Advocate For the Breastfeeding Boob! And the Babies Attached to Them..



The Breastfeeding Supermum!



Wow, has breastfeeding been in the news lately! First with Liana's pool "incident" Liana's Nurse-In and now Dave Kochi's comments The Media Fire Storm it has been non stop support and criticism for not only Liana but for all of the other breastfeeding mums out there (who happen to have to feed their babies out in public *gasp* how obscene)!!!!

So why is it so important to advocate for breastfeeding women? Why do I spend so many of my waking moments supporting and advocating breastfeeding rights of the mother and baby? And no, it's not because I'm bored or insane.

Breastfeeding is a HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE.  Yes, it sounds dramatic and special doesn't it? Well it is! Every breastfed being whether they are 3 months old or 3 years old, have the right to breastfeed whenever and wherever they like.  Thankfully many countries have laws now (including Queensland, Australia where Liana's pool excitement happened) which protects a woman's right to breastfeed.  You can be sitting on the edge of a pool (where other non- breastfeeding boobs are half out yet no one says a word) or you can be sitting in the middle of a cafe. 

In Queensland breastfeeding is a right not a privilege, according to the law.  So what does this mean for breastfeeding mothers? How do we respond if we are approached and told to, "cover up" or "go to the toilet?"  A simple, "no thanks we are comfortable here" is sufficient.  If you go back to someone with an aggressive comment such as, "why don't you go eat YOUR dinner in the toilet?!" it just feeds the already big flame coming from the complainer. 

We won't change their minds, all we can do is continue to feed our babies so we can support other women out there who do, or want to do the same.

**There is no need to defend yourself or move to a different area. Not only do you not have to move to a different area but you don't have to feel bad about it or defend yourself.  WHEN YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOUR DECISION (SUCH AS BREASTFEEDING IN PUBLIC) YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DEFEND YOURSELF TO ANYONE! Just go about your day doing what you do best as a breastfeeding mum...follow the lead of your baby and feed them when they are hungry no matter where you are.**

We do not have to feel embarrassed or disgraced! We do not have to feel humiliated or pressured! In the past I have felt humiliated when I was asked to go to the toilet to feed my middle boy when he was only one week old. I did not know how to stand up for myself.  Or when I felt the need in the past to explain why I was still breastfeeding my three year old, or felt as though I had to defend demand feeding or feeding for comfort.  Now after years of practise I have let go of those ties that hold me back.  I don't breastfeed as a statement. I breastfeed to meet the needs of my baby.  Hunger, comfort, boredom and whatever other reason he might want to breastfeed for at that time. 

Who cares about the reason?! He just wants the boob. Not much more to it...

As for all of those negative comments flooding social media, I will not waste my time  and energy responding.  I will not waste my precious moments (you know those times we need to actually go pee without a baby at our feet or eat without standing up) defending myself to those who have made negative comments about my breastfeeding in public...because I don't need to defend myself and neither do you!

My posted pic on Kochis' Facebook wall

Just get out there and breastfeed your children.  It's the most powerful way to respond.  That's why I'm so happy Liana organised the nurse-in at Bribie Island pool!! And it won't give you a brain aneurysm like Facebook will do when reading and responding to negative un-supportive comments (and believe me I definitely got a few of those when I put my breastfeeding pic up on Kochi's Facebook page).

You may call me a breastfeeding obsessed hippy! You may call me a breastfeeding crazed woman! You may call me a formula hater! I am not any of those things...it's actually  much more boring than that. When my baby is hungry or cranky or bored or tired or happy I'd like to be able to feed him.  And I'd like other mums to be able to do the same.

As I've mentioned before, and I'll mention again...breastfeeding at home, in a cafe, at the shops, at the park, in the pool, in the shower, at the cinemas, in front of your grandparents, in swimwear, underwear, boob in boob out blah blah blah...is

BORINGLY NORMAL. AND AWESOME!

 

To read more about the Bribie Island Nurse-In click on the following link, Calling All Lactating Women!

*Have you been discriminated against as a pregnant or breastfeeding woman? Click on this link to Make a complaint.

Calling All Lactating Women! The Bribie Island Nurse-In

The Milk has moved! Please head over to www.themilkmeg.com to check it out!

