The Planks Have Paid Off

During tummy time, Lucy has been diligently working to perfect her plank. All the work paid off this weekend when she crushed her first boulder problem (outside of my belly) at the rock climbing gym in Syracuse. Of course, she was exhausted after and slept for an hour while I got to get back on the wall for the first since I was 37 weeks pregnant. It felt amazing. For added enjoyment, I easily back into my pre-bump harness. My body seemed to handle the exertion well and I am looking forward to going back this Sunday.

Part of what made the experience successful for everyone is the set-up and the culture at the gym. There are great spaces for breastfeeding (per chance, not on purpose, but I will take what I can get) and no one gave us dirty looks for having our baby there. The people who work there were all about getting back into a "normal" life with baby and were welcoming when we walked in the door. Although sometimes Lucy McGoosey absolutely loathes being put in the carseat, she did really well on this trip, with the exception of two "mommy, P-L-E-A-S-E get me out of here and snuggle me" fits on the way home. We stopped, got her out and snuggled her (twice) and she slept the rest of the way home. 

Speaking of breastfeeding, this country is just not set-up for it, physically or emotionally. The three of us were putting in some walking miles out of the cold at the mall on Saturday and we walked by the Victoria's Secret store. I would like to nurse Lucy on a bench in front of one of the mostly naked models in their windows and see what people have to say. This carseat bottle holder is a choking hazard and disregards the important and special time that feeding provides for mama and baby gets four out of five stars on Amazon, but breastfeeding mamas get harassed for doing what is best for their baby. Maybe if all of those people who are so critical had been breastfed as babies they wouldn't be so miserable and judgmental now. Don't get me wrong, no one should receive criticism for bottles, formula or whatever their choice is. As with anything else, you never know another person's circumstances. But for the love of all that's good, leave my baby and my boobs alone. 

In good news on the topic, I have started taking inventory of places that I can comfortably feed the Sweet Potato in public. 

• The  car
• Any Wegman's with a cafe
• Barnes and Noble
• Restaurants, preferably booth seating
• Dressing rooms at any clothing store

We have been lucky enough to have some very special visitors in the past week. Grandma and Grandpa Bisha came to read Lucy mother goose nursery rhymes and brought us dinner. Marnee came to meet Lucy and brought her a very special, personalized book, Lucy Can Change the World. (What Lucy doesn't know is that she already has.)  She seems to do well with new people, although my prolactin is still pumping and I don't give her up for long. I am also not willing to interfere with her basic needs to pass her around. If she is hungry, needs changing, tired or just needs her mama, she gets those things on demand. Luckily all of our visitors have been sensitive to this and this makes having folks over to our place low stress.