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Saturday, September 08, 2007

Happy Anniversary to My Blog!

Between my older son's 4th birthday, 4th birthday party, and preschool open house, my dog's 6th birthday, and whatever else was going on this week that has left me feeling wiped out, I missed my blog's anniversary on September 4th. I can't believe I've been blogging for a whole year. In honor of that milestone, I am republishing my first blog post below:



A smidge over 3 years ago as the nurse handed over my first child to me to breastfeed for the very first time, I really thought that breastfeeding would work. After all I was the knowledgeable, well informed mom who had gone to the breastfeeding classes when I was pregnant. If I wanted to breastfeed than I would be able to breastfeed.

I had had a breast reduction 6 years prior, but my surgeon had many patients who were able to successfully breastfeed, and even the lactation consultant said it was possible. In fact the woman in the room next to me at the hospital was a fellow veteran of surgery, and after exclusively breastfeeding her first two children, her third had latched right on. I also attended the required breastfeeding class at the hospital when I gave birth and I met with the lactation consultant 4 times including one time at my home. It was a huge shock to me when my 8 day old baby ended up in the ER for dramatic weight loss, and I was devastated when the same lactation consultant told me "some women aren't meant to breastfeed and you're one of them". You know it's got to be pretty bad when the representative of the forces of breastfeeding tells you to throw in the nursing bra.

I grappled with thoughts like "how could this have happened when my son's weight was being closely monitored" and "I'm a horrible mother" and did I mention that it was September and September is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month? I then realized that while I had learned all this stuff about breastfeeding, I had no idea how to bottle feed a baby. Case in point: when I was in the ER, I let him drink the whole bottle of formula the resident had handed me. I let him try to get out every last drop. The resident then yelled at me to take the bottle away because apparently I was supposed to make sure there was a little bit of formula left over so he wouldn't suck in air and then get gas. (He gets enough without my help.) Gee, I sure wish someone had told me that BEFORE I had a baby.

Then there were all the issues of what formula to use, what bottles, why were the bottles leaking, what do you mean there's different nipple sizes, to heat or not to heat, etc. Never mind the pressure from some people not to use a bottle at all. Such a big deal was being made of this big move to breastfeed that those of us who couldn't were and have been left to fend for ourselves (the bottle feeding info was no better with my second child). I also learned that a lot of parenting in general involves trying to figure it out as you go. When my first child was born I started keeping a list of things I wish people had told me about parenting. This blog will contain the stories of my experiences and those of many friends through which we learned these lessons (and any other anecdotes I randomly feel like sharing).

A. Elliot's first lesson: Leave some formula in the bottle so you don't give your baby (extra) gas.

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posted by Alex Elliot @ 8:51 PM   9 comments
9 Comments:

  • At 9/08/2007 11:17 PM, Blogger Count Mockula said…

    Happy blog-a-versary! You know this means I'm coming to you for advice if I have to formula feed, right?

     

  • At 9/09/2007 9:43 AM, Blogger super des said…

    I can't read (apparently) so I first took this to mean your blog was 4 years old and I was like Holy Cow!
    But 1 year is still pretty good, so happy blogiversary nonetheless!

     

  • At 9/09/2007 11:39 AM, Blogger Jodi said…

    Happy Anniversary to your blog!

     

  • At 9/09/2007 8:32 PM, Blogger soccer mom in denial said…

    Happy Blogday!! Wow, lot's going on this week.

    I'm so glad you are "out there". You really are one of those folks that makes this whole parenting thing a little less lonely.

     

  • At 9/09/2007 9:19 PM, Blogger Fairly Odd Mother said…

    Happy Blog-o-versary!

    That must've been soooo scary to be at the hospital with an 8-day old! Poor thing! (both of you!)

     

  • At 9/10/2007 3:47 PM, Blogger Nancy said…

    Yeah Alex! Happy Blog-a-versary! Thank you for being a realistic and supportive voice to the parenting community.

     

  • At 9/10/2007 4:41 PM, Blogger Suzanne said…

    I'm shocked that your kids are normal and healthy since you selfishly chose to deny them of your precious breast milk. At one point, I considered calling child welfare and turning you in for abuse, you bad woman!

    Seriously, I am happy that you are filling an important void out there. I adore your blog and always look forward to reading it. I admire you very much.

    Happy blog-a-versary!

     

  • At 9/13/2007 5:12 PM, Blogger karrie said…

    What is the traditional gift for a 1st blogaversary?

    :)

     

  • At 9/14/2007 6:03 AM, Blogger Alex Elliot said…

    Karrie, it's a million dollars of course :)

     
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Name:Alex Elliot
Home:MA, United States
About Me:Professional Mom of two cats, a dog, an ant farm, and oh yeah...two boys: a 6 year old and a 3 year old. Also found in my house is my husband who is known on this blog as The Big Giraffe.
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For those of us who didn't get an instruction manual with our babies and for whom parenting hasn't always gone as planned. On a more serious note this blog is about supporting a woman's ability to make her own choices about parenting including the choice, for whatever reason, to bottle feed her babies formula.

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