The Joy of Reproduction

[botias]

Nursing an infant and cradling it close brings feelings of contentment and well-being that I can reach no other way. That's not true. These feelings, they're practically post-coital. Coincidence? I think not. I engage in reproductive behavior and I am stroked. Keep up the good work!

I often run my cheek over their baby fuzz and breath in their baby smell. Who knows what many orders of adoration are concealed within this delightful stuff. My baby! My precious, my sweet pea, my little love. But only for a couple of years. So I gather them close often, and write sappy posts on my LJ.

Comments

[appomattoxco.livejournal.com]

Aww, but I can't help giggling maddly because two entries down on my flist is the subject line: This subject line has been spit up on :o)

[botias.livejournal.com]

*hee* And peed on, and pooped on...

[db2305.livejournal.com]

Aw! I remember it well! (Cue French accent). But mine have long passed that cute fuzzy haired stage, alas. Long-legged early teendom is now my lot...

[timeofchange.livejournal.com]

Such a sweet time. Speaking as a woman who breastfeed her baby for 4 1/2 years, you may have more time than you think!

[owenthurman.livejournal.com]

My littlest one loves to wrestle and get thrown high in the air. She gets caught up in little baby giggles until she has to hold back just to breathe.

Ahh.

Sometimes I wish I could be the one to nurse the babies with all the intimacy and touch, but other times it seems like there's a lot of nagging involved too.

[botias.livejournal.com]

When mine are 12, 15 and 17... should be interesting. :)

[botias.livejournal.com]

We'll see, so far I've weaned the first 2 shortly after 2 years, both because my subsequent pregnancies made it uncomfortable and because the nursing hormones ebbed, perhaps also because of early pregnancy, such that I rather suddenly no longer had the desire. Funny how hormones can drive complex behaviors like nursing and sex.

[timeofchange.livejournal.com]

Ah. For some reason I thought this one was your first, but you are an old hand at this! *g* Lucky you, getting to have more than one. I love what I have now with my son, but I do wish that I could have had one more go at babyhood and toddler time.

[botias.livejournal.com]

It's really a tremendous tether. For some months I can't be away from them for more than a couple hours without expressing. Even when they are no longer dependant, they still get stressed if they go without mom for too long, even when cared for by their dad. Such a change from when I was a free agent.

I remember you were telling me about trying to finesse the sleeping arrangements. Our place was very small and my man and I were in separate beds for a good year and a half, two years, him with the 3-4 year old and me with the baby. Finally he decided it was time to have the boys together and us together too. I have to admit I resisted. The little guys are so affectionate and really want you there. It's hard to trade that for a more reserved adult that further is wiped out from the day. I found it makes a difference though, it was a good thing.

[botias.livejournal.com]

I really am lucky, but it's irksome, you just start to feel like you've got it figured out by the 3rd one and then your skills become redundant. As it was, number 3 was a surprise... By the time I'm a grandma, I'll probably have forgotten most of it. :)

[owenthurman.livejournal.com]

My wife went out of town for two days while still nursing the twelve month old. For the first time the little one didn't complain or scream in the middle of the night at all. It was like she knew that momma wasn't around and there was no point.

Sometimes I think the nursing-lust of little ones causes more stress than connection. But then I seem momma and child sharing a connection that I can only remember the vaguest inkling of.

[db2305.livejournal.com]

I'm not up to those levels yet - *knocks on wood* - 10, 10 and 12 so far!

[botias.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I think the nursing-lust of little ones causes more stress than connection.

Nursing is a little like sex that way too. I don't do anything that would leave me feeling resentful or disconnected. If I do, one party may be getting gratification, but the relationship is damaged. As the parent, it's often completely on me to prevent that. There's a number of other ways to give comfort and demonstrate love.