Image via Tristan

Sorry for my disappearing act for a while and no I haven’t been on the see-saw this whole time with my son. I have been working away as usual planning more photography sessions for the charity breastfeeding calendar and also busy with research. I still have lots of exciting information to share about some great finds from the recent baby fair and vintage fair in Worcester. I also want to share our family day at Clive’s fruit farm with you so keep watching!

Many parents have benefited from the National Childbirth Trust in different ways over the years: Ante-natal classes, breastfeeding support and Nearly New Sales as well as social networks/friendships fostered through open house groups and the local newsletter.

Now they urgently need to keep the Malvern branch going with new volunteers so they don’t lose all of the above! PLEASE come along to an emergency meeting and find out about the opportunities to get involved at Mair’s House, 5 Gilbert Road, Malvern WR14 3RQ (tel 01684 561 958) at 7.30 for 8.00 next Tuesday 20th July.

Babies would be most welcome.

Image via NCT

Come and be part of something really worthwhile!

Image via iStock

I’ve decided to comment on this recent article “I formula fed. SO WHAT?” an editorial by Kathryn Blundell because honestly I respect any woman’s decision on how she will feed her child. My mother made the choice to formula feed myself and my three siblings. When it came to my time to decide, I felt that breastfeeding my son suited me best. I came to this decision because of my education, a scientific and medical background and after lots of research. Lucky for me, when it came time for me to feed my son, I had very little obstacles to overcome. I only experienced slight pain and discomfort during breastfeeding for the first two months but after speaking with many midwives and breastfeeding counselors I managed to minimize the pain with use of breast pumps, nipple guards and creams. I never had a problem with the ‘let down’ or producing enough milk, which I can only try to understand, would be extremely upsetting and troublesome for mothers who are trying to breastfeed for the first time.

Getting back to my issue with Kathryn Blundell’s article it is this, it appears as though she had a complete lack of acknowledgment for breastfeeding mothers and has made no effort at all do the slightest bit of research or fact checking on breastfeeding before writing her article. I’m not alone in my sentiments as I have had several remarks on a note I posted last night on Facebook (posted below) as well as finding numerous blogs which have been commenting on the subject (ie. Society is creepy (not breastfeeding)). I feel the Kathryn completely missed the point, that not only formula feeding mothers feel pressure, there is also equal if not more extreme amounts of pressure from society on breastfeeding  mothers as well. And her remark about breastfeeding being ‘creepy’  because the thought of  “seeing your teeny, tiny, innocent baby latching on where only a lover has been before”, is just part of her preconceived notions about ‘her’ body, but I am sure these notions have become another barrier for breastfeeding acceptance which it will have to overcome. Hence the importance of last week’s National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (June 21-27, 2010). When it comes to nurturing your child in our society it’s a case of “damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” It seems that whether you breastfeed or formula feed, random strangers on occasion feel compelled to approach you and impose their views on you and how you nurture your child.

My several other specific complaints with Kathryn’s editorial go more in detail into how she proceeded to put across her decision not to breastfeed and was posted in this note below entitled, I was a  formula feed baby who breastfeed…THAT’S WHAT!

THE NOTE:

This is in response to the recent article published in Mother & Baby, written by Kathryn Blundell. To read the article retyped go here… Lactivist

My reply to a mother who states ‘I formula fed. So what?‘

To Kathryn Blundell.. I agree So What? So What that you formula feed your baby…guess what so did my mother! I was formula feed along with my two sisters and my brother. The problem with your argument doesn’t really lie with your choice about feeding with formula but rather your proceeding to explain why breastfeeding was so appalling to you. I take offense in the fact that you never even state if you even dare try to or not with either of your children and then go on to remark about all the difficulties mothers have when you have never even tried to breastfeed yourself.

I must say as a mother who breastfeed for nearly six months, the first two which curled my toes every time he latched on, I never tried to make excuses to stick a bottle in my son’s mouth. He feed a lot and often and as a mother I felt it my duty to feed him. Was it an easy job…HELL NO! But no one should every go into parenthood thinking its going to be an easy thing!

As for your ‘HANDS OFF’, if you actually did your research you’d realise that breastfeeding will give you back your body faster than bottle feeding. Breastfeeding induces oxytocin to be produced by the body thus shrinking the size of your post baby uterus and tightening up your tummy. Many mothers who breastfeed remark that they can actually feel the sensation of this while nursing. As for my breast to my stomach, I think not! Age and gravity causes saggy breasts not breastfeeding! Simple exercises with five pound weights at home can help you tone up your bust line whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding so please don’t stop a child from latching on because your not willing to workout after your pregnancy and because you ate too many bon-bons and cakes during your pregnancy!

As far as your sexuality, get over your self. My breastfeeding never stopped the intimacy between my husband and I. Enough said, except for the fact that you refer to breast as fun bags, which tells me you feed into the degrading image the media has for portraying women as sex objects.
And this maybe another shocker for you, but having a glass of wine or two is not deemed illegal or immoral while pregnant or while breastfeeding. And after nine months of pregnancy two glasses on occasion and drunk responsibly should be enough to make you tipsy!

Why ‘FORMULA WON’ is just appalling. If women are having difficulties and agony while breastfeeding but want to supply their own breastmilk to their child, there are plenty of options, such as nipple guards, creams and pumps. And believe it or not, there is not that much drama involved in any of them. There are also options to speak to breastfeeding counselors or to join local breastfeeding support groups if you are needing advice and guidance about your breastfeeding. There is really no need to let it get to the point of bloody nipple.

