N and A share their story of co-nursing their baby daughter. N: As a little girl you might want a pony, a monkey, a prince/princess charming, or a certain kind of wedding etc. Me, I’ve always wanted a baby. Last October, at long last, I finally had my wish granted when our beautiful daughter, J, … [Read more...] about A tale of baby J and her two mothers
Newborn/ Beginning Breastfeeding
The birth of my second child
E struggled to cope with the change to the family dynamic when her second baby arrived…  I have two lovely, scrumptious daughters, A who is nearly four years old and B who is just over a year old. The first year of B's life has been the most difficult year of my life so far. I had no idea that … [Read more...] about The birth of my second child
Single mum and breastfeeding
When I had my second baby, I knew I was doing it alone. Having successfully breastfed my first child through a crumbling relationship, I thought that doing it again would be a breeze. I hadn’t realised how hard it could be. Breastfeeding my daughter had many challenges. Finding my feet as a mother … [Read more...] about Single mum and breastfeeding
Recreating the ‘lying-in’ month
I took a fascinating class at university called 'Childbirth in 17th Century England', which looked at the history of childbirth and the transition from traditional women-led births to a medicalised and male-led birth process. Apparently, a midwife was called, husbands weren't allowed in the room, … [Read more...] about Recreating the ‘lying-in’ month
Something Cosmological: A Father’s Reflections
About three months after the arrival of our second son, I looked at my wife tandem feeding our two boys and had somewhat of a revelation. That moment profoundly changed the way I look at breastfeeding and, more generally, the world. Let me rewind a bit... Breastfeeding was always the goal when we … [Read more...] about Something Cosmological: A Father’s Reflections
Mindful Breastfeeding
Like many mothers, I spent much of my daughter’s early days fretting about breastfeeding. Was her head at the right angle? Did she have enough of my breast in her mouth? Was enough of her lip rolled out? I also struggled with the usual discomforts as my nipples adjusted to their new role, as well as … [Read more...] about Mindful Breastfeeding
Dear Mama
Dear Mama, I’m coming soon, to be with you, and there are some things I wish you knew, about feeding me, and how we can be together. I come hard-wired to feed, and usually, you won’t need to do very much but follow my cues, you’ll need to learn those, watch and see my rose-budded lips … [Read more...] about Dear Mama
Finding the right support
My second child has recently turned one and I find myself once again breastfeeding a wriggling, giggling, distractible toddler. I have been either pregnant or breastfeeding for the best part of four years, which is incredible when I think how hard it was to establish breastfeeding with my … [Read more...] about Finding the right support