During this interview I was pregnant with our little girl, who is now already a year old. Most of you know by now that we have three children, and that we’re pretty fanatical when it comes to breastfeeding and proper nutrition. How does that work, two breasts and now three kids? We make breastmilk ice pops (sounds odd, tastes great!), cookies, and more. Our older two get pumped milk whenever they’re not feeling well.
That question above had gone unanswered for a while — meanwhile I’d already written several posts explaining how I made breastmilk ice pops for all the kids. That’s a good start in itself, everyone gets their milk with a smile. The truth is, it takes real perseverance to give them all the best. It starts with eating healthily yourself. Support from your partner is essential too, both mentally and practically — otherwise it becomes genuinely hard to sustain. I’ll say this: with all three children, my husband got up every single night, brought the baby to me to nurse, and put them back to bed once they’d had enough.
Extended breastfeeding — nursing your baby or child for a longer stretch — isn’t abnormal. Of course, my oldest daughter doesn’t come running in from playing outside every three hours for my milk anymore; these days that only happens if she’s sick or in need of comfort. Everything follows its natural course, and children really do wean themselves in time — that’s what’s normal and natural. Everyone in the family grows into it, or out of it, on their own.
And imagine, just for a moment, being stranded in the middle of nowhere with a broken-down car, and your children are thirsty and hungry. How would you manage that with a child who’s never even known breastfeeding (or has forgotten it) — they wouldn’t even know how to nurse, even if you could somehow provide it. If they’re old enough, they can manage their thirst for a while, but if there’s still a natural way to solve it for your children, why not? Let nature take its course, once again. It’s already decided for you — make the most of it.
Breastfeeding can be hard, but managing things the un-natural way usually turns out harder in the end. Try spending nights with sick children who don’t have the natural antibodies breastmilk provides, try preparing a bottle in a cold kitchen in the middle of the night. It doesn’t have to be that way when you have the option. Above all, children experience love, and the bond only deepens when there’s more to share than just toys.
