Score one for DH!!

[peaceful_mama]

DH is from Africa, I'm American, born, raised, still living in the Midwest.  These friends of ours are also immigrants from his country now living in the Midwest.

Friends have two small children about the ages of our 2 youngest.  (her baby's right around a year, mine's 6 months, the 2 year olds are a couple months apart.)

Conversation that happened last time while we were both nursing in their living room, translated for me.  (She probably does not understand like 75% of what I say, but we manage and they're friends of OURS not HIS.  My Arabic abilities are limited to the very basic "Hi, how are you?"  I can probably get my point across to ask where a bathroom is, and what's funny is I sometimes understand what they are talking about enough to add to the conversation in English.)

anyway back to the point.  This totally scores one for my DH.  Sadly enough, I am apparently the first American she's met who bedshares and breastfeeds, so she asked DH how *he* convinced *ME* to do this.  (Uh, she hasn't known me long obviously lol)  And he says it was all MY idea.  :):):):):)  (that he flowed right along with because it's the total NORM in his culture)

Then, as this is being translated to me--because I do understand when *I'm* the topic of discussion LOL--she tells me this is good because this is how "babies get the love."  maybe you had to be there, but I think that's one of the sweetest and simplest descriptions of the bond of breastfeeding that I've ever heard.  DH has said the same thing about bedsharing, that babies know the love from being right there with us.

So, incredibly sad that she hasn't seen more crunchy MDC Americans, but way cool cross-cultural moment.  (AND I got to use it to explain to DH finally in a way that he 'gets' what the point of continuing to go to LLL is.....it's not really about the info anymore, it's about the fact that I'm parenting in a way that is not common in my culture and I NEED to surround myself with others doing the same thing.  We *need* to encourage each other--not really unlike being from another country and finding people who speak your language when you come to the new place, people who can tell you how things work here, etc.)

[raksmama]

What is sad is that in many so callled "developing" countries breastfeeding and co-sleeping is viewed as being something backward by the upper educated classes.

[cappuccinosmom]

Aw, that's very sweet.  :)

Dh didn't have to convince me either.  And I was sooooooo glad to have a husband who wasn't "jealous" of my breasts or wanting me to push the babies out.  Quite the opposite, when I was frustrated or ready to give up, he helped me and encouraged me, that it was temporary and that he knew I knew this is what I wanted for the babies.