Five Minute Freewrite: Birthday Party
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Birthday party
We'll be celebrating @loch's first birthday on November 11th. One of the plans for when he turned one was to move him into his own bedroom. A little while back, we decided to move him into his own room at 11 months. And now @improv and I are sleeping in his room, because we don't have it ready the way I want it to be for him, so we're giving him our bedroom, so that we can try to start getting a full night's sleep. Which is to say, I am night weaning him. Which is to say, I have a fricking clogged boob. This is just what's on my mind, not a party. So it is what it is. I guess I should have planned better. How could I have thought it would be okay to go 11 hours without nursing him, when we've never gone longer than about 6 before? I should have had a plan in place to pump. It's not the end of the world. I've dealt with clogged ducts before, much earlier in our nursing life. And basically Lochlan just managed to work them out for me. But now, since I'm still not nursing him through the night, I'm trying to do a little pumping, and trying massage, and trying moist warm compress. But it's still pretty blocked up. Hard to party. I was just so excited to start getting more sleep. And I still am. This shall pass.
Clogged ducts is no fun... But mommy does need more sleep at night... Hopefully the clogged goes away faster...
And happy early birthday to @loch !
Happy Birthday, Freewrite!!! Freewrite is ONE YEAR OLD!!!
Thank you for freewriting with us! I know am super late to deliver prompt but just in case you miss it. Here's the prompt:- Day 366: 5 Minute Freewrite: Sunday - Prompt: trapped.
Thanks again! With love and hugs.
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Ecological Breastfeeding and Attachment Style Parenting
Without knowing the terms, I naturally gravitated to this with all three kids, and I recommend it if you live in a tribal village but not in some American suburb with schedules, appointments, carseats, and places to go that are not child-friendly. Co-Sleeping is frowned on these days (a mother could suffocate her baby in the night), but I couldn't let a child cry in the night -- and yes, we did the "It only takes 3 nights!" thing, and with our firstborn it took weeks, and I was more traumatized than he was , so I vowed "never again" when the next two came. Middle child was weaned at gunpoint, at age 2, because I was 5 months along with #3 (so much for NFP), and #3 ended up breastfeeding for FOUR YEARS and sleeping in our bed for SIX years, and this is why I generally stay silent on matters of child-rearing. Did I do the right thing? Did our offspring benefit? Running a tight ship does not come naturally to me, but I should have tried harder.
I commend you, @ stinawog, for your patience and commitment, and I have no doubt you'll do better than I did. In the end, though, it seems not to matter much. Who can tell, looking at adults, which one learned to read at age 3, and which one didn't go to preschool, and which ones were bottle fed? Discerning the impact of our decisions and practices, years down the road, requires more scientific observation and math (statistics!) than I'm ever going to learn.
You are so sweet. We had a family bed with all our kids as well and they kind off left and went to their own beds around 4 or so, maybe older. It is too long ago. They all nursed for about 4 years as well. Funny story, I kind of "weaned" my oldest when he was about four and a half and when he was an angry teen, he once threw in my face that I weaned him! The final blow LOL. He had paid attention in the countless LLL meetings I had led on child-led weaning. 😂
And yes, attachment parenting is hard. Parenting is hard the way we are living in our isolated family units with no support.
LLL - oooh, I don't even have to google it!! LaLache League!!
I'm happy to hear you have raised your offspring the same way -- and LAUGHING at your son's comment, omg, "the final blow"--!!!
Parenting is hard the way we are living in our isolated family units with no support. --Oh how true. If you've already blogged about this, I missed. Our whole culture is in dire need of a return to simpler times. I'm all about Eco-Village values without the committees and rules. Just, EVERYONE ought to live more like ecovillagers do, closer to nature, with a lot less plastic, but keep the internet please. More holistic medicine. We need to clone (er, inspire and educate and "mold") more people to be like you and @crescendoofpeace and too many people to mention in #homesteading and #thealliance!
Working on it LOL
That is why I started the podcast and am getting slowly reinspired to do a lot more with that. I felt a bit like I am banging my head against the wall (stone wall at that) with all the government sanctioned pollution going on. But we need to keep on going :)
And that, you do -- You GO, @marieannewest!!!
Thank you! Yeah, we all do the best we can with the resources we have. In the end, as long as child is loved and fed and watered, they grow pretty well. :) Thankfully my clogs cleared.
Glad your painful ducts have unclogged. :)
No matter how much I may look back and think I did stuff wrong, I figure one of the greatest contributions I made in life was bringing our three children into the world. If we all had to pass a test or personality profile or DNA to qualify as parents, most of us likely wouldn't make it. We all screw up one way or another, whether by being too lenient or too strict. And most of us do turn out, somehow. It is human nature to grow and mature and become better, adapting to challenges and crises, right?
Welcome to the party, sounds like you're having a party all your own. Keep on writing. 👏
Aww mama, you're doing great! My little guy is almost 9 months and I am wondering how soon night weaning would come. Not that I'm in a rush, we cosleep so it's not too much of an issue. He generally sleeps quite well except when he's unwell. Anyway, happy birthday to @loch, it's great to be one! ❤
Thank you!
Cute pic. Sorry about your pain, my love.
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I hope that clogged duct goes away soon!! And that you get more sleep. I remember the years of being tired all the time ☹️
It went away! Later that night I soaked in a warm bath and hand expressed, then I nursed Lochlan around 4:30am and he worked it out! Hallelujah.
Yes!!! That is so painful!! Glad it is solved!
You may not feel much like partying with all that's happening but you still managed a smile for us. :D
Awww he is a 1111 baby, nice
True, this too shall pass, sending you lots of love and light <3
He's actually an 11/7 baby, but we're doing the party a few days later. When he didn't arrive on his due date of 11/3, I partly hoped he might make an 11/11 appearance! I always make a wish at "chicken feet." :)
My first born is a 7/11 (here we put the date first followed by the month) baby too
Yayyyyy, we have something in common
What does making a wish at chicken feet mean?
I tried to google it, but I only see recipes hahaha
I have never met a parent who wakes up every morning and says, "What can I do today that will screw up my kid for the rest of its life?" We all do the best we can as parents, and somehow the kids grow up and become productive adults and we breathe a sigh of relief. Everyone will end up in their own bed eventually. Good luck with the duct.
Thank you! It finally cleared, thank goodness. :)