Root to Rise

My grandmother once gave me a tip: In difficult times, you move forward in small steps. Do what you have to do, but little by little. Don't think about the futu...re, or what may happen tomorrow. Wash the dishes. Remove the dust. Write a letter. Make a soup. You see? You are advancing step by step. Take a step and stop. Rest a little. Praise yourself. Take another step. Then another. You won't notice, but your steps will grow more and more. And the time will come when you can think about the future without crying. - Elena Mikhalkova (Image of Tasha Tudor, American Illustrator 1915-2008)

''All the eggs a woman will ever carry form in her ovaries while she is a four month old fetus in the womb of her mother. This means our cellular life as an egg... begins in the womb of our grandmother. Each of us spent five months in our grandmother's womb, and she in turn formed in the womb of her grandmother. We vibrate to the rhythm of our mother's blood before she herself is born, and this pulse is the thread of blood that runs all the way back through the grandmothers to the first mother.'' ~ Layne Redmond, When The Drummers Were Women Mara Berendt Friedman New Moon Visions Sacred Art

I am bottle feeding my baby with donated breastmilk due to being on chemotherapy. I love feeding her AS CLOSE TO I would if I was breastfeeding her, for her be...nefit and for mine. On demand, following her cues that tell me when she’s hungry and when she’s full. Snuggled in close, as she drifts off to sleep. In the early days there were lots of skin to skin feeds and we still get that in here and there in the tub. Her favourite spot to feed is being worn in a baby carrier, or tucked in my arm in bed or in the hammock with me. It’s a loving and intimate experience, done primarily by me by choice. Exclusively by me by choice for the first few months (especially earlier on when I was hopeful for chemo to be temporary and to keep my own supply and when I really needed the hormonal boost of the experience while I adjusted physiologically and emotionally to quitting breastfeeding), now also a bit more by her dad (and the rare occasion one of a few trusted and close and intimate helpers when and only when it feels instinctually/intuitively/emotionally right to do that, all in their own time). There’s no replacing breastfeeding and all it’s layered benefits and I still would trade almost anything if I could be breastfeeding my little baby. And, I also love that we’ve found a way to preserve some similar components of it where we can while I also protect her from the meds in my body. There are lots of ways to feed babies and different circumstances sometimes lead to different kinds of creativity to find what feels like the healthiest (physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally) for our families given our personal contexts. This is mine. Thank you to all of my friends, colleagues, and clients and other connected peeps who have given us the gift and privilege of doing this with donated human milk. If you need or want donated human milk for your own baby, or have some you want to donate to your community check out Human Milk 4 Human Babies Global Network in your area on Facebook and BC Women's Hospital also has a milk donation program for babies in need (your local hospital may, too!). Also, I love that you can see my surgery scar in this image Kristie Robin Photography #humanmilkforhumanbabies #milksharing #donormilk #breastfeeding #bottlefeeding #babyled #attachmentparenting #nextbest #postpartumcancer #postpartumchemotherapy #skintoskin #postpartumbody #surgeryscar