Breastfeeding is Great; Breastfeeding On Demand is Even Better
Two days after Levi was born, I was in that strange place where sleep-deprivation, physical exhaustion, and blissful elation coincide. We had been home for about twenty-four hours, and we were adjusting fairly well to breastfeeding, but I was feeling unsure about how often and when to feed him. Scheduled Breastfeeding? When I was pregnant, I had been recommended a book that advocated for scheduled breastfeeding. It was important, the book argued, that the child adhered to the parents’ schedule and not the other way around. Having known very little about breastfeeding, I thought, sure, that sounds like a good plan — feed the baby every two or three…
The Milky Way – A Documentary
Do you have an hour and a half to spare? If so, and you are hoping to breastfeed, skeptical about breastfeeding, are currently breastfeeding, feel as though you failed at breastfeeding, or simply are interested in learning how parenting affects culture, I want to recommend a documentary to you that had a powerful impact on me. When I was pregnant with my second child, I watched this documentary. It found me in a stage of vulnerability and doubt, at a time when I was wrestling with whether or not to wean my toddler, struggling with the cultural stigmas associated with extended breastfeeding. This documentary engaged me, informed me, frightened…
On Obedience and Grace
It had been a beautiful evening. We had taken a family walk on the beach, watched the kids play in the sand, and stared in awe at the ocean. Dusk was settling in gently, and we were going to prepare for bed when Levi asked if he could swim before we put on his jammies. The pool was particularly alluring in the waning light, and we smiled and agreed and stripped the children down, allowing them to wade in the baby pool, an eighteen-inch deep section separated from the main pool by a small wall. Since we were only going to let them in a few minutes, we didn’t insist…
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God loved Noah. Period.
Fertility Awareness – How To
Fertility Awareness, or Natural Family Planning, is the most natural way to prevent pregnancy or to attempt pregnancy. The amazing thing is, anybody can do it. The most important thing you need to use it as a method of birth control? Knowledge. A Woman’s Cycle As you know, the female body works in reproductive cycles. Though it may vary from person to person, let’s use the average 28-day cycle as a point of reference. The first day of menses is day 1. It is also the same day that the follicular phase begins; in other words, the time when an egg is maturing. Estrogen is the key player…
11 Surprising Things I’ve Learned about Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is one of those things I always planned on doing. But, just as most things with parenthood, I found so many things surprising (and amazing) about it! Here are eleven things I’ve learned from research and experience. 1. Breastfeeding is Instinctual for Babies During our classes at Lifecycle Woman Care, we were taught about the importance of the first “golden hour” after birth. During this time, the baby is alert and intent on connecting to the mother they previously only knew on the inside. When newborns are placed on their mother’s bare body, they have an innate drive to connect to the breast, and the breast crawl ensues. Babies…