Happy Tuesday!
Where did this last weekend go? I don’t even remember what we did. We certainly didn’t watch football. We just can’t get into that sport. I played high school basketball and never dated a football jock so I didn’t care to watch games. Did you watch the Superbowl?
I did capture a sweet moment one morning though. As we were listening to music and watching the kiddos giggle up a storm doing play-pretend, my older child pretended to nurse her little sister. Of course my little one is totally game for pretending to have milk. Big sister says, “Come here, baby sister. Drink your milk! Ok, ok. That’s enough milk for now! (What I say when I’m feeling done.) Then she says, “Come back. Have some more milk!” So they do it again, giggling, and rolling around. Siblings are the best.
They usually just do pretend nursing with dolls but this is the second time they’ve done it with each other so I had to take a photo and share. Something only a parent of breastfeeding children would think is funny, probably. Do your kiddos do this?
How is your week starting off? I just realized tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of the International Facebook Nurse-in 2012. Here is my post on the event. Here is a photo of me and my girls enjoying nursing with pride in the sun at the headquarters in Menlo Park, CA.
Thank you again for organizing this event last year, Emma of FB! Stop harassing Emma Kwasnica over her breastfeeding pics and Jodine Chase of Human Milk News.
On to my sweet links…Pasted below are the stories and photos I have seen going around this past week in case you missed my recent Facebook posts or you don’t an account.
Enjoy!
<3 Paala
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Here is a beautiful strong mama, the Breastfeeding Chef. Shared by Beautiful Breastfeeding this week.
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Are there any Orange County, CA mamas in willing to donate milk for an older child in need? “I am trying to reach out to local moms ( Im in Orange County Ca) to see if anyone would be willing to pump for my 4 year old Son, he has a medical condition that has gone undiagnosed by 3 different specialists for 3 years now. basically he has no immune system so every time he gets sick he ends up with pneumonia and has to be in the hospital and he is unable to absorb nutrients and fats from his foods so he is emaciated and behind in development. I was planning on pumping for him when I had my daughter but every time I try to pump my nipples crack and I end up with mastitis. My heart is broken because I really thought I was finally going to be able to help him. Does anyone in my area have extra milk they could donate? Thank you Izzys Mama. This is Izzy:”
Any other messages of advice or support would be welcomed ♥ Please contact RefreshMe to donate.
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Speaking of California parents, this one is for SF Bay Area parents.Have you heard about the Discover & Go program through your library? Visit museums & more for free just by having a library card. I know Berkeley and Oakland have it because I am signed up for both. Check it out!
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This just in: A 214-year-old law in Paris told women they couldn’t dress as men – couldn’t wear pants, has finally been revoked. Sure, I know it has been ignored for a long time but still, why it was ever put into law baffles me. Women have been dealing with crap like this for centuries.
Don’t wear that. Cover up.
When will we be allowed the same topless rights as men in all states? Then breastfeeding in public incidents would NEVER happen.
Just sayin’.
More good reads:
I also saw this article abour extended breastfeeding, also called full-term or natural-term breastfeeding in
Breastfeeding Magazine and had to share.
“Extended breastfeeding is simply nursing a child past Western society’s ‘normal’ expectations.To some people this is past six weeks. For some it means six months. For others it means nursing a toddler. We don’t understand why people think that the same milk that at one point provided all of your sweeties needs for food and drink (not to mention all sorts of other benefits) no longer has value after 6, 9 or 12 months? That is, in fact, simply a common myth. Breast milk contains valuable vitamins, calcium and antibodies for as long as it is made.”
Read more in Breastfeeding Magazine.
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I have seen this quote before but I just saw it again on an Alphamom Q&A that I just read about abusive an grandparent. It was touching because, well, my father is a dangerous influence on myself and my children. Long story short, he is a hopeless alcoholic. He has been in and out of rehabs and ERs and found nearly dead a half dozen times in the last couple of years (and my whole childhood). I have wondered if I should keep trying to keep our relationship open, keep flying in to Texas as often as I can to visit with my girls. But he doesn’t remember our visits and puts my children in danger and it is mentally abusive to me, clearly, because I put up with it and keep hoping he’ll change. When is enough enough?
Do you have a mother or father that you’ve had to cut off from your new family? Do you give them a new shot every 5 years or is it just goodbye forever?
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Did you see that story a few weeks back that I posted a link to a FB note? About the mom who was yelled at and shamed in a San Diego court for breastfeeding her baby? Here is more on the story.
- On January 8, 2013, Rebecca Garcia was breastfeeding her 8 month old son in one of the courtrooms at the Chula Vista Courthouse. When her son started to fuss, the bailiff, Deputy Chung, approached Rebecca and asked what she was doing. When Rebecca said she was breastfeeding, Deputy Chung stated loudly, in front of the entire courtroom, “You should be ashamed of yourself, it’s inappropriate, you need to leave and go outside, do that somewhere else private, and it is illegal to breastfeed in court!”
And more…
Deputy Chung followed Rebecca out of the courtroom and continued to harass her for breastfeeding in the courtroom, making many disparaging comments, including his opinion that she should be ashamed of herself. At one point, Rebecca attempted to leave Deputy Chung’s presence, and Deputy Chung went so far as to physically block her way out of the cubicle so that he could continue the harassment. Finally, even when Rebecca exited the cubicle, Deputy Chung followed her to say a few more disparaging comments, finishing with, “I don’t know what kind of world you live in, but it’s not okay to breastfeed in public.”
Following this incident, Rebecca filed a complaint with Deputy Chung’s supervisor. The supervisor informed Rebecca that she would speak with Deputy Chung, but not to expect a phone call describing the resolution or any form of apology. Click to read more here.
How sad is it that someone thought this mistreatment of a mother was acceptable? That the judge didn’t immediately kick him out?
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Photo shared by WHAT WE SEEE in April of 2012
I am a little late seeing this but it made me smile so I had to share. “European Member of Parliament, Licia Ronzulli (an MEP from Italy), took her seven-week old daughter, Victoria, to work at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. [It was not a 'Take-Your-Child-to-Work' event.] She kept her baby carefully cradled against her in a wrap and occasionally leant to kiss her on the forehead. This photo was taken as she voted on proposals to improve women’s employment rights and was broadcast and published in newspapers around the world.”
This mother and child have been photographed breastfeeding and a couple years later, the toddler voting with her mother.
OK, that is enough for today.
