I posted this on my other blog before Nathan was born, and I thought I would repost it here for reference. Since breastfeeding consumes about a quarter of my day, I will probably write more about it here, particularly the ecological breastfeeding model written about in this book. I'm planning on reading the book again soon since I think maybe I will understand it a bit better now that I have three and a half months worth of mothering/breastfeeding experience under my belt.
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Several years ago during conversations with friends about birth control and God's design for families, I remember one young man insisting to me that I would end up having many, many children all in 9-month intervals for the next 20 years if I let God plan my family. Through his statements, he implied that God, who had made bodies to reproduce, had messed up by not making them to space babies naturally. I knew vaguely at the time that this wasn't true, but I was not aware of the specifics as to how that happened. Because of our culture's self-centered demand for convenience and our elevation of man's inventions over God's provisions, we have no idea how to feed our babies in the way that God intended any more.
From the book Be Fruitful and Mutliply by Nancy Campbell, I was directed to another book called Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Kippley. Kippley lays out the principles of what she calls ecological breastfeeding, or natural mothering, to explain the way which God has created female bodies to space babies. Many people falsely assume that breastfeeding alone will naturally space babies; however, eco-breastfeeding has seven standards by which natural spacing occurs. They are:
This book is a good mixture of philosophy, medical evidence, and personal experience. The author, a Roman Catholic, is also author of a book on Natural Family Planning, and I would tweak some of her statements slightly. All in all, I gained a lot of insight from this book, and I was continually amazed through my reading of all the little ways God has provided for us and for our children through breastfeeding.
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Several years ago during conversations with friends about birth control and God's design for families, I remember one young man insisting to me that I would end up having many, many children all in 9-month intervals for the next 20 years if I let God plan my family. Through his statements, he implied that God, who had made bodies to reproduce, had messed up by not making them to space babies naturally. I knew vaguely at the time that this wasn't true, but I was not aware of the specifics as to how that happened. Because of our culture's self-centered demand for convenience and our elevation of man's inventions over God's provisions, we have no idea how to feed our babies in the way that God intended any more.
From the book Be Fruitful and Mutliply by Nancy Campbell, I was directed to another book called Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Kippley. Kippley lays out the principles of what she calls ecological breastfeeding, or natural mothering, to explain the way which God has created female bodies to space babies. Many people falsely assume that breastfeeding alone will naturally space babies; however, eco-breastfeeding has seven standards by which natural spacing occurs. They are:
- Do exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life; don't use other liquids or solids.
- Pacify your baby at your breasts.
- Don't use bottles and pacifiers.
- Sleep with your baby for night feedings.
- Sleep with your baby for a daily-nap feeding.
- Nurse frequently day and night, and avoid schedules.
- Avoid any practice that restricts nursing or separates you from your baby.
This book is a good mixture of philosophy, medical evidence, and personal experience. The author, a Roman Catholic, is also author of a book on Natural Family Planning, and I would tweak some of her statements slightly. All in all, I gained a lot of insight from this book, and I was continually amazed through my reading of all the little ways God has provided for us and for our children through breastfeeding.
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