I am in no way against formula feeding. I would never criticise my mother for her choice on how she decided feed me or the rest of my siblings. After all, my siblings and I all grew up healthy and normal. We weren’t any less intelligent than any of the breastfeed children at school. I was always an honours student. Breastfeeding and formula feeding are both good options in my opinion. I chose to breastfeed because I felt it was what suited me and my life best. I would never impose my choice on anyone else nor would I degrade theirs because it did not suit me.
Next time Ms Blundell please think before you publish, otherwise I say just keep your opinion to yourself!

To sum this up, I think it was very inappropriate of someone in an editorial position of a magazine that proclaims to support breastfeeding and is seen as offering quality advice to new and future mothers to publish an article such as Ms Blundell’s. It is even more atrocious that such an article was published during the National Breastfeeding Awareness Week Campaign. Now mothers, doctors, counselors and midwives have to work twice as hard to undo the damage of such an article, in which the writer thinks she has the right to voice her opinion with less than accurate, dare I even say, false claims about breastfeeding and the implications thereof on one’s body and health.

If you are interested in supporting breastfeeding mothers and helping to make breastfeeding become more socially accepted than please help by supporting a calendar which I am organizing, photographing and selling in order to raise money for the local breastfeeding network support groups in my area. You can find out more about our calendar, HEREFORD & WORCESTER BREASTFEEDING CALENDAR 2011, its design, the mother and baby volunteers here.

Image via me

]]> http://www.babybluetickledpink.co.uk/blog/2010/06/28/formula-feeding-breastfeeding-its-your-choice-but-lets-all-get-along/feed/ 0 http://www.babybluetickledpink.co.uk/blog/2010/06/20/playtime-in-paris/ http://www.babybluetickledpink.co.uk/blog/2010/06/20/playtime-in-paris/#comments Sun, 20 Jun 2010 22:24:53 +0000 admin http://www.babybluetickledpink.co.uk/blog/?p=2402 PLAYTIME is coming soon! Playtime in Paris from July 3-5 this year. With hundreds of fantastic exhibitors, a garden party in wonderland, art exhibitions by Jennifer Bongibault, Laure Guilhot, Luca Schiller de Petit Rétro, and Marie-Cécile Lambry and workshops for children ages 2 and up!  To pre-register go here.

Here are just some of the wonderful exhibitors I fancied… I wish I had a chance to go but my schedule is tight these days. If anyone does pop over please share with me your experience and your excellent finds!

Images via playtime

Storksak & Babymel

Camper

le petit lucas du tertre

je porte mon bebe

Amoralia

bellybutton

]]> http://www.babybluetickledpink.co.uk/blog/2010/06/20/playtime-in-paris/feed/ 0 http://www.babybluetickledpink.co.uk/blog/2010/05/15/giving-the-bottle-the-boot/ http://www.babybluetickledpink.co.uk/blog/2010/05/15/giving-the-bottle-the-boot/#comments Sat, 15 May 2010 00:22:49 +0000 admin http://www.babybluetickledpink.co.uk/blog/?p=2237 Here’s my dilemma at the moment…to give or not to give the bottle the boot?

What do you think? I am recently questioning this as Baby Blue will be 16 months old this month and he still has a very fond attachment to what he calls his “ba ba.” My sister, who’s children are now 7 and 3 were both off the bootle by 9 months old and truth be told, they were bottle feed from the get go.  Baby Blue on the other hand, was breastfed until 5 months old. I had stopped breastfeeding him at this point as he was drinking about 8 oz in a feeding and feeding about every 3 hours. He was well over what most babies his age were drinking in a sitting. I was running on empty even after switching breasts and my let down response was not quick to the draw and was dwindling so we went to the “ba ba” for some relief for the both of us. Only problem now is that he loves it. He squeals in excitement everytime he sees one. And its not the milk only as we have tried giving it to him in various styles and designs of learning and sippy cups. There is something about the suckling from the bottle he loves, so do I let him continue on or is 16 months time to push him into growing up and getting off the ba ba bottle?

Image via Google Images

Images via Abeego

I am loving ABEEGO! What a creative and environmentally friendly usable snack pack for young and old alike! These handy packs are sure to become the new substitute for plastic baggies. They are made from a hemp and cotton fabric infused with a blend of beeswax and plant extracts. They come in three varying styles and have a choice of decorative thread, blue, purple, green or red. They are easy to clean in cold soapy water and very affordable ranging from £7 GBP ($10 USD) to £10 GBP ($14 USD).  Find out more about Abeego here.

To purchase your Abeego items go to Better Baby Bums in the US  or Every Little Bit

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

They also have space for burp clothes, pacifiers and cell phones. Made for mothers on the go who need to nurse. Have a look yourself here.

Custom Bell Dress, Vintage Summer Wrap Dress and Garden Dress from Clementiny Clothing

Milk and honey Muse and Forest Muse from Le Muse

Afternoon Tea Jacket from Lisa Sanmartino Atelier

Please me Blouse and Padma Tank from Cocoricoooo

Tee Shirt Dress from Caldi Design

Happy shopping Mommies-to-be!

Star Patterned T Dress and Butterfly Catcher’s Tee from Bonbi Forest

Cute Ballerina Flats from The Generation

Custom Hand Dyed Tshirts from Soul Pretty

Layered Droplet Sliver Earrings from A Little Luster

Pretty Water Bottle from Pretty and Preppy

Black Chunky Cardigan from iLeaiye