World Breastfeeding Week

Just want to wish everyone a Happy World Breastfeeding Week! Just a week to celebrate breastfeeding and to encourage woman, who can, to breastfeed.

Facebook was a buzz about Giselle Bunchen (I think that's how you spell it) wanted there to be a law requiring all women in the world to breastfeed for at least 6 months.  I stopped to think about it.  It sounds good.  Yes I want all babies to be breastfeed, if not by their own mom's then at least with donor breastmilk.  It's the best thing for them and it's nature's food for babies but it doesn't take into account that sometimes things happen.  I'm not pro-formula.  But I know there are mom who have to use it.  Whether it be by choice or circumstance, sometimes a baby will not get to breastfeed.  Sometimes it's baby that has an issue which won't allow for breastfeeding.

I think Best for Babes makes a very good point about there being booby traps.  Our American world is not set up for breastfeeding success.  Many of us moms have to work outside the home and work places are not always ready or willing to help with pumping.  Good pumps are expensive and the bad ones which are cheap won't do for a long-term commitment to breastfeeding.  It seems that for every doctor that is pro-BF, there are many more that don't understand the basics and get down right negative about BFing.  Many of us are just set up to fail.  So how can we call for a law when so many have real obstacles in their way.

I love breastfeeding Audrey.  It's our special time.  Especially now that she's all over that place, I loving having those breaks in her day that are just for us.  No else can help.  No one else can do it.  It's the two of us.  I feel for woman who can't/won't/weren't supported or baby couldn't.  Even now as I see my daughter growing and eating more food and drinking less BM, I'm alittle sad.  I don't want her to wean.  I kinda of want to take away all solids and make her my newborn again.  I am glad that we have been able to breastfeed for these 7 months and God willing we'll make it until she's 2. 

Rather than barring formula, let's work to make breastfeeding the norm again.  Rather than making laws, lets live our lives as breastfeeding mothers and show people that we can live like normal people and still breastfeed.  Breast isn't best, Breast is normal.
(Please forgive the typos.)

Cloth diapers

Okay, so yesterdays post was sad.  I don't want to depress anyone but I had to get it out.  It's amazing the healing power of just expressing yourself. 
So I'm moving the blog on.  Today's topic cloth diapers.  I indulged in a little retail therapy yesterday.  We've moved to full-time cloth and it's going well but I'm getting a little tired of washing everyday.  I'm also worried that it will wear out my diapers faster so I went on to diaperswappers.com and thebabywear.com and searched the forums for some good deals on some fitted diapers and covers.  I love Goodmama diapers but they cost about $30 brand-new so shop the forums looking for good deals.  I found 2!  That will bring my stash up to 12 GMs!!!!  I'm excited.  I also bought some Mother-Ease Sandy diapers (4) and (3) Clover OS diapers.  I've read some pretty good stuff on them and the price was right so we're going to try them.  I also snagged some Thirsties covers.  I even broke down and bought a few pre-fold (which are the old fashion pin-up diapers).  I can't wait for my new stuff to come in!  I'll post pics.

Grief and birth

I lost a good friend yesterday.  She died after having an emergency c-section.  The baby ended up in the NICU but is doing well.  I'm still feeling a bit numb.  I understand that she is gone but I can't concieve a world without her and I'm overcome with saddness for the baby.  She'll never know that wonderful woman that gave birth to her. 

I know that women die during childbirth.  Death is a fact of life.  I've looked at the stats but B was not a number she was a friend.  The numbers, the odds, the facts don't make me feel any better. In fact I think I'm more scared.  I have two friends awaiting babies and now I'm scared they won't make it through. 

DH has decided to become a doula. He is convinced it was a cascade of interventions that killed B.  I don't think we know enough to say.  He has been talking about it since we started our research on birth after we found out we were pregnant and now with B's death he feels that is something he should do to help out women. 

I don't know how to take it all in.  We just had dinner with B and her husband last month as we were moving.  We were talking about raising babies and both of us planning second babies.  Now she's gone.  We now live so far away we can't do anything to help.  I want to help.  I want to feel useful.  I want to feel something besides sad.  Even moving to anger would be good.  That I can work with.  Saddness is daining and I need my strenght to work and more importantly take care of Audrey.

I know life goes on.  I know Baby J will grow up and her daddy will tell her all about her wonderful momma.  Maybe I'll still get a chance to see her sometime.  But it's not fair.  All B wanted to do is watch her daughter grow up and to have more babies and be a good mom.  She would have been a fabulous mom.  I want an explanation.  I want a reason.  I want to blame someone. 

I know God has a plan but I can't see it.  I know things happen for a reason but I don't feel it.  I know but I'm not sure I can accept.