Class Superlatives: Biggest Boobjuicer?

Hello Dear Readers!

Today was my 20 year high school reunion (yep. 37. Lots of grey. Still not sure what it means to feel like a "grown up.") What a handsome and interesting group of folks I went to school with! Seriously I think a couple of them will look that smooth and curvy when we are 70. So the funny part is, I walk up to the group at the family picnic this afternoon, and am greeted with, "Ms. Boobjuice Herself!" Tee hee! It's true, I can't deny it. Motherhood changes people (I'm sure fatherhood does too but I can't speak from personal experience there) and the Big Loud Lactivist stick whalloped me upside the head the minute that little dude came out. As did the You Will Now Cry at Every Damn Thing that Ever Happens Ever stick. Everyone was very congratulatory about my big ol' baby belly (aw, thanks guys!) and not a one of them said "Wow you have a lot of grey for 37." Not that I thought they would really, but that's what I felt most insecure about the week leading up to the reunion. Ah well, my stylist says she'll come to the birth center... I'm kidding, I'll give the kid a few weeks to get used to how I smell before I put weird stuff on my head.

So another mama on my online mamas group is having a rough start - she has too much post-partum bleeding and was given a drug in the ER (yikes!) that is a question mark for nursing and can reduce prolactin (the "make milk now" hormone) and such. Sounds like she got a lot of the standard knee-jerk, "my insurance wants me to tell you not to breastfeed on this drug and despite being a doctor I am skeeved out by your boobs" sort of advice. (Okay not fair they are of course just trying to keep her from bleeding to death but seriously, AMA, tell your med schools to teach doctors about breastfeeding in a useful way, please.) So I thinks she's getting the help she needs to work through this in the way that is best for her and her little one. But this is so common and so frustrating! Right at the start, when poor mama is exhausted and probably freaked out and trying to learn how to nurse, and kiddo is, hello, brand new to everything, and it's so hard to get the support we need to take care of ourselves and our babies the way we want to. It's hard to research breastfeeding online when you are sleep deprived and learning how to be a mama (Ack! This creature is so tiny and delicate and they sent us home ALONE!? With no supervision???) I want our country to be a place where mama and baby get breastfeeding friendly help and support from the start without having to hunt it down in a panic in the middle of the night. Notice this would be very different from a guilt trip in a breastfeeding class before giving birth. This is like doctors who are trained well to understand breastfeeding (seriously anyone who might be treating a woman age 15-55 should know this stuff) and post-partum in-house visits from lactation consultants and whatever mama needs to sort this out. That first month is so critical and so freaking hard! How can we make this happen?

Great, now I'm all fired up and it's almost midnight. I want to bring this mama a casserole. But I don't actually know her, or what state she lives in, or whether she likes casserole.

Those so inclined please pray for our new mama and her little one to find some ease and rest soon!

Much love,
Suzi