Nursing ABCs

One part of parenting that I have really enjoyed is getting to breastfeed my babies. I love that I always have something ready for them to eat - something that I can't forget to buy or pack. I love that I have a surefire way to soothe a hurt, or put a tired baby to sleep (eventually) With each child, I have thought about how interesting it is to have this unique relationship with my child. My mom used to say that she thought that she better understood each of her children, as babies, and what we were trying to say we needed, because of all the time she spent cuddling us and watching us while we nursed. I don't know how it would be without the nursing, but she may have been on to something.

Now, in honor of Mom, I have decided to compile my own ABC Book of Nursing. I want to capture some of the many ways a baby nurses. This is a work in progress - I will add to it here as I think of more. Please consider suggesting a few below in the comments section!

A - Asleep. One of the best parts of nursing. Asleep could be the baby, or me, or both. There is really no other nap I can think of in my life more satisfying than laying down with a nursing baby. She sleeps hard, and I sleep hard, and we get to cuddle the whole time. Yay, oxytocin!
B - Bedtime. I have come to recognize the tired baby cry, which is very different from the hungry baby cry. This nursing involves just holding them still and quiet while they settle themselves and soothe themselves into sleep and can be laid down. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes; sometimes it takes more than an hour. It can be tempting to get frustrated by this stage, especially when I want to be up doing something else right at that moment. But I have to remember, if I worked as hard all day, learning what they learn each day, I would probably need help getting to sleep, too.
C
D
E -
F
G - Gymnastic. This is the late-toddler stage, acrobatic nursing. It generally involves attempts to place baby's feet above baby's head without letting go. In fact, a full 360 is the coups de gras. While it can make me smile, it is also the stage most likely to make me think of weaning, I must confess. I try to bear it with patience, since my Mom told me I was the worst for this, but I have seen so far that I am not as patient as my own mom was.
H
I
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K
L- Luxuriating. When I get up in the morning before Helen is ready to be done nursing and awake, I carry her around with me. She lays across me sideways in a completely languorous pose. She throws her top arm up over her face to block the light, but she uses her bottom arm to gently stroke the bare skin on my side - her way of reminding me, amidst the bustle of serving breakfast and packing lunches, that in her mind, we are still curled up together in a dark, soft bed.
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P
Q
R
S - Snacking. As my babies get mobile, they find nursing a necessary evil. They are hungry, but there are so many things to go explore in the world. If allowed, they will stop in for a quick fix, then crawl or toddle off, only to be back for another nip in a few minutes. Anyone who nurses by the clock might completely miss this delightful stage - don't do it!
S - Spurting and Spraying. Especially in the first month or two, as the milk supply adjusts to the baby demands, it is not uncommon for the baby to start nursing, then let go and pull back, only to be sprayed in the face as if with a fire hose full of milk.
T - Tentative. This is the brand-newborn. Minutes old. Their little eyes blink open, startled with the world where they are. Then, they find the breast and relax. Whatever else is going to happen to them from here on out, they know they will not be facing it alone.
U
V - Voracious. This is a stage I love. It seems to me that it hits between 2 and 4 months. All of a sudden, these wee little sleepy bundles wake up, and they wake up hungry! Add to their furious growth spurts that they are gaining head control and neck strength, and it can be quite startling the way they lunge for the breast, piranha-like. My babies also nurse at the stage with a distinctive sound - something akin to the sound the Cookie Monster makes when eating cookies. All I can say is, "Thank goodness they don't have teeth yet at this point."
W
X
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Z