As the mother that stood up for public and natural term breastfeeding in the Australian and worldwide media since early 2012 and as a birth educator and founder of EmbodyBirth, I have a clear vision.
This vision starts with the birth experience and moves into mothering choices. I want to see a mother’s feminine voice with informed choice at the centre of her mothering experience, to ensure she, with her family, is supported, acknowledged, confident and able to be freely guided by her own inner wisdom and instincts.
For me personally, when I made choices from a place of self-referenced autonomy through a deep connection to myself, my truth, my journey and my baby, I was able to access and follow the map of birth and beyond into mothering.
It was this from this sovereignty that I cultivated self-confidence and self-trust in order to be fully awake and alive in my experience. This aliveness further held me in my own strength of knowing to assist with navigating the joys and challenges that were presented to me. I was also able to inspire other mothers as a positive role model.
Did you know that babies and children will self-wean from breastfeeding at their own pace and rhythm? And did you know that this normally occurs between four and eight years if we are in allowance of their journey?
From my position of sharing my as-nature-intended-birth at 46, and my daughter’s natural term breastfeeding journey until she was self-weaned at 7.5, I know that what can inspire mothers to find their highest intention is when we can carve authentic pathways for one another.
When we are able to walk this path of discovery and tune into the rhythms of birth alive within our wombs and hearts we send a message to society that we revere a woman’s whole experience.
This holds her in a place of dignity so she can freely tap into her own mothering wisdom where “body knows”. This same knowing flows like a river to encircle the mother baby bond after birth and we know that when a woman is supported in an environment of loving kindness, patience and compassion she has a greater possibility to establish a solid breastfeeding bond.
A caring and present caregiver, partner, family, community can make the world of difference in a mother and babies breastfeeding relationship so she is more likely to establish foundations of inner strength that will influence all the choices she makes for her family.
I want to emphasise that of utmost value to a mother is that she feels a sense of non-judgemental connectedness to herself, her baby and those around her. She is not abandoned rather she is loved.
Just as babies need to be nurtured, so too a mother needs to be nourished and loved and it is in this loving atmosphere that she is more able to provide for her baby, and open in to her blossoming beauty.
This sense of feeling relaxed and comfortable is also conducive to the flow of a mother’s nectar; her milk, which aids the release of feel good hormones.
Human milk is a living substance full of antibodies, protein, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, white cells and more. It cannot be scientifically replicated and is the biological norm that adapts to the needs of the baby / child in every feed.
This has always fascinated me! Simply put a child’s saliva will interact with its mother’s nipple and this will stimulate the breast to make antibodies to support a baby’s immune system in each feed.
It’s imperative that we, as a society, support all women’s choices regardless of what they are because mothers, babies, children, partners and families are our legacy; valuable and important.
Respect and love are our highest values, so let’s leave judgements behind and consciously work together to create thriving families and communities that value connection and a sense of belonging.
Wishing all mothers and children a happy World Breastfeeding Week and know that there is acceptance for whatever you choose to choose!
Blessings
Maha Al Musa
Main pics: Vanessa Simmons and www.donatella.com.au
About the author:
Maha Al Musa is a leading light in the birth world as a spiritual birth visionary, birth activist and birth educator. Maha is also an international speaker and passionate about human Rrghts in childbirth. She has presented at numerous birth conferences, events and seminars within Australia and internationally.
