This was so wonderful and unusual for her generation...
Recently when I flew to CA to see my sick Grandpa, there were several other family members there as well. One person I really connected with was my dad's cousin (Grandpa's niece). She's in her mid-50's or could possibly be 60. I don't know. I know she's around my mom's age.
Anyhow, she was holding Jacob and said something about him being lip-tied and having a recessed chin. She asked if he had any other facial or oral problems. I told her that he was tongue-tied and has a high palate. She looked at him and said she didn't see a real tongue tie and asked what class it was. She was familiar with all the different classifications.
She said, "it must make nursing difficult." I told her nursing really hard and that I mainly EP. She said, "that's good, but you should still put him to the breast. Even if he doesn't extract milk, being close to you in that way is really good for him." I told her I do skin-to-skin while bottlefeeding and switch sides.
She went on to tell me about nursing her daughter, the first time her daughter bit her, and how she went on to nurse until her daughter was 2! I was so impressed.
I know she works as a home health nurse. So I asked her how she knew all this about BF'ing. She said she used to work in L&D for several years and she was BF'ing and educating herself about BF'ing before it was "cool" to do so. Neat, huh? I asked her if her daughter had any children and she said no. I told her that her daughter was lucky to have a mom who knew so much about BF'ing and that she'd be a big help to her daughter if/when she ever has children.
I just thought it was really cool that someone of that 50's generation was so informed about BF'ing. I told her that she should go back into L&D because there are a lot of moms who still need her.
She told me to keep up the pumping and the good work. She said the most important thing to a child, trumping the breastfeeding vs. formula feeding debate, is LOVE. And she could tell that Jacob is loved!
Recently when I flew to CA to see my sick Grandpa, there were several other family members there as well. One person I really connected with was my dad's cousin (Grandpa's niece). She's in her mid-50's or could possibly be 60. I don't know. I know she's around my mom's age.
Anyhow, she was holding Jacob and said something about him being lip-tied and having a recessed chin. She asked if he had any other facial or oral problems. I told her that he was tongue-tied and has a high palate. She looked at him and said she didn't see a real tongue tie and asked what class it was. She was familiar with all the different classifications.
She said, "it must make nursing difficult." I told her nursing really hard and that I mainly EP. She said, "that's good, but you should still put him to the breast. Even if he doesn't extract milk, being close to you in that way is really good for him." I told her I do skin-to-skin while bottlefeeding and switch sides.
She went on to tell me about nursing her daughter, the first time her daughter bit her, and how she went on to nurse until her daughter was 2! I was so impressed.
I know she works as a home health nurse. So I asked her how she knew all this about BF'ing. She said she used to work in L&D for several years and she was BF'ing and educating herself about BF'ing before it was "cool" to do so. Neat, huh? I asked her if her daughter had any children and she said no. I told her that her daughter was lucky to have a mom who knew so much about BF'ing and that she'd be a big help to her daughter if/when she ever has children.
I just thought it was really cool that someone of that 50's generation was so informed about BF'ing. I told her that she should go back into L&D because there are a lot of moms who still need her.
She told me to keep up the pumping and the good work. She said the most important thing to a child, trumping the breastfeeding vs. formula feeding debate, is LOVE. And she could tell that Jacob is loved!
: Awesome!
