Since I submitted my story and pictures all that time ago I have been pregnant another two times. The first of those was stillborn in the middle trimester and recovering some sense of my body not being broken is very hard! I’m now pregnant again (my 6th pregnancy) and not far off due.
So much has changed, and changes day to day, it’s hard to know where to begin. But right now, I’m so grateful for all of the good – even though I still have hyperemesis through my pregnancies, even after losing three children, after *everything*. My two girls are amazing (they are four and two years old respectively). I’m looking forward to tandem nursing. And I love this bump, stretch marks and all. :)
Love the pics :) And yay for tandem nursing! I am so pro breastfeeding :D
All your pics are great, but I especially love that last shot. Breastfeeding photos are so sweet!
I understand feeling like your body is broken, we were expecting twins and lost one during our pregnancy, our son perservered through a rough pregnancy and spent some time in the NICU but I couldnt get past the thoughts of my body failing my children. I understand the struggle of having to convince yourself that it wasnt your fault. Im glad you were able to overcome that. Your belly is beautiful.
My personal opinion on tandem nurnsing is probably one that is going to get me ridiculed but it needs to be said. I agree with it only when the older baby is under a year, maybe a year and a half, but thats pushing it. after that point it is rediculous. I have seen children 3-5 years of age nursing still, that child should be eating animal crackers with his or her friends, not still sucking on their mothers breast. god gave your kids teath to chew food with, let them use them and use nursing as a way to bond with your new baby.
I won’t ridicule you (although I think tandem-nursing mamas might feel ridiculed by your statement) but I do want to point out that breastmilk has lots more nutrition than animal crackers.
save that liquid gold for the infant to come!
Wow I am really glad I didn’t come back and read that as a vulnerable mother to a new baby… May I respectfully recommend going and doing some research before coming to a support board and blasting the informed choices of another parent? In what way does anything “need to be said”?
First point of issue: breastmilk is an appropriate food, and a wonderful comfort, for a child of three. If you believe otherwise in spite of the evidence, keep it to yourself on support boards and find somewhere marked “debate”. :)
Second point of issue: why would the baby get less “liquid gold” if you understand the mechanics of supply and demand? In fact, there are advantages to tandem nursing for the new baby if (like me) you oversupply.
Third point of issue: whilst I am able to accept that some of you *may* have found the image of my two year old suckling to be unusual, I am really quite bothered that on a forum displaying normal human forms and celebrating the varied and amazing bodies of all women everywhere, neither of you found anything to say about the images of the actual female body.