post breast debriefing
After all that breast talk in my last post, I thought perhaps it would be prudent to provide some resources for Catholic mamas. First, a few books that were tantamount to the success and Catholicity of my mothering career. Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing by Sheila Kippley, a nursing mamas breastfeeding classic. And another book by the same author, Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood, which she wrote just a few years ago. The first discusses the physiology of breastfeeding, as it pertains to both mother and baby and the second book, long overdue in my opinion, discusses the theology of motherhood and the mother-child bond and relationship.
These two are the best overview resources that I have come across for the purpose of developing the person and the Catholic understanding of motherhood. As a form of ministry, anyone we meet expecting their first baby who gets in our path we give these two books and one more. La Leche League’s The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.” It is so much more than a book about breastfeeding.
In my early days, pregnant with my first child, I came across The Womanly Art” in a bookstore. I thought to myself, Oh, that would be a good book. I’m planning on breastfeeding, I’ll get that. I turned out it was the book on which I built the foundation of motherhood which is to this day my ideal.
So, a nuther few good books. The Politics of Breastfeeding…definitely a feminist slant, and not Catholic, but an excellent history of why we got to the place that we are. Really it’s the history of breastfeeding. In another post, soon, soon, my dear friends, I will share with you a recent essay by my little Polly who graduates in a couple of weeks. She writes on the topic History and the Question of Conformity. Her essay, to me really embodies the discernment of the way we do things now and how and when one should question them.
So, a few good web resources worth mentioning. The ones I just happened upon are these:
Catholic Nursing Mother's League
Lovely resources and well worth checking out.
Also, NFP International’s website has a plethora on breastfeeding and the mother-child relationship. There are several pamphlet that are now available on line. One in particular I would point you to is called “The First Three Years.” NFP International
There are a pile of William and Martha Sears on the market, of course.
So. There’s a tip of the iceberg for you. Love you guys.