Extra! Extra! Read All About it!

The Sunday Mail 20th January 2013

The Sunshine Coast Daily 20th January 2013

On the 12th of January, 2013 Liana Webster took her three kids to her local pool.  While she was sitting there breastfeeding her eleven month old and watching her other two children swim, an employee walked over to her and told her she wasn't allowed to feed there, that she had to "refrain from feeding out in the open."  Click on this link for more info: Liana's Story in The Courier Mail.  This pic above (from the Herald Sun) shows us breastfeeding mums who came to the nurse-in. Liana is at the front in the black shirt, I am behind her breastfeeding my little one.

As a breastfeeding mum who has experienced a similar situation myself (which I write about in my breastfeeding in public post, The Boob Hangs Out) I know the humiliation that comes along with being asked to breastfeed in the toilet or cover up.  This "issue" of breastfeeding in public should not even be an "issue." 

I was interviewed by a few different media people at the nurse-in that was organized by Liana and every time I spoke to someone I mentioned the same point over and over, "if you feel as though a woman needs to be 'discreet' or move to a private spot to breastfeed then you are sexualising her breasts! It is YOUR problem.  Women have breasts for one purpose only, to feed our babies.  It's as simple as that." 

Here is some of the media coverage from the day:

From The Sunshine Coast Daily,  Nurse-In Website Article

From the Herald Sun, Nurse-In

My friend Kellie Bradfield came along to take some pictures.  She is not only a photographer, but also a former breastfeeding mum who breastfed all three of her kids and wanted to support Liana as well as all of the other breastfeeding mums out there. You can find her Facebook page here, Kellie.  Here are some great pics she took from the day...

Please head over to www.themilkmeg.com to continue reading this article!



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He Signed Milk! The How and Why of Baby Sign Language...

I remember the first time I heard about baby sign language.  I was about twenty years old and a college student studying psychology.  I was babysitting a little eight month old and her mum told me she was teaching her sign language.  She showed me the sign for "food" and asked me to sign to her little girl every time I fed her a spoonful of food.  I was really intrigued and thought it was so cool that babies could actually learn to sign before they could talk.  They have the capability to communicate very clearly before their language develops.  A couple of years later when I had my first little boy I remembered this experience which led me to teaching my own baby sign language. 

He has just started to sign "milk" and "all done."  It's really amazing to see them sign and be able to communicate without getting frustrated.  There are many months in between their desire to communicate and being able to effectively communicate what they feel through words.  Teaching them sign language allows them the opportunity to do this very clearly without the frustration. 

I know there are others out there like myself who are visual learners.  I have looked up various videos of baby sign language throughout the years.  Below are a few videos I have recorded of different signs we have been teaching our baby.  There are many more you can do. We started signing to him when he was about six months old and now at eight months he is just starting to get it! Have a look at the videos so you can learn and start teaching your own baby.



This first video is of my middle boy showing my baby how to sign "book."  I love this video because after he signs it once I ask him to sign it again to him.  He of course puts on a shocked and devastated face and starts complaining. Classic!

This next video is of my husband showing our baby the sign for "dog."  Our dog and cat are very popular around our house...especially with the baby. He loves them.

Here I am signing "food"  He LOVES food and will probably sign this any day now! Besides breastfeeding, eating solids is pretty much his favourite activity.

Here I am signing "milk" and breastfeeding at the pool!

                                         

OK, I know I sound like a total dork in this video...here I am signing "no."

This is the sign for "up." I always sign this to him before I pick him up.

Here is a link to a chart of different signs for your baby.  There are different variations of baby sign depending on where you look.  It doesn't really matter as long as you and your baby know what you're each trying to say!

Baby Sign Language Chart

If you would like to look at some really interesting research you can look at the work by Dr. Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn.  They have written a book titled, "How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk."  There has been a longitudinal study which showed really amazing results. Parents who followed the Baby Sign program had children who spoke sooner, were ahead of their peers and had a higher IQ!  This is not the reason I have signed with my babies though. I just started doing it because it's  really cool to see your baby sign to you!

Start by incorporating a few signs into the day with your baby, and have fun!