You have a brand new, squishy baby and are so happy. You have a growing family and a loving husband. There is nothing more wonderful than seeing that husband you love and cherish, holding your baby and bonding with them, am I right? I know for me, I didn’t have a dad around that was fully committed to being a dad when I was young… So, when I saw my husband so in love with our children, it made me love him even more. This is absolutely a fantastic relationship that we want to encourage!

For the husbands out there that have wives that are breastfeeding, we hear a lot of “Well how is dad going to bond with baby over feedings if you’re exclusively breastfeeding?”. This could definitely be a legitimate concern to those who are uneducated in all the wonderful ways that dad can bond with baby! The obvious way that everyone jumps to is, of course, giving the baby a bottle. Whether that is pumped milk or formula, sometimes that’s not the best option. Sometimes it isn’t an option at all! Both of my children didn’t take bottles, pacifiers or anything synthetic. Ever.

The problem, I think, is that people are focusing on the feeding aspect. But this isn’t the only way that dad can bond with baby! Just like it isn’t the only way that you bond with baby. So, how does dad practice that same type of bonding that you experience while breastfeeding?

1. Skin to Skin

This is also known as “Kangaroo Care” and is a method in which you have baby’s bare chest against your bare chest. This helps with thermal regulation, heart regulation, and it releases oxytocin or “the cuddle hormone”, which leads to more love between dad and baby. Also, because dad is helping baby regulate everything, it can help the baby save their energy so that they can focus on growing. Literally, dad cuddling baby will aid in your baby’s growth and health! How incredible!!

2. Babywearing

I cannot stress enough how beneficial babywearing is. Not only does it promote kangaroo care, but it keeps baby so close to you, that it promotes the 4th trimester transition. I mean, if dad can actually participate in one of the trimester’s of your baby’s life, why not? Babywearing (especially with a wrap) can let dad feel what it’s like to have baby with him through every movement he makes. And while that baby is being worn, dad can still help you out by bringing you water and snacks while you rest *snickers*.

3. Bathing With Baby

I know that some people are opposed to this, but it is completely normal and natural. Dad and baby being able to relax in a warm bath will help the baby feel more at “home” (being that it was in warm liquid for a few months there..) and will help the baby to feel more calm with dad. Have dad set up a relaxing bath retreat for him and baby and let them soak away their troubles together.

4. Cuddle With You And Baby

This is a big one that my husband has always done. I am still breastfeeding my 2.5 yr old and he will still occasionally come and lie with us while I nurse. This promotes your relationship (as he can see the wonder that is you), but he can also admire your child the way that you get to. Those calm moments when baby is at the breast and you get to caress their face, hair, notice their freckles, etc. He can share in these moments, as well, and you two can admire your sweet little creation together. When parents are happy and in sync together, it helps the children stay calm and happy. Share this awesome journey as a family!

In time, dad will notice how strong his relationship is with your child. They will create an unbreakable bond and it will be so fantastic for all of you.

Dads, let us know all the special ways that you bonded with your baby! We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a comment below and help us add to this list of tips!

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts and be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

[col1][/col1]

[col2][/col2]

[col3][/col3]

Lee Moffitt

Lee is a stay at home mom who blogs in her spare time. She is a mother to two girls who breastfeed, practices attachment parenting, babywearing, bedsharing, uses cloth diapers, and homeschools. She works with her local community to help women learn how to breastfeed and how to wear their babies. Lee is currently working towards becoming a La Leche League leader and a Certified Babywearing Consultant, so that she can better serve mother’s needs.

The post 4 Fantastic Ways Dad Can Bond With Breastfed Baby appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Breastfeeding While Sick Is Not Easy

For the past 4 weeks, I’ve been battling one illness or another. There were times when I really, really need to not be touched by my kid. Or to hear her screeches because I asked her not to touch me. But the most recent bout of illness was a stomach flu. Have you ever had a stomach flu when you’re a breastfeeding mom?

Let me tell you—it’s pretty freaking terrible.

We all know that when battling a stomach flu, you don’t have an option to just lay and wait for your child to fall asleep or unlatch. When you are getting sick, you’ve got to go. Fast. Or at least have a trashcan close by.

