When you are expecting, especially for the first time, it can be difficult to know just what to expect. There can be so many questions, great uncertainties and a whole bunch of other stuff that you never even thought of because you didn’t know of it to think about in the first place.
Fortunately, you are not the first to go through all this and some of those who have come before you had the common courtesy to write it all down, just for you!
First there were books and now there are blogs all sharing a wealth of knowledge that can be simply invaluable to a newbie parent. And lets face it even some of the more seasoned parents still need a drop of sound advice from time to time, because contrary to what we like our children to believe, we simply can’t know everything all of the time.
One such portal of parental wisdom that boasts a plethora of pregnancy and parenting advice is a web site created by the bestselling authors of What to Expect When You’re Expecting, aptly called… www.whattoexpect.com (well you should have been expecting that at least!)
So next time your just not quite sure what to expect, at least you’ll know where to look!
You’re expecting a baby, you’re expecting to finish work a week before the baby arrives and you’re expecting to go back to work when that perfect baby you’re currently expecting settles into a routine at three months of age. And then he/she can pop off to nursery school when the creche you’re expecting to get a place at, confirms. Oh, and yeah, you’re expecting to be back in your bikini by then too, because that’s what they do in the mags. Right? Wrong. Big, fat wrong!
This one is close to our heart – in every sense – and definitely a very special week to acknowledge.
August 1 – 7, 2010 is World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) – time to get just a bit more organized with your ante-natal group and friends of friends. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and breastfeeding advocates in more than 170 countries worldwide, will celebrate this fantastic week for the 19th year running. The theme? “Breastfeeding: Just 10 Steps. The Baby Friendly Way.”
Visit the worldbreastfeedingweek.org site to see these 10 easy steps promoting breastfeeding. WABA see them as making a huge difference to the statistics of this most natural and beneficial way to provide for your baby, on local, national and global levels.
It’s okay to be honest about breastfeeding. No matter what you read, what you hear and how you are made to feel, at the end of the day what is right for you and your child should determine whether or not you breastfeed.
We at HOTmilk like to encourage breastfeeding at every opportunity. Our goal is to make women feel supported, strong and sexy during pregnancy and beyond through the wearing of sexy maternity lingerie. If you feel feminine and fabulous, we fully believe each and every decision will come a little easier. In saying this, we are right behind every woman choosing her own path.
The deputy editor of Britain’s Mother and Baby magazine has found herself the centre of a breastfeeding furore for daring to describe her experience of breastfeeding as “creepy”. Is the ensuing outcry not a little OTT? She expressed her opinion based on her experience in an editorial forum which is where opinions are aired. She does not try to impose her opinion on others; she merely relates her own feelings. Surely this is a sign of an empowered woman?
There is certainly never a dull moment in the business of pregnancy!
Take a wee moment to think of all the weird and wonderful stories you have heard regarding pregnancy and breastfeeding, where truth and fiction blur constantly. Here at HOTmilk, where we deal daily with both, we do like to keep in mind the lighter side of the reproductive phenomenon which lead us to think about the huge number of euphemisms out there to skirt round the issue of being pregnant. Now why can’t we just come out and say, “I’m pregnant, she’s pregnant, his girlfriend’s pregnant…”. No, it seems not!
Yes, we can see there are times when euphemisms do come into play but more to disguise a few fairly graphic anatomical terms, particularly in front of Junior who may happen to be around. But being pregnant? Is it not one of the most enduring facts of life and a cause for celebration?
The recent debate created by American lifestyle magazine Better Home & Gardens regarding breastfeeding in public toilets (see previous blog entry to read more) is not a new – one nor, sadly, is it confined to any one continent. Here is what the Australian Breastfeeding Association had to say on the topic with a to-the-point TV campaign…
In China, the Hong Kong Breastfeeding Mothers Association, in their fight to introduce legislation to create public nursing rooms, took it straight to the decision makers when they sent lunch invitations to influential government officials featuring an image of cutlery placed on the rim of a toilet seat. Nice work ladies! The video they produced about this is also well worth a watch.
Somewhat ironically however, a Taiwanese restaurant chain has created an opportunity for those who chose to put their money where there mouth is with their unusual table seating options. Well you cant deny it provides food for thought… but are they breastfeeding friendly is the real question! Then breastfeeding on the toilet wouldn’t be so bad?? What do you think?
“Lifestyle” magazine Better Homes and Gardens seem to have really got themselves in the pooh lately with a recent article boldly proclaiming that while dinning out “THOU SHALT NOT BREAST FEED AT THE TABLE” but rather moms, needing to feed their precious little ones, should “TAKE IT TO THE LADIES ROOM.”
Not surprisingly the doodoos seem to have have really hit the fan with a strong public backlash to BHG’s commanding article. And well, as firm advocates for breastfeeding, such advice from a leading magazine has got us at HOTmilk wondering which century BHG are living in! Let us know what you think or better yet, log on to the BHG facebook page and tell them directly what you think.
Ps. BHG have since recognized the error of judgment made on their part and have issued an official apology on their own blog - as well as doing so directly on our own HOTmilk blog! View the comments on this posting to read.
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When you are expecting, especially for the first time, it can be difficult to know just what to expect. There can be so many questions, great uncertainties and a whole bunch of other stuff that you never even thought of because you didn’t know of it to think about in the first place.
