She walks! She talks! She nurses her baby!

Crunch, crunch. The dry fall leaves gave way underfoot and rustled overhead at the Rooster Rock disc golf course. Eric threw his driver toward the basket and I walked along with him, nursing Edie as I stepped through the maple leaves.

The premise of this blog is that I’ll be an expert by the time I log 10,000 hours of mothering. Of course by that time Edith will have changed enough that I’ll need an entirely new set of skills, but I think it’s reasonable to think that I’ll go from being a complete noob to a reasonably competent mom in a year and a half.

The fact that I’m comfortable enough nursing that I can do it while walking a trail is an enormous success. I may not be great at everything, but I’m an expert breastfeeder!

A baby's hunger waits for no one, so you gotta feed her where you can—even the pumpkin patch.
A baby’s hunger waits for no one, so you gotta feed her where you can—even the pumpkin patch.

I’ve nursed Edie while taking a walk with my girlfriends, grocery shopping at Whole Foods, walking Finn, making myself breakfast and even sitting on a tractor hay ride at the pumpkin patch. Gone are the days when I had to set a crying Edith down, strap on a nursing pillow, grab a second pillow to prop up the first and only then pick her back up to give her milk.

I was inspired by a friend who nursed her little one while standing up and snacking on tortilla chips. “Don’t mind my stomach,” she laughed about her bare midriff, but I was impressed by her mobility. I went home that evening and began practicing pillow-less nursing.

Now my Breast Friend pillow is stashed behind the rocking chair. I haven’t used it in weeks. Instead, I recline on the couch with my peeper in my arms—or, conversely, stand up to refill my own water. It’s liberating.

It’s also helpful when you have a fussy baby. Edie has a hard time eating when she’s overtired, so a few times a day I end up nursing her while standing and swaying. One particularly bad day I stood, swayed and bounced while feeding her in the bathroom with the light off, door closed and fan on. Yes, motherhood is that glamorous.

For months I struggled with anything related to feeding Edith. For a while I thought I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed her any longer.

I’m still learning. But it feels so damn good to get a win.

0 thoughts on “She walks! She talks! She nurses her baby!

  • October 24, 2013 at 6:30 pm
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    Well done, mama!! I’ve just weaned my two year old. It’s so very worth it to breastfeed. <3

    Reply
    • October 24, 2013 at 7:27 pm
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      Thanks for your encouragement, Valerie! I was originally very anxious about breastfeeding but now I’m so glad I’ve been able to nourish my baby this way.

      Reply

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