Thursday, September 9, 2010

{Embrace} the Camera



My baby is one hundred percent breastfed.


No really! No beer was involved the the fattening of this baby!! Only milk! (I discovered this on my camera while downloading my ETC pictures this morning. Bad, bad husband. I will kick you later. When you are awake.)

Anywho.

Joseph is 5 months and is still exclusively breastfed. It's worked really well for us and I enjoy it. I love the downtime to snuggle! We'll start him on some purees next month, but for now it's the boob for him. He tells me that he's ok with that.

Since I spend a lot of my time feeding the ravenous horde of one, I decided that I should definitely take some pictures for my future self. First, I think nursing is beautiful. Second, this way, I can look back, remember, and coo about it. It has absolutely nothing to do with totally grossing out and embarrassing my son when he's all grown up. I would never do something like that.

Don't worry. I was careful not to flash (ha!) the camera. We wouldn't want anyone's retinas to get singed.

Please be advised that I just woke up and have fuzztastic bed head in this picture.

All three of us have icky colds this week, so we're taking it slow this morning. It's the first time Joseph has ever been sick. Score 1 for boobs! He's been very chipper overall, but he can't figure out why he's unable to breath through his little nose. Poor guy. I had to use the bulb sucker on him and he was non-plussed with the fact that his own mother would betray him. Lots of back arching and head turning and complaining during which time I was the meanest mother ever. Then he immediately forgot that I can't be trusted around his nose and smiled and gurgled at me.

Side-lying hold is my favorite position for breast feeding. Cradle hold is my second favorite, but side-lying is the most comfortable for me. Especially in the morning because it is so wonderfully relaxed. I live in nursing tanks. They are super comfy and very practical. I highly recommend them.

Joseph loves to touch my face while he's nursing. Maybe to reassure himself that I'm not going anywhere? Maybe my chin and cheeks have a really cool texture that I'm unaware of? Who knows, but it's very sweet. I always feel like he's hugging the boob while he's eating.


I never would have thought it, but I've become remarkably unconcerned about exposing my boobs to my family and friends. I use an Udder Cover in public, but breastfeeding is so ingrained in my daily life that I could really care less about who sees or doesn't see my boobs. The Hooter Hider is solely for the sake of the boob shy public (Thank you, Jamie!!).

Funny story - I was eating dinner at an Indian restaurant with my sister-in-law Theresa. Joseph was hungry, so I popped him under the udder cover and undid my nursing tank. He was very excited to see his meal ticket and was grinning/hyperventilating as he latched on. Amused by his boob addiction and forgetting that I wasn't at home, I shouted "Boobies!!!" really loudly. Awkward. Theresa couldn't stop laughing at me.

Now, I need some advice from you mothers with breastfeeding experience. Joseph has started teething and, of course, wants to chew on everything.

Including my nipples.

NOT COOL.


There are no teeth yet, but it still hurts like the dickens! He chomps down and grinds his little gums together and then yanks back. I know his gums hurt and chomping feels good to him. I really sympathize with the whole teething pain thing, but if he loves his mother, his boobies, and his food, he's got to stop before he gets any teeth. My mom says he has to join the "breast feeding baby mother boobie respect society."

Any suggestions for discouraging boob chompage?? My breasts need your help! SAVE THE BOOBIES!!

22 comments:

  1. Funny story! I know what worked for me and I got this advice from my mother (who had 11 babies) so it's tried and true.
    I hope I don't get hate mail because it might seem harsh to those who have never experienced boob chompage!

    When your dear little sweet one clamps those teeth (or gums) down while nursing, gently and oh so lovingly, press his nose against your breast so he has to open his mouth to breath.
    This does not hurt him in the least, it just creats the need for him to "unclamp"!

    I did this the first time my little girl chomped and that was it. (And I nursed for over a year.)
    Good luck!

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  2. i am in love with that second shot. adorable. frame it!

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  3. Such sweet, tender, beautiful moments. Awwwww....

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  4. so beautiful. Isn't nursing lovely!?!

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  5. Love the second picture. Great shot :)

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  6. I love the last picture! and the first picture - haha, Dad's sure do have a weird sense of humor don't they??!! =)

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  7. Finley LOVES beer bottles. Loves them. Hid my cell phone in the beer box the other day. Oh boys.

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  8. these pictures depict EXACTLY my feelings when i was TRYING to bfeed my babies. tired, but oh sooooooo devoted. i love ur face in that last one. beautiful!

    **fellow camera embracer!

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  9. did you know i'm a huge fan of breastfeeding? i exclusively nursed milo for his first year of life---no solids, nothing. just breast milk. and well, you've seen that kid. he's a fattie.

    if any of them every took a chomp on my nips, i flicked their cheek with my finger. enough to make them start crying, but they never did it again...maybe that was mean of me?

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  10. oh, and i LOVE that first picture...that's hilarious.

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  11. I'm weird in that I bf, but I don't really enjoy it. I bf my oldest until she was 21 months old. I wanted to stop, she didn't. I was even pregnant. It was wonderful when she stopped. I'm nursing my 5 month old too. I'm hoping to stop at 12 months, but that was my plan with the first one too. If I remember correctly, I thumped her foot or something when she bit down. She never hurt me, so I may have done it just once.

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  12. We recently got back from France. I was so amazed at watching women breastfeed out in public with no shame. It was fantastic. I saw one woman get off the metro holding her older daughters hand with her right and cradling her baby in her left. She somehow was able to flip out a boob, latch one her baby and never break a stride while exiting the metro.

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  13. lol at SAVE THE BOOBIES. I have no real advice, because my boobs are very much useless right now. You know, no baby and all.

    But, I love your facial expression in the second photo. And, his little hand on your face. Bless his heart.

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  14. These are fabulous, treasure pictures. :)

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  15. Sweet nursing pictures are sooo cute. I can't wait to nurse again! You nursing in public might give another woman the courage to nurse as well.

    My babies weren't chompers, so no real advice. Can you pull him in tightly so that he'll be startled and let go?

    As for attachment parenting, it sounds like you're hitting all the bases. It's about doing what works for you AND him.

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  16. Beautiful pictures to treasure! AND.... dads think they are soooo funny!

    Good luck with the chomping.... thankfully my kiddo's spared me that so I'm not much good for advice.

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  17. The first time my first son bit me it shocked me so much I screamed which basically terrified him enough to not do it again! I loved breastfeeding my kids but was the opposite in not doing it in front of many people. Maybe cause it was the only time I had a real excuse to just BE BY MYSELF! :) Hooray for your comfort though cause those are precious pictures!

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  18. Love these pics!! Bad bad husband, but funny shot. I am still nursing my daughter at 20 months and I feel lucky she never went through a biting phase. You could try stopping nursing if he bites- and start again- stop if he does it again. Maybe he will catch on- biting is bad. Good luck getting through this. It is so worth it. xo

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  19. Sweet pictures... I loved breastfeeding and really didn't think I would! I nursed my 2nd (didn't even try with my first) for 8 months when he weaned himself. I really don't remember him chewing, but I would probably have made him unlatch and then relatch. I dunno. Good luck. :)

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