After some comments on my review of Near Mama’s Heart, I thought I should give you a rundown of some other books about nursing that we’ve read.

I believe in reading to kids of all ages, and I am absolutely convinced that they absorb a lot of things we may never think about… In this case, I hope you will think about normalizing nursing for your littles, even though they may never see it out in society today.

A lot of our books are in storage, but I’m going to try and get as many listed as I can think of. Here’s a few to start the ball rolling:

This is a board book with a mirror at the end so your child can see just how cute breastfed babies are. To my adult eye, it looks a little dated, but the kids adore it.

Very cute board book, including illustrations of a wide range of ages and positions – even tandem nursing. Another favorite in our house.

This is a slightly longer book (ours is softcover). It’s a very cute series of plays on words, as a new big brother struggles with the meaning of the word “nurse.”

Of course, there are any number of other breastfeeding books for children out there – and just because I haven’t read them doesn’t mean I think there’s anything wrong with them! Even a cursory search on Amazon breings us a great list of Children’s Breastfeeding Books.

What are your favorites?

As you know, I rarely post something here that just says “go read someone else’s post” … But, well, when someone has written a post that so eloquently sums up the things I say about this topic often and vehemently, it only makes sense that I share that with you rather than trying to reinvent the wheel!

With that in mind, I highly reccomend that you check out this post on the Nursing Freedom blog: Why Children Should Witness Breastfeeding in Public.

You take your child in, and nurses and doctors come and check them and talk to you. Once all is determined to be well, they are given an oral medication that is a sedative and anxiety-reducting medication (related to Valium).

Once the medicine takes effect, they are wheeled back into the Operating Room, monitors are attached, and the the complete anesthesia is done. The preliminary medication is really just to ease the separation from Mom.

So R.T. had been given this medication, and was starting to act “dopey.” I suggested that Wolf take Jewel out to the waiting room, to remove the added distractions and help R.T. relax.

When they started to leave, R.T. screamed, and tried to go after them. It was a weird, overdramatic reaction. They lovingly said goodbye, and I soothed him while they left.

Just moments later, a nurse came to take R.T. back.

I told her that he was not ready yet, and she seemed frustrated with me. She checked the clock – it had been the ten minutes she was “supposed to” wait; his head was bobbing, he was clearly feeling it.

But I held my ground, and she agreed to come back in another few minutes.

I laid R.T. in the bed, and reclined next to him. I stroked and soothed him, encouraging him to relax, even sleep. I reminded him that when he went to sleep, and woke up, he would be able to nurse again. (Yeah, it had been a long night fasting!)

When the nurse returned, R.T. didn’t even respond when I got up off the bed and raised the side rail. He obliviously watched the ceiling go by as she wheeled him down the hall…

Those extra few minutes made the difference between screaming trauma and total contentment.

R.T. being child #3, I am by now well-versed in trusting my mama instincts. I know God made us attuned to our children, and I don’t hesitate to use that fact to everyone’s advantage.

It is the one thing I most wish I could gift to new mothers.

Too often, people are quick to take the “advice” of others, even when it is not right for their child or their situation. This is especially true when there is some weight of authority – doctors, nurses, teachers, etc.

I am not discounting the value of these people, or their advice… I am simply saying that, as in the situation I just described, they do not necessarily know the entire situation, and they certainly do not know your child as well as you do.

Trust it, mama. It’s a God thing.

Please help future baby patients by forwarding a copy to your local medical facility!

To Whom It May Concern:

My son was seen at the dental center last week. He needs a significant amount of work done due to carries, and an Operating Room scenario was suggested.

I was informed due to the anesthesia the child should have nothing to eat after 10 pm, but was typically allowed clear liquids up until two hours prior to the procedure.

When I inquired about breastfeeding, from both the O.R. Coordinator at the dental office and the Nurse Practitioner she contacted for me at the hospital, I got only the generic response that “feeding” the child, and “milk products”, were not allowed.

Knowing of the easy, complete, and rapid digestibility of breast milk, this answer left me dissatisfied.

A quick online search revealed several studies suggesting that a window of as little as three, or even two hours (as with clear liquids) was ample. Even the Practice Guidelines published by the American Society of Anesthesiologists recommends a four hour fast from human milk.

