I've graduated.
That's right.
I'm a breadwinning breast-weaner, like many of you fine readers.
390 days of latching with regularity about to be regarded as history, and you can't take it back.
I CANNOT BELIEVE IT.
I write this message from a fancy hotel in downtown Asheville, not 40 minutes from my house.
I'm treating myself to
some uninterrupted thoughts,
some work tasks at my leisure,
some vacation feels without the travel,
some time not measured by when I'm next needed,
and some awesome food!
Breastfeeding breadwinner, So many of you know better than me what things will look like next, and yet, no two journeys are alike. Cheers to all of you who found your way to the chapter after breastfeeding, as hard and weird as it seems to be. I'm nervous about what my boobs are about to go through. I'm a bit afraid for what my nervous system is about to experience. I'm excited for the ways my schedule is about to improve. All three of those feelings will make your heart race, and that's exactly what mine was doing when I got here. I have Breastfeeding breadwinnership to THANK for how comfortable it is to leave my husband and baby, since they already have a solid go-to-sleep routine together, because they are accustomed to my being away for periods of most days. Not all parents can confidently leave their child with a partner for a period of days, in any stage of parenting. I'm not saying I'm not cringing frequently at everything I'm missing at home… but I am saying we have a cultural problem that parenting is often a lopsided responsibility and skillset. And of course, that there's so little accessible support to go around. Now I get to join my husband in the techniques he's used to help her through hard times. I get to enjoy my soon-to-be-toddler in ways that I haven't because of how breastfeeding has influenced my role and how our time together is spent. And my identity as family breadwinner will return as primary. It's been cool having superpowers for 9 months and 390 days… now I'll return to the ranks of the body-autonomous. WOW, it's been a minute. Do you have a breast-weaning story to share, breadwinner? Get in touch! Does a few days away from your daily grind sound like a good deal? Come and see me. I'm enjoying the sounds of my city as a backdrop for this time, but being here makes me beyond grateful for the quiet of the country. When I first moved out to Marshall, I knew our spot was meant to be shared with those who were in need of peace, space, and quiet. Let me know if you ever need a day to come unwind and reconnect with nature and yourself.
And as always, at breastfeedingbreadwinners.com you'll find all of our blog entries, the sign-up link to our next virtual meetup, a place to send fellow Breastfeeding Breadwinners who want to get involved, event announcements, and an irresistible service offer only available to breastfeeding breadwinners.