Nursing Ben and Beyond

By Wendy Martin

I knew I would feed my second son at the breast before he was even conceived. I researched which birth control pill would allow me to nurse yet keep me from ovulating. We had only two bottles, for just in case. I had a breast pump for all my extra milk and we froze it in ice cube trays. Daddy called them "boob cubes."

I had nursed my first son; how could I not when it was so obviously the best thing for him? Ben took to it with gusto in the delivery room. He is nearly 9 months old, and it is still his favorite thing.

When he's hurt or tired or just waking up his first response after being picked up is to push his face into my chest then SMILE! After waking, he nurses just to help him face the world. I'm his morning coffee!

Ben's first word was nuh-nuh. He let me know what that meant by giving my shirt a good yank, just in case we weren't on the same page. For awhile, after he started solids, we cut way back. He was really only nursing at nap and bedtime. Then he hit his "my mommy is my world" stage, and we were back to nursing on demand.

Some of my best times of day are the mid-morning feeding. We curl up in Daddy's chair and he falls asleep at my breast. I can't imagine not nursing Ben.

We recently found out we are expecting baby number three. It was unexpected, and my first thought was disappointment at having to wean Ben when he (and I!) was so obviously not ready. I have received tremendous support from friends and family who have encouraged me to continue.

I have now begun to research tandem nursing. Resources are scarce and hard to come by. I wonder how will I keep up with a toddler and a newborn? And I know that Ben and his new baby will share an incredible bond. They will be close. They will share a room. They will share a breast. They will be friends. What an incredible gift I will give my two youngest children!