Liquid Gold!

At our last ante natal visit last week the midwife mentioned something that is completely new to me, which isn't an overly odd thing as soooo much has changed in the past 8 years since I was pregnant! Apparently now it is a common practice to express colostrum before bub arrives! It's not recommended, or even allowed, until 36 weeks, as stimulation can cause uterine irritation and lead to contractions, but considering we are now in the 'full term' status (eeeeeeeeppppp), it's all systems go. 

Now I get the theory behind it all - you express some colostrum, hopefully remember to take it to the hospital in the mad rush that is sure to be craziness, and have it on hand 'just in case' baby needs to go to the nursery or can't feed properly from the breast. It's a great idea...in theory...but my concern with it is the pressure it places on the mum-to-be even before baby arrives! There is such a stigma attached to breasfeeding...it is such a taboo subject among many online & real life communities! And it shouldn't be! It saddens me that there is so much pressure and negativity surrounding something as simple as the basic human right to be nourished! 

I was very lucky to be able to breastfeed all 3 of my children! Infact, I was thinking about it while brushing my teeth (weird I know) and I have so far spent over 4 & 1/2 years being the human equivalent of a jersey cow lol! However, if I were unable to feed my babies, I would hope that I had enough positive support in my life to move onto bottle feeding without a hitch! Does it really matter how my babies are nourished? As long as they ARE in fact being nourished and properly cared for, who's f'ing business is it how it's achieved? 

Ok, getting right back down off my soapbox and back to the reason for my post! So we hit the 36 week mark on Tuesday, so tonight Channy had a go at getting some of that much desired liquid gold into a cup, and OMG did she what! I was a hell of a milk maker back in the day, and had enough milk to feed a small village, but I'm positive I wouldn't have gotten 25mls of the ever perfect colostrum BEFORE giving birth! My girl is a champion! She had been quite concerned about not being able to breast feed, even to the point of saying the other day that she was more worried about that than actually giving birth! Yup, she's nuts lol. But that is the pressure that is inadvertently put on mums! If the fear of not being able to breast feed is greater than the fear of labour and delivery, there is something seriously wrong with the message being sent to mums! 

I do my absolute best to support my girl in her decisions, regardless of what they are, and I will certainly not be forcing anything on her that she's not happy with! And I hope that the fact that she has managed to get far more from her first time expressing than I even thought possible, is enough to ease her mind and prove to her that it's not something that should be stressed over, rather something that should be embraced if possible, and moved on from with comfort & ease if not! 

So I'll leave you with the evidence! I certainly wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it, so wouldn't expect anyone else to ;-)

Off to catch some z's, because tomorrow is ANZAC day & my little girls & I are headed to the Dawn Service to pay our respects!

Night night all.

Be kind to yourself and love those around you just a little bit more than you did yesterday
Bel xx