Cedric is 16 months old - a big baby who is really toddler - and he's still nursing. I didn't quite expect to find us here. I nursed Dashiell until he was just shy of 15 months and we were ready to be done; he was a wild kicking animal somehow managing a downward dog pose while still nursing. My general goals with breastfeeding Cedric were to first to breastfeed and pump until he was a year old (we also supplemented with formula), then to nurse until he was about 15 months - the same as Dashiell - and then... Read more →

A sweet reader asked me how breastfeeding and pumping were going and I've been wanting to share an update. When I received the comment I was surprised that I haven't written about breastfeeding Cedric and actually I'm already nearing the end! Breastfeeding (and until recently, pumping) has been such a routine part of my life for a year now I think I've forgotten to write about the experience, something like missing the forest for the trees perhaps? Overall everything has gone really well and before the Christmas holidays I hit a big milestone: I'm done pumping!!! I have really been... Read more →

During my pregnancy with Dashiell I prepared as much as I could for breastfeeding although in hindsight I realize there's only so much that you can prepare. You can't anticipate how your body will respond, what your milk supply will be like and how your baby will breastfeed. Right now nursing and pumping and frankly just my boobs in general are such a big part of my life, for better or for worse! I feel so fortunate that I have been able to breastfeed both of my boys but sometimes I forget how much time and effort it takes up... Read more →

Pumping at work is a special experience. When else will you sit shirtless in your workplace while attached to a machine? Or hold a bottle of liquid that was just expressed from your boobs in the company of male colleagues. Cherish this special time, friends. Now in my second round of pumping at work, I thought I'd share my routine and what I keep in my pump bag. At first, pumping at work seems strange and horrible. But with time and practice it will become something you look forward to each day. Nope. That's a lie. But in my experience... Read more →

While you certainly don't need anything special to breastfeed your baby I've found some favorite items that make breastfeeding easier and more enjoyable. Some of these are favorites that I used with Dashiell and continue to use with Cedric. Others I've only found recently and wish I had known about earlier. 1 My Brest Friend. I used this pillow every single time I nursed Dashiell and still use it every time with Cedric. When I travel I love to bring the travel version. It provides back support and places the baby snuggly at the right height to comfortably nurse. I... Read more →

The last time I shared an update on how breastfeeding was going, Dashiell was six months old. That feels so long ago! I'm still breastfeeding Dashiell at (nearly) fourteen months but our nursing relationship looks very different. I'm so happy to have breastfed this long and to be where we are. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am so thankful that I have been able to breastfeed at all and especially for this long; I recognize that I am so fortunate that this has been physically possible for me. At the same time, breastfeeding and pumping at work... Read more →

I've been sustaining a little human life with my own body for 16 months (pregnancy + six months breastfeeding). I'm in awe, incredibly thankful, and humbled by my body's ability to do this. Breastfeeding for any amount of time is a combination of luck and hard work. I'm lucky that I have been physically able to breastfeed at all and especially for this length of time. I feel so fortunate for that fact. But it's also taken a lot of work; I've put in a lot of time and effort to ensure that Dashiell has enough milk to drink. And... Read more →