Well we didn’t have that great a turnout, but we got a fair few signatures on our letter to Clare Short and we got in the Birmingham Mail!
We had a nice day, although I did feel a bit like David, I and the nice lady from the BfN were the only ones running around most of the time, we have made ourselves noticed and have plans for next year!
I guess I haven’t been very good at actually writing stuff about our own joyous journey through motherhood, so I’ll now write some cool things about Rowan.
He can sit up pretty well – even straight up now, although he still likes to fall forward onto his head, or flop to the side when he’s trying to do something
He sleeps like a baby (badly). I sometimes get annoyed when people ask me “Is he sleeping through yet?” as I know many babies never sleep through. At the moment, he wakes up who knows how many times during the night. I think this is primarily because he’s too busy being a little baby and enjoying himself during the day to remember to get his fill of milk. I don’t think the little food is helping either as he seems to have got a bit of wind during the night, so I need to remember to wake up and sit him up to let him get a bit of a burp – not easy when we feed him lying down, with both of us asleep! On a side note, if we weren’t co-sleeping, I wouldn’t be coping at all. I do, however, reserve the right to complain just occasionally when I’m tired, even though I have no intention of trying to do anything about it. If he needs to eat, he needs to eat, whether its 2pm or 2am!
He likes to giggle. If you hold him up close and pretend to chomp on the gap between his head and neck, Rowan will grin, and if you keep going, squeal with delight. His beloved Aunty Jenny started this, and we just love the reaction, so we do it a bit 
Incidentally, he likes it on his tummy too. Raspberries on tummies and cheeks work pretty well too, but not as well as the sort of chomping motion!
Rowan has started eating his solids. We had intended to wait until 6 months, but as we are doing Baby Led Weaning, and it makes sense to me that his ability to eat the food will keep track with his readiness for it, we offered him food every so often, and at about 23 weeks he decided he wanted to actually eat it. He’s been getting better every day, and now feeds himself 3 (very small) meals most days. We’re definitely getting an interesting new nappy experience though. We are also only offering fruit, vegetables and the odd rice cake until 6 months though, when it will be a free for all (except salt and honey and nuts)
He is the best and most wonderful baby in the world! But of course its my job to think that.
I briefly mentioned this in another post, but just to confirm that I have arranged a breastfeeding picnic to bring the issue of protection for breastfeeding mothers to public attention. St Phillip’s Cathedral in the city centre have very kindly allowed us to use their churchyard for this.
We’re still looking for a wet weather venue, but we have the main location and can advertise it. Please read more about the legislation here and the picnics here
If you wish you knew you were protected by law when feeding your child in public, please come along. Bring a rug, a picnic, and if you have one (or more) your breastfeeding child. If you’re not a breastfeeding mother, but just want to show your support, please come along too!
Continue reading Breastfeeding Picnic, Birmingham, Monday 21 July, 12 Noon onwards
If I could figure out how to comment on this article, I would address my choice words there. As I am failing to do that, I just have to have my rant here.
Breastfeeding in public is not indiscreet. We are not flaunting our bodies nor exposing ourselves. We are feeding our hungry babies. Babies that need us nearby. Babies that don’t feed on a timetable and who don’t understand ‘later’. It is not appauling that we do this, it is natural.
Should we leave our precious babies with those useful baby sitters? Should we stay at home until our baby may no longer need a feed? No, we should get on with our lives. It is people like you that make women too nervous to feed in public, and who endanger the breastfeeding of some of the few women who continue. Well done you.
Now I shall go and feed my own baby, in the privacy of my home. But tomorrow I’ll make sure to do it somewhere nice and public, and think of you, you ignorant, arrogant man.