ORIGINALLY POSTED: June 21, 2009
Welcome, Carnival of Breastfeeding readers!
When @Blacktating asked her Twitter “tweeps” what we thought the June Breastfeeding Carnival should be about I admit that it was me who suggested focusing on the experiences of mothers Nursing In Public (NIP) and outdoors. It wasn’t long before others had grabbed onto the idea (and perhaps there were others who offered it as their suggestion as well) and before we knew it the decision had been made to run with our idea and here we are.
Some of my VERY favourite memories involve breastfeeding my children outside. When my boys were wee I was especially grateful that they were spring babies. My parents had a wonderful little cottage on Georgian Bay and we spent MANY weekends sitting at the water’s edge and relishing our good fortune at having this small sanctuary where we could celebrate the heat of summer, the cool of fresh water and the joy of time with family.
With friends always coming a going from our little piece of perfection I was delighted to be able to sit outside, feet playing in the soft sand (yes there are some sand beaches along Georgian Bay, just not many) and continue to visit while my baby breastfed, slept and snuggled in my arms. As Fergus grew and then Quinn joined our family I remember being thankful for the convenience of breastfeeding because I didn’t have to worry about leaving Fergus at the water’s edge while I went inside to prepare other food for his baby brother.
In fact nursing outside was something that I was often glad for when there were two boys in my family. Fergus’ life didn’t have to change with his little brother on the scene. Quinn slipped happily into the sling, leaving my hands free to play with Fergus and when Quinn needed to eat he would breastfeed in the sling.
We sat on many park benches and educated curious neighbourhood toddlers about the fabulousness of feeding a baby at the breast. I loved that children always seemed interested in what I was doing (especially since, even though my breasts are quite large, they couldn’t really see anything “inappropriate”) and came up to watch and to ask questions.
Last summer, just before I retired from my role as La Leche League Leader in my community, I chose to help three other moms work their way through the accreditation process. We sat chatting at a local park/splash pad and their toddlers ran free, coming back to their moms to nurse if they fell, felt lost or just needed a second to reconnect with their mom. It was so wonderful to watch the newer generation of LLL Leaders mothering their babies through breastfeeding and doing it, as I had done, where anyone and everyone could see them and could learn from their dedication.
Pictures of me nursing my babies are all on film and until I get my scanner set up in a way that I can use it that is where they will stay. I certainly wanted to be able to add a photo of a mom nursing in an outdoor setting to this post but I didn’t have any.
Breastfeed . . . Anytime . . . Anywhere!
Other bloggers in this carnival:
Lucy and Ethel Have A Baby: The Adventures of Shrike & Whozat & Peeper
PhD In Parenting
Dirty Diaper Laundry
Kim Through The Looking Glass
Grudgemom: Learning To Be A Mom One Diaper At A Time
Mum Unplugged
Massachusetts Friends of Midwives
Mother Mary’s Soapbox
Tiny Grass
Mommy News & Views Blog
Breastfeeding 1-2-3
Stork Stories . . . Birth & Breastfeeding
Chronicles of A Nursing Mom
Warm Hearts, Happy Family
Blacktating
Musings on mamahood
Motherwear’s Breastfeeding Blog
Mama Knows Breast: Adventures In Breastfeeding
Tales of Life With A Girl On the Go
Breastfeeding Moms Unite
Never a Dull Moment …
Breastfeeding Mums: Bumps, Birth, Babies & Breastfeeding
Hobo Mama
babyready 