An amazing case for breastfeeding in public!!!

One of those...

A while back, I was changing Mojo in a restaurant bathroom and a friend of mine who works there offered to take the diaper and throw it away for me.  When I pointed out it was cloth and stuck it in my very fancy and expensive wet bag (a plastic grocery bag lol) she said "Oh, you're one of those."  It really made me smile, and I will tell you why.  I have always been a bit of a weird-o.  If you are reading this and know me personally, I am sure a story of my uniqueness has sprung to mind.  I see this as a good thing.  The one constant thing about my weirdness has been that it adheres to my own Hippie-Witch logic.  I am never really trying to be weird, I am just doing my thing and always seem to end up there.  My weirdness tends to also be very buffet style.  I will not protest something for the sake of protesting, I have to really feel it is wrong and that I can make a difference.  I will not wear my faith on my shoulder, daring someone to comment on it so that I can "defend myself", but I will wear my pentacle proudly because it means so much to me and I will graciously explain to anyone who asks what is means.  I will also not jump on every granola parenting trend just because I say it on a parenting forum, and beat it into the ground to anyone who might have (gasp) chosen not to do the same thing.  I do cloth diaper. The biggest reason for that is that I got a little obsessed about it when I was on bed rest and had only the internet to entertain me, and I needed a project.  I have stuck with it because I had no idea it was so easy and because we have saved SO much money at a time we don't have a lot of money to spare.  I breastfed both kids, Jiji for only 4 months due to illness and circumstance, and Mojo for nearly 10 now.  I am weaning Mo onto formula now because my grooming business is starting to get busy, pumping is a disaster for me,and because, frankly, she is starting to bite...hard.  We are getting serious about gardening and urban homesteading because I have always wanted a big garden or farm, and it makes me happy.  Having more and more veggies to eat, can, and freeze, along with fresh eggs will also help our tight budget.  We compost because buying compost is expensive, and it really helps the garden.  We home school because we felt it was the best choice for our family and our situation, and because we are in a position where even when I am working, I am home with the kids 80%-95% of the time.  We are Pagan, and raising our kids Pagan because both my husband and I found the Pagan faith and our hearts felt they had come home, and want to teach our values and beliefs to our kids.  They may not chose to follow our faith, and we expose them to other religions, but for now we are raising little Witchlings.  Don't want to cloth diaper?  Cool, I have a few packs of disposables I was given and never used, help yourself.  Don't, or didn't breastfeed?  Awesome, I promise not to tell the boobie Mafia who thinks it should be a crime to not breastfeed, if you promise not to tell them I quit early on both kids.  Think all good veggies and eggs live at the store?  Right on, can you pick me up a gallon of milk when you're there?  The point is, I make my choices, and they tend to be a little outside of the norm. (Like maybe choosing to be such an openly weird, Pagan, Hippie in a very small, rural, Mid-Western town...) and I believe you have to make yours for yourself and your family.  The weirdest part is...I don't even expect you to explain to me why.  I will take it for granted you did what works for you.  I am a grown-ass woman and assume you are a grown-ass person yourself, and I think we all left any obligation to report in on our conduct to the "cool kids" behind a long time ago, at least I did and if you are a reasonably happy and well adjusted person I suspect you did too!  And if you are one of the "cool kids", please remember the person you are condemning because they made different choices than you is a real, live person with a brain, and you might simmer down long enough to ask them about their choices.  People who yell the loudest are not the winners, and you don't have to convince someone else they are wrong in order to be right. So three cheers for being one of those, which ever one of those you happen to be, cause someone is always the weird-o so it might as well be us.

H.W.

