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From the Mouths of Babes
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One of the pleasures of breastfeeding a child who is old enough to talk is the insight we gain into his world. Here are some comments and gestures from Little Breastfeeding (and Formerly Breastfeeding) People: Older brother to his mother, who was beginning to stall nursing his toddler brother: "Oh, Mommy, I think it's silly, but if he wants to, I think you should let him." Said casually to a mother as she crossed the grocery store parking lot with her two year old in the cart: "Mommy, your nipples are nicer than nobody else's!" From an 18 month old, watching her mother's breasts appear from the bathtub: wild applause and cheering! From a four year old, in footed pajamas, teeth brushed, ready for bed, whose code name for nursing was "issing": "I'm here for the official iss... What does 'official' mean?" A three year old, recognizing that not everyone understands, whispered to her mother at various gatherings, "Mommy, are these La Lech Egg people?" When the answer was no, these were not La Leche League people, she nodded and wandered off. When the answer was yes, she climbed into Mom's lap for a sip and snuggle. A two and a half year old confidently brought his mother a dead worm to nurse, and was disappointed when a few moments of worm-under-shirt didn't fix it. | One year old's first joke, starting to latch on, then pulling away laughing, using half of her entire vocabulary: "Hot!" Four year old, planning his future: "When I grow up, I'm going to be a fireman. I'm going to live at the firehouse down the road. But I'm going to come home to nurse." Game at breast, with an 18 month old who would let go and smile with each response, then return to nursing: "Would you like to... go for a walk?" "Iss iss." Would you like to... read a book?" "Iss iss." "Would you like to... go swimming?" "Iss iss." Ten year old's hot-tempered response to a radio psychologist who said, "If you let that baby in your bed you'll never get him out": "That's a lie!" When asked why he ultimately stopped coming into his parents' bed, he responded thoughtfully, "Well, you know, it's a funny thing. When I was little, any time I needed you, I woke up. But then I stopped needing you, and so I just stopped waking up." To a mother after their last nursing, at about four and a half: "Mama, your milk will last me forever." |