Six months!

Happy six month birthday to E!

A natural birth began six months of breastfeeding, baby wearing, and cloth diapering, yet I still don't do it to be crunchy. I do it because the research supports it, or because it's what works for our family. Breastfeeding has definitely been the biggest challenge, but things have gotten much easier.

As I posted, the first month was torture. I seriously did not know how I could possibly make it to a year like that. Big thanks to the breastfeeding community on LiveJournal for encouraging me to keep looking for answers, and to get his posterior tongue tie clipped even though both the LC and the ENT who clipped it thought it was too minor to matter. Two days after the clipping, the pain was gone! I honestly hated breastfeeding that first month and couldn't understand how people enjoy it - now it's great snuggle time and convenient on the go food!

We've also had thrush twice, and a dairy intolerance, so it's still not all sunshine and rainbows. But he can tolerate yogurt (including frozen!) now and small amounts of dairy-containing chocolate (not quite there on cheese, sadly), so I feel better when I can ave a few treats.

We've nursed in public just about everywhere. I started keeping a mental list when he was born, but it got too long to remember! Restaurants, churches, in dressing rooms, in the car, in the sling or mei tai while shopping, in my office, just about anywhere we go, and have yet to get a rude comment or look - though I know as he gets older people might get less tolerant.

My intention when he was born was a year and then we'll see how it goes after that. That's still sort of where I fall, but I don't feel like he's halfway done nursing. A third of the way, maybe, a fourth of the way, very likely. I'll just keep going (after a year) til either he weans himself or circumstances change and it no longer fits in our life. I'm still fully committed to doing whatever it takes for the first year, though - but I think the second six months will be much easier than the first!