike. He became dehydrated, as he was barely having any fluids, and after six days the doctor sent us to the … [Read more...] about A week of nursing strike
Something Cosmological
About three months after the arrival of our second son, I looked at my wife tandem feeding our two boys and had somewhat of a revelation. That moment profoundly changed the way I look at breastfeeding and, more generally, the world. Let me rewind a bit... Breastfeeding was always the goal when we … [Read more...] about Something Cosmological
Living the unexpected tandem style
If my pre-child self could see me now, she would be surprised. I was keen to breastfeed, but thought 6 months would be about right and after that my baby would eat solids and I could drink wine. As I soon learnt, babies have opinions, and mine decided very early on that breastfeeding was hernumber … [Read more...] about Living the unexpected tandem style
Making different choices
When I became pregnant with the one I now know to be my son, I had all sorts of ideas and ideals about parenthood and little interest in breastfeeding or responsive parenting. This has changed a lot over the last two years: who would have thought that a simple thing like mother’s milk could cause … [Read more...] about Making different choices
Baby Self Weans
Breastfeeding ends a lot like it starts With a leaking left boob and an emotional heart Breasts so engorged, they’re sore and they drip So big it feels like your top could just rip. But now there’s no need to store your milk Instead you watch, as it swirls like silk In the bath that you sit in … [Read more...] about Baby Self Weans
Mindful Breastfeeding
Like many mothers, I spent much of my daughter’s early days fretting about breastfeeding. Was her head at the right angle? Did she have enough of my breast in her mouth? Was enough of her lip rolled out? I also struggled with the usual discomforts as my nipples adjusted to their new role, as well as … [Read more...] about Mindful Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding… My Ally
My breastfeeding journey started nearly 16 years ago when I had my first child, Dylan. He was a much planned for baby, despite the naivety of only being 20 years old myself. My family wasn’t very pleased and I didn’t know any other mums with children: when I went to antenatal sessions or playgroups … [Read more...] about Breastfeeding… My Ally
Twelve months of mothering – Newborn
Being pregnant can be amazing, challenging, wonderful, energising and, tiring; so many things. In our cerebral culture, where we think too much, many of us are unprepared for the physicality of making a whole new person within us. Then we have a baby, the rite of passage of birth often spoken … [Read more...] about Twelve months of mothering – Newborn
Dear Mama
Dear Mama, I’m coming soon, to be with you, and there are some things I wish you knew, about feeding me, and how we can be together. I come hard-wired to feed, and usually, you won’t need to do very much but follow my cues, you’ll need to learn those, watch and see my rose-budded lips … [Read more...] about Dear Mama