In light of this, I would implore that Miami Children’s Hospital include this specification in their pediatric anesthesia guidelines – not just for R.T., but for all the infant patients you will serve in the future.

Sincerely…

References:
ASA NPO Practice Guidelines (see page 899)
La Leche League FAQ (also includes several more great resources in the accompanying links)

Christians should know better than anyone else – God designed our bodies to make the perfect nourishment for our babies, just like He designed our bodies to bear the children, and our hearts to nurture them.

One of the names the Catholics have for Mary is “Nuestra Senora de la Leche y Buen Parto” – Our Lady of the Milk and Happy Childbirth.

There’s a beautiful chapel housing this statue (a replica, as sadly the original was lost in a fire) up in St. Augustine, Florida – the oldest city in the United States.

There is a church, gift shop, and other historical markers at the Mission – well worth a look if you’re in the area.

And, naturally…

Stop by and have a read!

I was recently approached about doing a review of this beautiful breastfeeding book… And I had to laugh because I had purchased a copy to read with Jewel back in 2007!

I’m happy to share it with you, since it is really lovely and we have enjoyed reading our copy many, many times.

Near Mama’s Heart is the creation of Colleen Newman, available on her website My Baby & More. There’s even a Spanish-language version.

Best of all, while you’re there you can “read” the whole book in a beautiful video, totally free!

Near Mama’s Heart is even approved for use in La Leche League and Attachment Parenting International Libraries (by those respective organizations).

We have a large collection of nursing books, and this one is right there in the “favorites” pile.

The text is simple, sweet, and rhyming. Images show a wide range of mamas and babies – different races, different positions and situations, different ages of babies, even tandem nursing.

Look for, “I like to nurse like a skilled acrobat” – which, of course, Jewel felt like she needed to practice often after reading it. And the oh, so precious photo near the end with the tiny baby who can “nurse anytime, day or night.”

Personally, my only wish is that it was a board book. I like to let the littles have the nursing books to look at, since they enjoy them so much, and this is just not built to stand up to that.

Want to check it out for yourself?

You can purchase a copy from My Baby & More for $13.99 plus shipping. Use the PayPal option – Amazon.com no longer stocks it.

And one lucky As For My House reader will win a copy!

Make sure to leave your email address with each comment. (Used only to contact the winner. If your email is entered in the form it will be saved for me but not displayed).

1. Leave a comment sharing your favorite breastfeeding book. Or watch the video on Colleen’s site and tell us which image from the book is your favorite.

Extra Entries (leave separate comments for each). Once you have completed #1, you can earn additional entries by doing any or all of the following:

2. Blog about this giveaway, and link to this post. Please leave the link to your post in the comment.

3. Subscribe to As For My House by reader or email.

4. Follow Tiffany on Twitter and Tweet about this contest. Suggested Tweet:

WIN Near Mamas Heart breastfeeding book at As For My House! Ends 2/13 http://tinyurl.com/yjy8roy Please RT! @tiffanyblitz

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This giveaway ends next Saturday – February 13th at 11:59pm (Eastern).

The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on the blog, as well as contacted by email. Winner must respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be selected. Your book will ship directly from the author!

** Comments are now closed. Look for a new post announcing the winner! **

I went through a lot of struggles and challenges to keep nursing R.T. while dealing with a variety of medical situations (mine) in his first year of life.

I hope others can learn the lessons I learned the hard way just by reading about it, and can be spared some of the grief!

You can read Chapter I today over at the Mommy News & Views blog.

Chapter II will follow in February.

A special thanks to Judy for allowing me the platform to share my story!

I’m pleased to announce the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

My breastfeeding story is featured on the Mommy News and Views Blog, hosted by A Mother’s Boutique.

It’s actually not a “new” relationship, just a shift. Judy is the owner of A Mother’s Boutique, a wonderful breastfeeding store. I have made several purchases from her, relied heavily on her advice and kindness in trying things on for me, and even won a contest she held on her blog some time back. She is just a delight to do business with – click back over to my LLL Sports Bra Review at Life on the Road for a good story about her.

So I was delighted by the opportunity to contribute to the blog. This “history” is my introduction to her readers. The current plan is that I will contribute a breastfeeding story/article each month, on various and sundry breastfeeding-centric topics.

Hope to see you there!