Just Jack: June 2010

I've been described as a passionate person. I've had many passions in my life. One of my first memories of a passion is when I was in first grade and a boy in my class put a lovebug in the pencil sharpener and ground it up. I was very upset and I knew then that I was passionate about animal rights.

In middle school, I was the "save the earth" geek. I became a vegetarian which lasted until about five years ago. I'm still a "save the earth" geek only now its cool to "be green." We recycle, compost, use cloth diapers and try to conserve energy and water. I still feel passionate about animal rights even though I eat meat. It breaks my heart to see animals mistreated.

I have Jack to thank for my new passions: Natural parenting and lactivism. Natural parenting describes many of ways I care for Jack. It encompasses many of my previous passions including being green. It includes my new interests of co-sleeping, baby-wearing, attachment parenting and breastfeeding.

This brings me to the other new passion: lactivism. Basically being a lactivist means supporting and advocating for breastfeeding. I knew before Jack was born that I wanted to breastfeed. My rationale was simple: it is the best food for him. I have since learned through experience and by educating myself more about breastfeeding that it goes way beyond being the perfect food. i

When Jack was born weighing a hefty 10 pounds even my OBGYN said that I would have a hard time feeding the "ginormous" baby. Then he became jaundiced and the terrible pediatrician told me "this whole exclusive breastfeeding thing isn't going to work, you'll have to supplement him with formula." Then mastitis struck when Jack was 2 weeks old and I thought I couldn't keep it up. Thanks to my mom for being such a lactivist herself (even thought she's probably never heard of the term) I endured and here we are at 10 1/2 months later still going strong. Don't get me wrong. It isn't always easy. I pump 4 times a day while at work which requires me finding a semi-clean and semi-private place in my hospital and asking another nurse to watch my two sick patients for me while I go. Then there's the whole nursing in public (NIP) thing. I've pretty much mastered it with the help of my ergo carrier. I've NIPed now in the grocery store, target, the mall, restaurants, and church. I'm glad a have persevered. I love nursing him and he seems to love it too.

I plan to continue breastfeeding Jack until he self-weans. The World Health Organization states: "Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond." Jack eats very little solid food, but still continues to be in the 90th percentile for height and weight. How's that possible you might ask? The power of breastmilk. Amazing. I know it might get tricky having a toddler pull at my shirt in public because he wants to nurse, but should it really be any different than a toddler asking his mom for a glass of cow milk? Why should I give Jack another animal's milk when I make milk that is perfect for him?

If you're reading this you are probably wondering where the cute pictures of Jack are. So here you go. Here's a picture of the first time I held and nursed Jack skin-to-skin in the recovery room after my cesarean. He's the reason for my new passion and where it all began.