I was not the only family member sick…no. My husband and my youngest (my nursling) also caught the bug. So in between my runs to safety, I was catching or cleaning up her messes. My husband helped as much as he could, but he was pretty sick, as well. It was a hassle, to say the least. But the biggest problems I faced were when she wouldn’t unlatch or she got a burst of energy and decided to crawl across my aching abdomen. One of the times she went across me, she got me with her elbow and knee. Simultaneously. I thought I was going to die.

The Selflessness Is Strong In Us

The amazing thing about it all is that, even though I was so ill and in so much pain, I somehow focused on getting her better. I nursed her. Then I cuddled with her. Somehow    axc;c rdp I forced down all my urges to run to the trashcan and mind-over-mattered it so that she could peacefully fall asleep and unlatch herself. How? Who knows. I imagine it’s just the powerful woman body, doing what we are meant to do. Put our babies first–always.

It’s difficult, obviously. I’m not saying everyone can manage to avoid their toilet or trashcan run to snuggle a baby. But I was pretty amazed at my ability to focus so much on her healing whilst also taking care of myself. The selflessness that we exude when breastfeeding is a pretty remarkable thing when you think about it. We put forth so much energy and time and resources into being able to do this one thing for our child. Just for our bodies to produce milk is more energy than some people use in their entire day.

I have done many things in my life that I am genuinely proud of. But the most marvelous accomplishment has been this selfless act of breastfeeding while sick. Even in my most selfish moments, I still manage to put this child first. That is what breastfeeding is all about.

Lee Moffitt

Lee is a stay at home mom who blogs in her spare time. She is a mother to two girls who breastfeed, practices attachment parenting, babywearing, bedsharing, uses cloth diapers, and homeschools. She works with her local community to help women learn how to breastfeed and how to wear their babies. Lee is currently working towards becoming a La Leche League leader and a Certified Babywearing Consultant, so that she can better serve mother’s needs.

The post Breastfeeding When You Are Sick: Selfless, Difficult, And Amazing appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Full term breastfeeding isn’t as commonly heard as “extended breastfeeding”, however it is more accurate. The term “full term breastfeeding” describes a natural, expected term, while the latter makes it sound like we are extending an end date that doesn’t actually exist.

Full term breastfeeding is the practice of nursing until the child naturally weans, which typically happens anywhere between the ages of 2 and 7 years old. Somewhere in history, the idea of nursing a child above bottle-feeding age became something of a concern. It is not. Many experts view the ages of 4 or 5 years old to be the average ages of weaning worldwide. Given that the average age is 4 or 5, that would tell us that going over that age to, say 6 or 7, would be normal, as well.

Full Term Breastfeeding Is Beneficial

Breastfeeding benefits don’t go away because your child reaches a certain age. There are nutritional benefits always, as your milk is custom made to what your child needs. Your milk still holds it’s antibiotic effect. This can be so helpful once your child is up and moving about everywhere, constantly exposing themselves to the germs in the world. My 8 year old has only been truly sick a handful of times in her life, and they never lasted long. I definitely contribute this to the amazing healing powers of breast milk!

Plus, breast milk is the best at hydrating your sick child, if they happen to catch something.

What Full Term Breastfeeding Is To Me

For me and my children, full term breastfeeding has been a savior. With two children on the Autism spectrum, with their own sets of difficulties, it has really saved our sanity. In my last post, I touched base on what it’s like to nurse a toddler with SPD (sensory processing disorder). But, the benefits of breastfeeding special needs kids definitely extends beyond toddler age. I nursed my older daughter until she was about 6.5 years old. Being able to cuddle up and get “nee-nee” (what she called my breasts) was super helpful whenever she had a meltdown or got overwhelmed. Nothing has calmed my overstimulated children down faster than some milk-n-snuggles.