A for effort

I took the girls to the mall in Anderson today after dropping the Hubs off at his truck to go to work. I had to buy a new nose stud because I pulled mine out in the shower washing my face and it went down the drain. So we pulled into the mall, I put Mojo in the sling and we went in for my nose jewelry. After buying the new stud, I noticed that it was time to nurse, so I found a bench off to the side, got Mojo out of the sling because I don't have a lot of luck nurseing her in it (I should practice at home...), whipped on my nurseing cover and settled in. After just a few moments I realized I had chosen the turn around point for the mall-walkers. No problem, I was covered and was not to worried about it. Two older gentlemen, walking at a brisk pace, pointedly avoiding looking in my general direction and a lone, older woman walking considerably slower were making the circut. As the woman made her second pass she caught my eye and stepped closer. I must admit, I thought "Great, here it comes." I have been very lucky that I have had no bad experiences to date with nurseing in public with either baby and figured I was due and I was about to hear I shouldn't be doing "that" here.
"How old is your baby?" she asked.
"9 weeks." I replied, smileing. When in doubt, be likeable.
"I breastfed all my children and it's the best thing you can do." I was so excited! I was all braced for my first "confrontation" and I was getting random act of encouragement.
"Thank you, I think so too." I replied, suddenly overjoyed I had decided to come to the mall this morning.
"You be sure to drink a lot of fluids, it takes it out of ya. Enjoy those girls." She smiled at me, Mojo, and Jiji, who was playing her own version of hopscotch on the pattern of the carpet, and continued walking. Once Mo was fed, burped, and back in the sling, we went to a few more stores then headed home, in a pretty darn good mood! That kind of thing has been typical of my experience. I have never had even a hint of disapproval from anyone about breastfeeding, or gotten comments or evil looks when nurseing in public. I know from stories other mothers have told me I am very lucky in that regard.
A friend of mine commented over the weekend that he was amazed I could enjoy living in a small "narrow-minded" community being the little pagan hippie Mama I am. I replied that my awesomeness can overcome anything, and that's kind of true. I don't expect any trouble...or and pats on the back. I am just living my life the way I want, doing what I feel is right for myself and my family, and just happen to be doing it here because of all the places I have lived this is the place that works for us. I am not throwing my life out there, demanding love what I'm doing or screw you, I do not have a chip on my shoulder, waiting for someone to disagree with me so I can debate why I am right. I just want to make my choices and move along. I want to share my experiences, but only with those who seem interested. I am open, but not shouting from the rooftops. I am approachable, but not preaching why I am right and you should agree. I am, in my opinion, a nice, friendly, helpful person who people like and so when my weirdness comes up, it just tends to be filed away as an eccentricity, rather than a detriment. And so, as I think of that sweet woman who paused her mall-walk to give me an atta-girl about breastfeeding, I will file it away, in gratitude, as one more example that you tend to attract what you put out there, and I try everyday to put out something good. I don't always make it, but I try and based on results I get an A for effort!
H.W.

Help wanted, ask Mama

Today Mojo is 4 weeks old! It seems like it went by in a blink, but at the same time she folded herself into our family so easily our life before her seems blurry. She did not, however, fold herself right into my Mama routine. This may sound strange, but I want to clean my house, I want to cook an actual meal, I want to get the weeds that are taking over outside pulled, I want to get the rest of the diapers sewn. I cannot do them, however, at least not completely or to my satisfaction, because of the gravitational pull of my sweet baby girl. I can get some housework done w/Mojo in the sling, and my husband helps a lot, but I think it's just that I can't do it that makes me want to. I actually got a lot done today, and one unexpected side effect of cloth diapers is I keep my laundry caught up because I am always aware of it. But then Mo wakes up and needs Mama, and I sit in the chair to change/nurse/hold her and do not get up for an hour or two. I love those hours, don't get me wrong, having gone through it once w/Jiji I know how sweet this time is and how quickly it is gone, but then I put her in her bouncy seat or back in the sling and plod along through house work that is slipping steadily out of my ability to keep up. Worse, the Hubs goes back out on the road Monday and I will be on my own again as far as the day to day. It is worth it, the housework will be there when I have time and a year from now I will be remembering sweet baby smiled and coos, not that all my laundry is clean but we are living out of laundry baskets, or that I can't run the vacuum yet until the Dr OK's it, so instead I just pick up dog-hair-dustbunnies when they get really big. At least I am getting really great at blogging while I breastfeed,opens up time to snuggle after diaper change.
H.W.

