Happy 13th Month Birthday, Breastfed Baby D!

posted by Mama Hope | January 24th, 2009 in Attachment Parenting

Hi Hi! If you're new here, you might want to subscribe to my RSS feed (or subscribe via email).

I'm writing these days about natural remedies, frugal DIY, and just generally trying to find balance as a natural, non-toxic parent. Enjoy, and subscribe here!

Well, Little D. turned 13 months old recently, and interestingly I ran across this two-month-old story about Salma Hayek “still” (!) breastfeeding her 13-month old baby. It’s a perfect shout out in honor of our making it past the year mark!

salma hayek practices extended breastfeeding

Salma Hayek and her breastfed baby, photo credit: lemonysarah

In her post, Lauredhel at Hoyden About Town sums up the public reaction to Salma’s mothering unabashedly. A few of my favorite points:

Australian and US societies are down there with the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. We have developed a peculiarly pernicious mix of:

* half-secularised Puritanism;

* half-baked woman-hating Freudianism;

* toxic capitalism;

* mother-hostile workplace practices;

* social isolation of new mothers;

* a deep-seated fear and suspicion of any bodily intimacy that isn’t sexual…

I couldn’t have said it better myself! And funny I had a similar response to the recent news regarding Facebook and their ban of breastfeeding photos…

When To Wean?

Still not convinced? I’m totally in love with the recent breastfeeding promotion meme, “What If I Want to Wean My Baby?” that’s been spreading around blogs. It’s a list of the benefits that you bring to your baby from six weeks, to three or four months, to six, nine, 12, 18, all along the progression!

I love it because it’s both informative and non-judgmental — a great resource to share with moms making the personal decision of when — or whether! — to wean, plus it’s just a feel good moment to read about all of the warm, fuzzy and eminently practical things you do for your babe by breastfeeding. A must read!

I originally found the text quoted on Facebook in the group “I Make Milk, What’s your Superpower?” and it took me forever to track down the original author! Many other blogs and websites quote the text (a couple I think perhaps unscrupulously claiming authorship). I do think I found the original author, though, and she deserves credit. She’s lactation consultant Diane Wiessinger who publishes the site Common Sense Breastfeeding at normalfed.com.

She sounds pretty awesome, “eating hamburgers and sucking on water balloons to demonstrate latch” and whatnot, and her site is packed with tons of informative articles on breastfeeding, so do give it a look see!

Extended Breastfeeding

Del is happy as a clam to still be nursing, and honestly I don’t know how he’d get through his recent cold without the support of his favorite food, and the most nutritious one I could possibly offer!

So hurrah for all we breastfeeding moms, and as my old high school and new Facebook friend Alicia says, “Feed on little ones…”

Love,

Mama Hope

Love this article? Give it a tweet!

Add to del.icio.us Digg This Enjoy this post? Subscribe via RSS, or by email

Related Posts on hippie dippie bébé:

6 Responses to “Happy 13th Month Birthday, Breastfed Baby D!”

TrishaJanuary 24th, 2009 at 6:48 pm

I nursed my second son for 2 1/2 years when he weaned himself. We were actually encouraged to continue breastfeeding after a year by his pediatrician because of his food allergies. So keep on nursing! Food allergies or no, breastfeeding rocks!

Trishas last blog post..Cheese-Friend or Foe?
Jessica/Green MammaJanuary 25th, 2009 at 6:12 am

I love that the media says “still breastfeeding at 13 months”! What I appreciate more is that Hayek continues to breastfeed her baby and hopefully will continue to do so as long as she and her baby need and want to. At 25 months, my dd is still nursing; personally, I feel so much pride that I was able to nourish my daughter exclusively for the first 6 months and that I was able to support her during illnesses and much more because she was nursing. Most recently, because I am now pregnant, she is nursing less (my milk production has decreased and I also experience pain in my breasts), however, I hope to nurse her for as long as she needs me to.

Jessica/Green Mammas last blog post..A Better Explanation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)
leighJanuary 25th, 2009 at 10:14 am

I’m nursing my 19-month old as I type this. Yay, extended breastfeeding!

leighs last blog post..I’m In the Mood For Red, White, and Blue…
hopealsoJanuary 26th, 2009 at 3:59 pm

Trisha,

That makes sense… I think I heard somewhere that breastfeeding promotes beneficial stomach flora, which is good for preventing/coping with food allergies, no? Good to know about your blog, my son has food allergies!

Jessica and Leigh,

Thanks for chiming in. It just makes things more tangible for us all the more mama’s speak up about longer-term breastfeeding and self-weaning. It is about pride, isn’t it!
mommyknowsJanuary 26th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

Amen! I couldn’t have said it better myself.

mommyknowss last blog post..Photography 2/365 - New Weekly Giveaway –> Heads Up
WIC NutritionistJuly 2nd, 2009 at 1:58 pm

We don’t have any kids yet, but my DH I remember when I first started working at WIC as a Nutritionist, I decided to visit the formula aisle in Publix with DH. I told him how much formula a baby typically drinks in a month…He quickly did the math in his head and proceeded to frown his face up, look at the formula, then look at me, and said: “Would it be okay if you just breastfed our kids?”

I laughed and told my DH “Absolutely, yes”. He siged a DEEP sigh of relief!

Now, after 2 years working at WIC he is a bit of a Lactivist himself!