By Wendy Wisner, IBCLC
Every breastfeeding mama is going to receive criticism at some point or another. Whether it’s about breastfeeding in public, how frequently you’re breastfeeding, your reluctance to introduce a bottle or supplement with formula, or whatever else.
BUT, if you end up breastfeeding beyond a certain number of months – or god forbid, a year or more – you are definitely going to get at least a little judgement. Most likely, a whole lotta judgement. [Read more…]
By Badass Roni
This is my father-in-law. I’ve posted about him before because he has an interesting breastfeeding story. I’m posting again because he died a couple of weeks ago at 92 years old. And I’d like to share his story again.
His parents immigrated here from what is now Poland and he was born in New York City in 1925. He was breastfed for 3 or 4 years. He remembers breastfeeding from his mother. He never thought that this was strange. His memories of breastfeeding were just like any other memory he had of his mother nurturing him.
Grandpa Lou was always supportive of my work here. Whenever I saw him he asked about this community and all of you. He talked about breastfeeding openly. I breastfed openly and comfortably in front of him. He talked passionately and constantly of social justice issues. He made connections between the breastfeeding movement and women’s issues such as the sexualizing of the female body and women’s role in society.
I have heard too many times over the years that I need to stop breastfeeding my sons because they are getting older and will remember it. People tell me that if they can remember it later they will be traumatized and psychologically damaged. I know this to be utter garbage because I knew an adult who remembered breastfeeding. He was intelligent, gentle, kind, an influential sociologist and researcher, a veteran of the United States Navy, a lover of music and art and a loving father and husband.
Which of these do I not want to pass onto my children exactly?
We live in a culture where we are constantly pressured to push our kids to “grow up.” This is often the argument for weaning, “They need to grow up sometime!” I’ve even got feedback for the vocabulary I use to describe my kids, “baby versus toddler versus small child.” And anyone who is not pushing their child to grow up is trying to “keep” them young. What is the big rush? They are going to grow up. Seriously, you don’t need to push them. Actually pushing too hard can cause anxiety and distrust in the world. They will just grow. It’s nature. I will not wean my child simply because he breastfeeds at an older age than makes you comfortable. It works for us, it is what I believe he needs and he likes it! I am not “keeping” him breastfeeding. He likes it, he initiates it and, even after hard work to establish boundaries to keep me sane nursing 2 kids, he keeps coming back. I do not force it to continue and I will not force it to end. He won’t breastfeed when he is in college, not that you really need to care about what my child does. Of all the things going on with kids and in the world at large, people trip about this. I don’t get it. How can anyone look at this and think it is wrong?
