I was feeling a bit peckish the other day and I was looking for a snack. I saw a large busted lactating lady and thought, “hmmm?”
Okay, I really just got a bowl of Tomato soup. But, here is a provacative tale of a mom blogger, www.herbadmother.com who did help out a baby who needed a snack. Actually, the baby helped her engorged breasts out and someone wrote about it, then she wrote about it and it was a mom blogger sh– storm. We discuss with Heather Spohr. I was hoping Selma Hayek would call up, but no luck.
By the way, love me some Heather. I got to see her today for a bit and she is much more of a sassy pants than she seems on Momversation. But, then aren’t we all.
I totally would. I know that engorged feeling well and if another baby could help me get rid of it then I’d be all for it. I also know of a mom who was baby sitting a young baby for an hour who wouldn’t stop screaming so she popped him on and he quieted right down. I’m currently pumping to donate milk to a friend’s adopted son and I believe that if the milk is good enough for my baby then why wouldn’t it be good enough for someone elses?
I will say though that after nursing my first son for nearly 3 years I’m currently nursing my second son who’s just 2 weeks old today. It was strange at first because even though I know he’s my son, I was so used to seeing my first son looking back at me from my breast. But now it’s no big deal.
And what about that police officer in China after the earthquakes that was nursing like 8 or 10 different babies because they didn’t have clean wather for formula? She was hailed as a hero. I think that people just tend to overreact when it comes to anything breast related.
I think people just generally need to mind their own business. Like Heather said, the only parties who mattered in that situation (and I include the baby, too) were comfortable with it and no harm was done to anyone. On the contrary, the baby got a full tummy and Catherine got some pain relief. Everyone’s happy, except the busybodies who feel the need to share their 2 cents all over the internet.
Ok. I know something about this topic.
Sorta.
Two years ago I found out I had precancer in my left breast. It’s basically stage 0 breast cancer, called DCIS. It came up in my first ever mammogram. I was pregnant at the time, and 39 years old, so I opted to remove the breast.
Then I took the genetic test,and it came back positive for BRCA2 which is the breast and ovarian cancer mutation. I removed my second breast. I was no longer pregnant, I lost that pregnancy as soon as I was done with the first surgery. But I still wanted a second child.
So when I was recovered we tried, and got lucky right away.
When Lena, my daughter, was still in my tummy, I battled with the idea of formula. My husband’s cousin’s wife offered her extra frozen stash of breast milk, and I happily accepted.
It was a gift of love, and I had no problems feeding it to my daughter.
I would love to share my story, if this interests the panel.
It amuses me that everyone is approaching this clinically, from a health and safety perspective. Wet nurse, anyone? It used to be a very common practice for the wealthy to outsource nursing to women who would maintain lactation by nursing other people’s children. To me, if the baby’s mother met Catherine and decided she trusted her health and safety, ’tis not our place to second guess that decision.
For me, the issue is much more personal…I can’t imagine looking down into another baby’s face while they are nursing. Nor can I imagine offering my breast to another baby — it’s just such an intense and close activity.
My husband and kids are out of town for the night. Being engorged as I type this comment I would much rather nurse a friend’s child than use that god aweful pump. I need a nursling – stat!