Sweet Pea turned 10 months old today. I can't believe how quickly the time is flying. As the "one year" mark quickly approaches - I'm anticipating that sometime in the next 2 - 6 months, my little guy will be done breast feeding... this makes me think back on the last 10 months and reflect on some of my experiences.
Some of my most memorable experiences have come at the hands of other people's children. When Sweet Pea gets hungry or whiny in the company of friends and strangers, I try to disreetly move myself to a quieter location in the house so that he can eat in peace and quiet - and so I don't have to flash my world to everyone present. I've noticed that little boys really pay no attention. They pay me and Sweet Pea no heed. They don't notice me leave - and if they enter into the room I'm in, they don't even notice I'm there, usually they are too busy playing and making a commotion. The same cannot be said for little girls.
The little girls that I have experienced seem to 1. really LOVE babies and 2. be very curious about what is going on underneath my shirt/ Sweet Pea's blanket. On more than one occasion, I've had little girls follow me to whatever location in the house I choose. IT'S A BABY PARTY -- WE'RE COMING WITH YOU!!! And then the barrage of questions begin.
"What are you doing?"
"What's he doing under that blanket?"
"Can I see?"
And when I try to just keep the answers vague... such as "I'm feeding the baby" or "he's eating" - the girls just aren't satisfied.
"What's he eating?"
"Where is his bottle?"
"How are you feeding him?"
"Can I see?"
Suddenly, I'm in charge of teaching these 4 - 6 year old girls about the biology of feeding a baby. I'm not sure how I suddenly get to be the poster child for breast feeding - but it's an awkward position to be in to have to teach someone else's kid about biology. A little help here!!
So I have to attempt to talk about how the baby is drinking milk... from me. Common responses have included
"How did you get the milk in there?" to -- you guessed it "Can I see?"
So much trying to be discreet --Now I'm having to flash myself to young children - all in an effort to allow them to see that nursing a baby is natural, and normal, and not something to be embarrassed about - all while I am DYING inside that I am having to have this conversation with someone else's kid.
One friend's curious kid - even looked at me - asked several questions -- wanted to see (of course) -- and then looked me in the eye and responded "GROSS!" quickly followed by -- "Can I see, again?"
Ah, the joys of mothterhood. By the time Sweet Pea is 4 - 6, I'm guessing I'll have a better way to answer the questions about nursing - but for right now, I'm just making it up as I go along - and hoping that the parents to these children aren't too mad at me for opening a can of worms I never wanted to open in the first place.
Of course, none of this makes me regret my choice to nurse my child. It's better for him, he's healthier than formula fed kiddos, and it's been a great way to connect and bond with my Sweet Pea. And while a part of me is looking forward to the freedom of him no longer needing to nurse - a part of me will miss the time snuggling, too. So while the end may be near, I'm glad it's not quite here, yet.
-bg
Hi Brooke, Keep on keeping on! I nursed for 13 months and don't regret a moment of it. As for the little girls, consider it as a way to expand their world and make breast feeding as natural as possible. I struggled to breastfeed for several months and read some literature that suggested because breastfeeding is treated like it's taboo, women and girls aren't exposed to it like they were before formula came on the scene. Therefore, when they become mothers, they struggle more because they haven't seen how it's done as often as women of previous generations. Interesting perspective, so keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah!!!
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