A new big brother, age 4, weaned during mother's pregnancy with next baby,
on hearing by phone yesterday that he had gotten a little baby brother, and
what the baby was doing, said exuberantly to his grandparents, who were
caring for him:
"There's a NEW baby boy lying at mama's breast and he's DRINKING MILK!!!"

This big brother was separated from his mother for one week when she was
hospitalized with a ruptured appendix.  He was a year old at the time.  When
she came home, after studiously expressing her milk during her hospital stay
(she was too sick to have the child with her, expressing was the only
self-care she really engaged in), he seemed to have forgotten how to nurse.
'I had to teach him how again,' mother says simply.  Father laughed and said
'Rachel probably doesn't even think that was a mistake!'  (He was right.)  A
lot of people wondered what on earth she was bothering about, but she was
devastated at the thought that their breastfeeding would be over and she
just kept offering very persistently until one day he accepted.  He may or
may not be completely weaned now; mother isn't worried and if he wants to
come share a drink with his little brother at the milk bar it will be fine.

The best part of this, for me, is that the mother has just figured it all
out on her own.  Hasn't had any contact with any organized form of BF
support, has no background in nutrition, child development or health care,
and is just mothering with the skills she's acquired in life in general.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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