Full Term Breastfeeding Is Normal

In the 103 months that I have breastfed my children, I have never once considered it to be abnormal. When the American Academy of Pediatrics, World Health Organization, UNICEF and nature tells me that my child still should be nursing at 2 years old, I follow it. When my instincts and my child both told me that she, at 6 years old, still needed to nurse every now and again, I followed that. Your child won’t nurse forever. There is a point when they will stop knowing how to suckle and latch on. They grow up. That day absolutely will come. Until then…enjoy this time with them. They are only your nurslings for so long. Fulfill their needs until they need no more.

Some great info about full term breastfeeding or “extended breastfeeding” http://www.llli.org/ba/feb01.html

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

–

[col1][/col1]

[col2][/col2]

[col3][/col3]

Lee Moffitt

Lee is a stay at home mom who blogs in her spare time. She is a mother to two girls who breastfeed, practices attachment parenting, babywearing, bedsharing, uses cloth diapers, and homeschools. She works with her local community to help women learn how to breastfeed and how to wear their babies. Lee is currently working towards becoming a La Leche League leader and a Certified Babywearing Consultant, so that she can better serve mother’s needs.

The post Full Term Breastfeeding And The Reasons I Love It appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

My two year old, who I will call “Miss Spunky”, is on the Autism spectrum. She has Asperger’s and SPD- Sensory Processing Disorder. With these, there are lots of meltdowns, over-stimulation, stimming, and all sorts of adventures added to our days! But that’s all okay..because we have breastfeeding.

1. Nursing Is Her Safe Zone

With all of the overloads of stimuli and people always wanting to come up and touch my child (I’m not the only one that happens to, right??), she needs somewhere to be “safe”. She needs a place that she can run off to and take a breather to re-center herself. Cuddling up on my lap, even in a crowded place like Disney, gives her the ability to take a step away from the activities and calm her mind.

2. She Has A Way To Stim

I’m sure most of you breastfeeding mama’s out there have dealt with the “twiddling” that babies/toddlers do, but Miss Spunky does it an awful lot. I’ve attributed her excessive fiddling with me, as her just stimming. She does it an extra amount whenever she is overwhelmed. While I am not fond of her doing this all the time, I have come to accept that it is something she needs. Since it makes her feel better, I am happy to oblige.

3. She Gets More Sensory Input

With SPD, it can be very difficult to process certain textures, pressures, or even temperature changes. Because Miss Spunky is able to be squished up to me so often, her senses are always being exposed to changes in subtle ways. Therefore, creating an easier transition for her into the outside world.

4. She Gets Plenty of Nutrients

One of the lovely aspects of SPD is frequent food aversion. There will be times when Miss Spunky only wants to eat mac and cheese and popcorn. All day. For several days. Given that she is still receiving nutritional breast milk, I don’t often worry about it, as I know we will level it all out.

On top of that, if she is sick, she physically cannot stomach medicine. At all. So it’s a real perk to have the anti-bodies in my milk to pass on to her whenever she gets ill!

5. She Learns Social Cues

An unfortunate part of being on the ASD spectrum is not always understanding social cues and facial expressions. Being on the spectrum myself, I know the struggle with this. However, because Miss Spunky gets to pay such close attention to my face, vocal tones, changes of expressions, etc., I can see she is learning well how to interact with others. I am so grateful for this.

Why I Love Nursing Her.

Miss Spunky can be the sweetest little person in the world. She loves to cuddle up to me, her daddy and her sister, and I feel like our breastfeeding relationship has really encouraged that closeness. Despite her SPD (sensory processing disorder) issues, she can be so affectionate at times.

Special needs living can be really tough some days. It can bounce from hard to easy just minute-to-minute. But I am so thankful that we have this to share together and that I can provide these extra special things that she needs, and in such a beneficial way.

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

–

[col1][/col1]

[col2][/col2]

[col3][/col3]

Lee Moffitt

Lee is a stay at home mom who blogs in her spare time. She is a mother to two girls who breastfeed, practices attachment parenting, babywearing, bedsharing, uses cloth diapers, and homeschools. She works with her local community to help women learn how to breastfeed and how to wear their babies. Lee is currently working towards becoming a La Leche League leader and a Certified Babywearing Consultant, so that she can better serve mother’s needs.

The post 5 Reasons I Love Nursing My SPD Special Needs Toddler appeared first on Breastfeeding World.