Whom do I call to notify that I am taking a sick day from this motherhood gig? I know it’s only a cold, and I will get over it eventually, but in the thick of it I find it very difficult! Not only am I sick, but my baby is sick too, and that’s when I am on extra duty, not less! When she wakes, she wants ME — after all, I am her primary caregiver, and her dad just doesn’t have the super ability to comfort her at his breast! If only I could have a day filled with …read more

My two-year-old is feeling much better today. Yesterday she couldn’t keep down any food in spite of her interest in solids. I told her that she could have food again once she stopped spitting up and in the meantime she could nurse. She was alright with that but told me that she’d be all better the next day, “I promise!” (She learned that phrase when I made her promise not to stick any more pieces of cantaloupe up her nose!)
So I could monitor her throughout the night I co-slept with her until my own violent coughing threatened to wake her …read more

My two-year-old has some sort of virus. I’ll spare you the graphic details and simply say that this is one of those times when I’m so glad to be breastfeeding. When solid food doesn’t appeal to her, breast milk still does. Breast milk actually helps her feel better and settles her tummy when she cannot keep anything else down. She doesn’t get dehydrated, and I feel like I’m giving her “medicine” with the antibodies in my breast milk.
Breastfeeding is the ultimate soother and it helped her drift off to sleep about 15 minutes ago. She hasn’t napped this early in …read more