Glamourmom at a Crossroads

I splurged and purchased a really nice nursing top by Glamourmom. It's got little peek holes for your breasts unlike the inexpensive version from Target. Totally worth it. It's more supportive, more flattering and more discreet. Well worth the $45. I don't know why I didn't invest in one of these months ago. My neighbor and new mom friend, Star, told me about them. I found a used one at a resale shop but I learned a good lesson. The tanks by Glamourmom are not the easy to unclasp with one hand kind of clasps. You have to get the "nursing top" which looks the same if you ask me but has easier to maneuver with one hand clasps.

I'm at a critical place in my nursing plan. The nursing top could be well used or totally unused. My baby is six months old today. I had made it my goal to make it to six months with the breastfeeding. And I made it!!! Not that I didn't want to do it longer but I have had some milk production issues and it's been a long road for me--difficult at times. I'm working and that makes it perhaps even a little more of a challenge to keep up with the natural rhythm of feeding Maida. They recommend nursing past one year and I am a perfectionist what can I say, I want to do that. Today was one of those days where I was back and forth to the daycare center three times to feed the babe. She is teething and nursing is not at all relaxing for me or her. She arches her back and cries between gulps and the actual time that she is latched on seems really short. It's hard to believe she is still getting enough but her little sausage legs don't seem to be shrinking.

So, to nurse or not to nurse, that is the question. And how does giving her solids fit into the equation. Once again I am looking for guidance from other new moms and more experienced ones. Darn, for about a week I felt like I knew what I was doing and then boom, she changes. This isn't going to be glamourous, is it?

The Big Latch On!

I just got back from Milagros, a cute baby boutique here in PDX, where Maida (my almost six month old) and I were participating in the Big Latch On. It's International Breastfeeding Week and I really wanted to participate. I was lamenting the fact that I had to work yesterday, the day of the La Leche League's Big Latch on event and the LLL leader told me that there were other events going on over the weekend. So I took a break from my out of town guest and high-tailed it over there. It was great and there were even a few moms there that I knew. Coffee, muffins, and so much cuteness I could have cried.

At 10:20 we all got settled, all 30 probably of us even a few dads were there to support their mamas. Some babies (and toddlers) were fussing and then the countdown 5-4-3-2-1 (much more exciting than New Year's Eve for me this year) and then silence as nipples met sweet little  lips and suck suck suck. You raised your hand to be counted when the baby was latched and there we were... moms doing something so natural and so healthy for both baby and mother, I almost did cry.

As I write this I am tearing up because I was very disappointed this week that I was going to miss this event as a mom who has been working so hard to produce that liquid gold for the last six months and maybe not for much longer-- maybe never again. I really didn't want to miss this opportunity to share in this experience because of my JOB! Thanks to the Big Latch On organizers and hosts who put on events on non-work days. I'm sure there is a working mom who missed out today because it was not their day off but hopefully next year everyone can find a BLO event that they can attend.

But back to the BLO. I read on their website "5687 women and their children came together and breastfed simultaneously as part of the Big Latch On in 2011."

And 2012 so far: total breastfeeding children 7006, locations so far 626, and countries so far 23.

Milky goodness.