nursing cover

OK, I am going to have a little rant now! People who think I am sick or rude or lewd to breastfeed my daughter in public are evil. My breasts were made to nourish my baby, and I must say they do a hell of a job. They were made to provide food and comfort to her, and I will damn well whip the girls out to feed her when she is hungry. I will not make her wait, hungry and crying, until we get home. I will not go into the disgusting bathroom and expose her to germs while nursing. If you do not like it, look away, or walk away, even. Your ridiculous outrage at being aware that my breast is fulfilling it's destiny over here is not more important than my baby, and besides that I am covered up. This brings me to part 2 of my rant. Lactivists need to back of me about my nursing cover. I am the first to jump up and defend a mothers right to naturally feed her child in any situation, but I do not see why I have to make myself feel exposed and uncomfortable to prove a point. A.) I am more likely to breastfeed if I am comfortable and do not feel that I am am exhibit. B.) I am fat, and although I have little problem with flashing a nipple here and there, sitting in public with my fat rolls hanging out is not my idea of a good time. C.) I do not believe you win people over to your way of thinking with blunt force. Just as I, as a pagan, do not believe in converting people but being there as a guide to people who seek answers, I think that people do not have to actually SEE my boobs to know I am exercising my basic human right to feed my baby. So, as usual, extremists craziness will continue to feed the justifications of the other side, and I am here in the middle, feeding my baby under a nursing cover not because I am embarassed, but because feeding Mojo is more important than anyone's opinion of how I go about it.
H.W.

breastfeeding art

http://www.breastfeeding-art.com/html/frames/framesetall.htm
awesome page w/breastfeeding art...beautiful

lazy day

I have not gotten to the sewing machine yet, have had to wear a cranky baby all day, and although I can get a lot done w/Mojo in a sling sewing is not on that list. Right now, I am nursing as I blog one-handed. I have been, once again, obsessively researching cloth diapers and have decided on the details I will be changing to solve the issued we had w/the 1st try. Here is the pattern I am using http://fernandfaerie.com/sewing_fitteds.html w/a few tweaks I will try w/elastic and aplix. Hopefully I will get something done tonite!
H.W.

18 days old

Have not been on, too busy falling in love w/my new baby girl...and breastfeeding...and washing cloth diapers! The whole cloth diapering experience has been interesting so far. I made 8 fleece pocket diapers. We had some leakage issues, and so they evolved into diaper covers with the inserts moved from the pocket to in next to Mojo's skin. This worked better, but still a little leakage from the leg holes. Today I used the last of my elastic to sew a second gusset into the sides of 4 of the diapers and this had worked much better today. I hope in the next few days to make a trip to the fabric store to make a second go at it, w/the new ideas. Will also make them "medium" w/velcro crossover tabs so they will fit for a while, the "small" are a bit too small and will not fit much longer. Part of me wishes I had the $$ to just order some AIO diapers from somewhere, but a bigger part is really enjoying this process and is wildly proud I change Mojo's pretty yellow diaper and the mess was well contained. The 8 I made are only enough to get through the day, now that they are "covers" and I can just change the insert for some smaller changes, and at night we use the disposables we got at the shower, we have not yet had to buy 'sposies. Once I get a good pattern/system figured out I hope we can go fully cloth. The fact my husband will go back to work next week will give me more funds for those fabric store trips!
H.W.

Granola Tally

OK, kids, here is my Granola, Hippie Witch list for baby preparation---all made by H.W. for baby Mojo!

fleece pocket diapers

ring sling

nursing cover (for Mamas comfort, not the publics, boobs I will show, but my fat rolls are private!)

all other 'big ticket' items borrowed or freecycled and will be passed back or on later

on the project list...

cloth wipes/solution

any suggestions for my next project?

H.W.