Down with the kids

As I write both kids are asleep at the same time! I manage this probably once a week - and for me it’s like winning the lottery! I like to go and peek in on both of them. Little Bro head down, bum up in his cot - snoring loudly and Big Sis invariably on her back with her mouth open and miscellaneous toys and bits and pieces, collected over the morning, spread across her doona. The house is quiet - even Dog senses the mood and curls up on his day bed. It’s bliss!

I’m beginning to wean Little Bro and have managed to keep him to a morning and night feed for the last week or so. I’ve enjoyed feeding both my kids into their second year. Setting it up was however, really really hard. Big Sis simply would not latch on and in both cases I had cracked and bleeding nipples and with Little Bro I also had a nasty case of mastitis (or milk fever as I prefer to call it - it sounds so much more romantic!). The pain of those first few weeks of breast feeding have been etched into my memory and overshadow any memories of pain in birth!

With Little Bro a miracle working lactation consultant finally visited me at home and was so shocked by the state of my nipples she took photographs to use in her training sessions (apparently she is also writing a book). In my milk fever fog, with my bleeding nipples and this tiny little feeding machine suckling at them every 2 hours I was actually really comforted by this. It was like a vindication for my pain - see it is really bad! Sitting there as she snapped away the irony of the timing of my first ever topless shots wasn’t lost on me, but I’m pretty confident they wont appear on the cover of Ralph. I don’t think they’d even feature Kylie’s boobs in that condition!

Anyway, said miracle worker sorted it all out and after a few weeks breast-feeding was established and has worked beautifully ever since. I just love the quiet cuddling times of feeds, the fact that you are able to quiet an upset baby at any time and the convenience of walking around with your very own built in milk bar.

Before I had kids I always thought I would be self conscious about feeding in public, or that I would be worries about evoking a hostile response from people. I found once I had that baby in my arms these concerns didn’t even cross my mind. My babies hungry and I’ll feed him or her whenever and wherever I want! I don’t think I would have even noticed a hostile look, in fact,I never did!

The funny thing is, when I was in hospital with Little Sis and the booby thing wasn’t working very well she was drinking some formula from a bottle. I remember one visitor saying in an incredulous voice “Are you bottle feeding her?”. I wasn’t planning to, but I remember registering this and thinking that mums who chose (or have) to bottle feed must get lots of attitude from people.

The weird thing is when you are breast feeding you reach a stage, often somewhere between 6 and 9 months when people start saying “Are you still breast-feeding?”. It’s like you go to bed one night and breast-feeding is what you should be doing, then wake up in the morning and public perception has changed and bubs should have bottles! And really, whose business is it, besides you and your baby?

Anyway, as I embark on the path of weaning Little Bro I guess I feel a little sad at how fast the last year has passed and how independent he will shortly be. I also feel really proud that we have managed to get him this far! Little Bro isn’t taking it well though, when it occurs to him that he would like a suck he crawls around after me exclaiming “mumumumum” and clawing at my clothes. He has now learnt to suck from a straw however, and those chocolate milkshakes he has started drinking will, I think, go a long way as compensation!