I have a persistent cough that is sucking my will to live.
Okay, wait. It's not quite THIS bad. And by the by, what the heck is going on in this scenario? It's not so much a cough as a rocket launching out of his throat.
Seabass, thankfully, never got this cough. He is running circles around me lately, especially in the morning. He wakes up fresh and ready to pummel the snot out of the day while I am dragging along after having been up all night coughing.
Jake isn’t feeling tippy-top either, but he gets to take Nyquil for it while I, the still-nursing-mom, am toughing it out with some all-natural so-called medicine crap that does nothing.
It was pretty funny, actually. I went up to the pharmacy window at Rite Aid and asked if I could take such-and-such medicine while still nursing. The pharmacist said, “Hold on, let me get my book.” When she came back, she was flipping through a little book about breastfeeding-safe drugs.
“Yup, that one’s okay,” she said. “I can tell because it has a little boobie and a thumbs-up next to it in my book.” She showed me the page for verification. Sure enough, there were lots of entries with little boobies and thumbs-up. Glad to know it’s that sophisticated.
Speaking of me nursing still: I have lately received a couple of comments along the lines of “Isn’t Seabass a little old to be breastfeeding?” Despite the fact that I keep my breastfeeding private at home, it still comes up from time to time for whatever reason. I suppose I’ve just never thought of a reply to the question “Isn’t he a little old?” so my default response has been one of defensiveness (me? defensive? shocking!):
“In Europe, people breastfeed until their kids are, like, twenty-five!”
“Breastfed kids are super smart!”
“It’s the only thing I can do to calm Seabass down!”
And that last one is absolutely true. I spent my first night away from home last weekend for a work event in Monterey. When I walked in the door after having been gone for 24 hours, I anticipated a big smile, a slobbery kiss, and major snuggles from Le Seabass Extraordinaire. But instead, the first thing he did was gesture like he was furiously milking a cow – the universal sign for “milk.” He couldn’t even look at my face. It was just “YOU. BOOB. NOW.”
The night away was nice, but my cold was blossoming, so I didn’t much feel like wine tasting. But work is work (like I have any right to complain!) and those wines needed drinking. After a three-hour tasting and a five-hour dinner that included four bottles of wine, my head felt like it was caving in. Of course, the part of my first night away that I was most excited about was sleeping in, reading the paper in bed, and drinking coffee the next morning. My male readers will wince to discover that I paid $24 for a bran muffin and a cup of coffee from room service – $24! – but it was worth every penny. Treats like that don’t come along too often when you’re a mommy. So zip it.
And happy Thanksgiving!
I am Jaime, wife to Jacob. We are the smitten, stupefied, sometimes scared silly parents of a precious boy nicknamed Seabass and a darling girl nicknamed Sweet Chuck.
Higher Highs, Lower Lows 
Good job sticking in there Jaime! Our pediatrician just told one of my friends, whose son is a year old, not to even think of weaning him during the flu season. While you are sick, you are pumping him full of antibodies and probiotics, not to mention the good brain fats, highly available source of iron and COMFORT. I get heckled by family members, but I don’t regret for a minute BFing 2yrs+ (covertly at the end) with both boys.
That’s great that you are still breastfeeding! I wish I still could. Aside from the health benefits for the baby, I really miss the bonding that came with it, too. I can’t believe anyone would even question it! BTW – love the vignette about the pharmacy boob graphics and also about Seabass’ hand gesture.
PS – Hope you’re on the mend soon.
The World Health Organization recommends nursing until the child is two. So the people who ask if he’s too old should go suck it (pun intended.) Plus it’s none of their d*mn business.
I’m feeling punchy because (a) I nursed until my little one was 17 months and got a few comments from others too, and (b) I just arrived in Arizona to spend 11 days with my in-laws, so forgive me.
i breastfed until 21 & 20 months… & you know who I’m talking about!!!
Hope you are feeling better soon. When I’m coughing that bad, nothing seems to help, but have you tried a honey/lemon mixture at all? Sometimes that helps coat the throat and calm things down a bit.
I nursed forever. I couldn’t care less what people thought… when we were ready, we were ready. When people ask you, tell them your friend’s kids are testing 2-6 years above grade level. It’s totally from nursing! 🙂 Anyway, do what’s best for you and the Seabass! 🙂