Got Milk?

Tomorrow Allison and Matthew come into town!  Matthew is about 5-6 months old.  Can't wait to meet him!

Allison wrote me a text last night and asked if the girls knew about breastfeeding as she uses a cover and feeds Matthew wherever necessary.  I replied back something like "Yes!  They're good!"

Then paused and stopped to think.  Jeremy and I started a conversation with the girls last night to see what they knew about how babies are fed.  We all sat in the living room on the couches and talked.

Me:  So Allison and Matthew are coming over!  Are you excited?

Girls:  Yeah!!!  Woo!!!  Yeah!!!  Baby Matthew!

Me:  Since he's still a baby, he'll eat a little different than we do...

Julia:  Babies eat their bottles.

Riley:  Yeah!

Me:  Um... not sure where to go from here.  (not sure why - just couldn't find the words)

Jeremy:  Ok.  Let's just do this.  So Riley - have you ever seen a cow feed her babies?

Riley:  Oh yeah!!!  ...   I mean.... what?


Jeremy:  Animal moms feed their babies.  Baby cows get milk from their moms.

Riley:  Oh yeah!  (then they listed a few more animals that get nourishment from their moms)

Jeremy:  Well, that's how it is with babies and moms.  The moms have breasts that allow them to feed their kids.

Riley:  What are breasts?

Jeremy:  Boobs!  The babies get milk from their mom's boobs.  (holding his hand in the appropriate place on his body of course)

**Insert hysterical laughing from the girls for a long time.  Insert bathroom break for Riley!


Jeremy:  Moms are like a drive-through.  The baby just goes right up to the mom and gets food.

Me:  When Aunt Allison comes over, she will be feeding Matthew.  She'll have a cover and Matthew will eat when he is hungry.  He'll be getting milk and filling his belly.  So don't ask what she's doing or go peek, ok?  Because that's his meal time.

*At this point the girls are both laughing more.

Riley:  Babies get milk from... BOOBS!!!  (hahahaha)

Jeremy:  God made Mom's bodies really special.  Their boobs fill with milk when they have a baby so that they can feed their baby.  When you were babies, Mommy fed you... at least for a little while.

Riley:  What?!  (more laughing)  Ewwwww!!

Me:  Yup.  I fed you for a little while.  Some Mommies feed their babies until their babies are one.  Some Mommies feed their babies until their babies are 6 months or 3 months old.  Some Mommies only get to feed their babies for a very short time.  But God allows Mommies to be able to feed their babies.  If not, then there is formula at the stores where you can get milk to help feed your babies.

[Trying to figure out how to let them know that they were only breastfed a little while - a few weeks for Riley and days for Julia - due to mastitis... why I was feeling the need to explain this now?!  As though she would understand the pressure to breastfeed your baby and understand that it doesn't always work and that it's okay!]

Riley:  Oh okay.

Me:  God gave special minerals and vitamins in the milk of Moms so that babies get exactly the food and nourishment that they need after they are born.

Riley:  So all Mom's have milk?

Jeremy:  The milk only comes in after the baby is born.  Then when the babies eat different food and grow, the milk stops being produced.  Like Mommy doesn't have any milk in her boobs right now.  (thanks hun)

Riley:  So how does it get there?

Me:  Your body just knows that it needs to feed your baby and it just starts making it.  Crazy huh!

Riley:  Yeah!


**Later that night, we heard the girls in the bathroom laughing hard and both taking turns saying "Babies get milk from ..... BOOBS!!!



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