Serving doubles at the breastfeeding bar, straight up with a twist of peaceful parenting.
Once upon a time, scheduled feeding was the norm for infants. You may have heard of breastfeeding “on-cue” or “on demand,” also known as “responsive breastfeeding.” So what’s the difference? Why is this difference important and why does it matter?
First, absorb this couldn’t-be-truer quote by Dr. Nils Bergman: “Breastfeeding’s worst enemy is separation.” Read More
Guest Post by Dr. Amanda Tavoularis (dentably.com)
While you’re pregnant or breastfeeding it’s very important to stay healthy and watch what you put into your body. What you put into your body eventually makes its way to your baby and it’s important to protect them. One area that has a lot of misconceptions for pregnant and breastfeeding women, is dental health. There are many myths out there on what you can or can’t do, and following some of them can be detrimental to your overall health. I’ve been a dentist for over 20 years, and I’ve heard my share of falsehoods. I’m here today to shed some light on 3 of them, and help you keep your mouth and body healthy. Read More
Images by Blue Fitz Photography. Event co-hosted by Sage Beginnings Doula Services. Thank you to all who participated in this calendar!
To promote acceptance of human bodies as inherently natural, innocuous, and not obscene, I’m proud to share this project celebrating Women’s Equality Day, Go Topless Day and the “Free The Nipple” movement.
By expressing this vision through art, we aim to encourage a change in societal and legal censorship norms to view bodies of women as truly equal to others.
This project was hosted in collaboration with Your Labor Neighbor | artist Melissa Rose Tylinski | artist Kellyn Kimbrell | North Houston Studio
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If a woman wishes to feel the warm sun on her skin at the beach like her brother… to lay in the grass, babies grazing upon her chest while she picnics with her partner… to pop out of her home to retrieve something from her car without fussing to scramble for an appropriate ensemble… to garden in her yard without needing to keep the neighborly peace by donning a button-down… if she wishes to do these things, why can’t she?
On one level, because of the law. Did you know it’s illegal for women to be topless in public in 35 states, including while breastfeeding?
In a few states, women have a legal right to go topless in the same areas as men, but even those women cannot properly enjoy the freedom (rather an illusion of equality) when faced with risk of harassment and humiliation. Protection from this risk is a privilege men have enjoyed for a long time without even realizing it.
Men have legally been allowed to be topless in public since 1936, a freedom they too had to fight for in ways similar to today’s Go Topless movement. Gaining this legal freedom finally secured their right to go bare-chested on public beaches, in parks, pools, and so on. Men don’t always want their tops on, which is why they fought for their right to choose toplessness without fear of stigma or lawbreaking. Read More
It’s been well-documented that breastfeeding leads to lower risk of chronic diseases in childhood and beyond (per observational studies that suggest a connection between prevalence of chronic diseases and “suboptimal breastfeeding”). But what happens if the mother is the one affected by chronic disease?
Before you move on, please visit and read my disclaimer. For the TLDR, this information is not to be taken as medical advice as I’m not a doctor. Always consult with your own health care provider regarding any protocols, treatments, and diagnoses related to health.
Do you hate breastfeeding your toddler?
I actually don’t. Hate breastfeeding, that is. Maybe you can tell from the near-thousand breastfeeding photos I’ve shared on Instagram or the tens-of-thousands of words I’ve pressed into my keyboard about it here. But have I been enamored with every second? Certainly not. My love for breastfeeding is, in my own experience, a synchronized dance that swings along with the lyrical back-and-forth love I have for parenthood.
By now, the days of early nursing awkwardness seem so ancient, I might require a paleontologist to dig up those bones. I’m stuck like a thumb in a door jamb in a progressed era of breastfeeding, one that’s rarely talked about. I’m doing the nursing aversion thing… again. Read More
Breastfeeding a premature baby is a tough job of importance that cannot be minimized. Should your feeding relationship include your own breast milk, donor milk, formula, or a combination, the whole journey will be a meaningful and deeply nourishing one for you and your baby.
This aspect of raising your baby may not have gone exactly as planned or imagined, but remember that unexpected adjustments are a normal part of the feeding routine. Feelings of sadness, disappointment, or fear are valid and worth discussing with supportive loved ones who can be motivated to help you breastfeed despite facing obstacles related to prematurity. Read More
