Hear! hear! Carolyn, The work of mothering IS important - Jo , you are teaching your baby to love!! Nurturing and nourishing him with the best! Lucky baby! Be as soppy as you like - I wish there were more women out there sending positive mother stories far and wide -Instead. like the birth stories, we hear all the negatives -how hard it all is, not how beautiful it can be.
Marilyn Waring was a brilliant young politician when I was living in Hamilton, NEw Zealand years ago -where is she now, I wonder? Ditto about the reaching out - I once had a school crossing lady ask about my (then) 6month old -she was petite (and still is ) How old 's ya baby? then, "what does she eat?" I replied "breastmilk" . This woman asked me "doesnt she even eat baby food". Flabberghasted I answered -"mothers milk IS baby food!" This woman whom I didnt know from a bar of soap then proceeded to tell me how her sisters neighbours baby was the same age as mine and even eating CHops!!! and sausages!! and she was TWICE the size of mine - After this conversation, for at least an hour or so, I felt I should perhaps offer "food" to this child who sat up on my lap at mealtimnes anyway (in spite of the fact she was my 3rd child -after two strapping boys and a clinic sister who assured me she didnt believe my second child ONLY had breastmilk). I slowly realised how people's commments can sow the seeds of doubt and sat back and waited just as I had with the big fat boys - the food was available but this little madam of mine who was crawling all over etc etc utterly refused to taste solids until she was 11 months. I had all sorts of funny comments about that, including insinuations that I was finding it hard to "let go" . Now she's a big girl, living away from home (22) and that was such a short time in our lives. I say, get all the cuddles and give them all the "booby" they want - the two greatest gifts we can give our kids are "roots and wings". Pinky ----- Original Message ----- From: "Heartlogic" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, September 28, 2002 3:42 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Alec's 6mo stats > Hi Jo, was going to reply off list, but thought nuh, I'll reply listwise. > This is too important an issue to go underground about. > > Mothers talking about mothering are NEVER 'gushers'. This is one of the big > challenges we have these days in our capitalist, patriarchal culture. > Mothering is such a non valued life path, mothers apologise for mothering > :-( The issues/concerns and pleasures/wins of mothers need to be in neon > lights and on the front pages of media. Please avoid the twit feeling :-) > it is such a delight to hear about babies being fed so well and mothers > enjoying it. It is pure joy to my ears...er...eyes. > > Also, an indictment of our culture that the clinic 'sister' was "astounded" > that it was breastmilk and not solids :-( just goes to show what a sorry > state we are in... > > sigh > > and it gives us lots of ideas of what to do to change things for the > better... and people like you are the ones that can help to turn things > around... for instance, never ever apologise for mothering...I've heard so > many women say "I'm only a mother". Another indictment of our culture. > > I dream of the day when mothering is economically visible and is factored > into the GNP, because, as Marilyn Waring says in "if women counted" > 'everytime I see a mother with an infant, I know I am seeing a woman at > work' - and what vital, pivotal, important work it is, raising a new member > of society. > > And in terms of when to introduce solids? From my observation (over many > many years with various cultural groups, including hippy types :-) the > young ones reach out and grab for food when they want it and it is then > giving them solids is irresistable. I love the way that children watch very > closely, with greater and greater interest, as their mother/father eats, > their eyes following the food from plate to mouth... and then one day! The > grab is on.... > > like everything else to do with bodies and cycles and development, the body > knows, the baby knows and the mother knows too :-) > > Good on you Jo and thanks for sharing with us, you have made my day. warmly, > Carolyn Hastie > PS, Heartily endorse Pinky's comment about the osteopath and those > chiropractic folk who do cranio sacral work with babies, they are fantastic > with all sorts of things for newborns, have seen magic happen with all sorts > of 'conditions'. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Jo Slamen > Sent: Saturday, 28 September 2002 7:02 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Alec's 6mo stats > > > Hello Pinky and List, > > Pinky, thanks for your lovely message and the comment re osteopath. > > I do apologise though, as you all must think I'm such a gusher, I didn't > mean to send this to Ozmid! I meant to send it to another list of > breastfeeding, co-sleeping Mums that was started when we all got together > from another baby website when all our 1st children were born in May '99. > > One press of the wrong button and I feel a twit! > > Red-faced Jo > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
