The Evolution Of Boobs

By: Kristy Kemp 

Evolution has come a long way. We're making new discoveries everyday, inventing top of the line technology, and just overall making our lives easier and convenient. Evolution is a beautiful thing..

I think we as a society have grown accustomed to new and shiny , that when we stick to something that has been done since the beginning of time it's questioned and looked down upon. The world we live in now is blessed with options. In the beginning, we didn't start out with options we had to rely on the only option.

Now to get to my point.

After a mom gives birth her body starts producing milk. Baby needs to be nourished, the milk mom produces does just that. Think about that just for a second. Think about a world where the only milk was mommy's milk. There was no, "breast is best" it was just breast. No questions asked a mom breastfed if she wanted to keep her baby healthy and alive.

Through time that component of life has never changed. Moms have always produced milk, are still producing milk, and will always produce milk. The milk a mom makes does not change over time, doesn't get better and doesn't get worse. How a baby consumes the milk is by latching and suckling on moms breast and boom you got yourself a feeding.

Now what about moms who weren't able to produce that milk how would they nourish their baby? I mean they didn't even have pumps back then and our bodies do not always work the way they were meant to work. Well, back then it was a normal alternative to have another mom who is producing enough milk nourish the baby in the same exact way baby would have been nourished had his birth mom been able to. So I take back the no option thing there was two options , but it's all relative.

Fast forward to today. With all our growth and discoveries scientists tried to imitate the milk a mom produces naturally. Mainly for moms in third world countries who were starving so they couldn't produce the milk. It was definitely a Godsend for them. To this day they have still not created a milk to be an exact match. It's just not humanly possible. First and main reason is breastmilk is a lot like blood and it's alive. Have they been able to come up with synthetic blood yet? Nope ! So what makes people think they can or should be able to replicate breastmilk?

Here is where the confusion comes in. Milk is milk , right? Cows make it , can't be much to it, right? Wrong. Breastmilk is not really just milk . In fact, it's more comparable to gold! "The formula" in breastmilk is constantly changing to meet the very needs of baby. How cool is that? Breastmilk is alive and constantly working in overdrive. Well it's more like your body working in overdrive to produce it into a liquid milky form baby can drink. Sure they have done a great job creating an alternative solution and this article isn't about putting down formula and I will get to my point soon I promise.

The evolution of boobs , no we haven't grown extra breasts on our body or anything special over time . We haven't been able to formulate a milk to be better than or just the same as breastmilk. The evolution of boobs is boobs continuing to be boobs the same way they were since the beginning. Why have I brought up the fact breastmilk cannot be duplicated? Because it's making my point that breastmilk and breastfeeding is not something that can get or be better, it cannot be copied , it's just is how it is and always will be.

So what can we do as a society to try and better breastfeeding? Well I just said breastfeeding and breastmilk cannot be better in than it already is and nothing any scientist makes in a lab can make a better alternative to it, but don't lose hope, we can still evolve!

The way we as a society can evolve with breastfeeding is educating the world about it because while many may know exactly what breastfeeding is , many unfortunately do not. So much of the world is uninformed and therefore makes breastfeeding seem less than it really is or even inferior to what was made to try and replicate breastmilk in the first place! Many moms choose formula just because the option is there and sometimes think formula can offer the same as they could and some moms are sadly under the impression that no milk they can possibly produce would be better than formula. You know, cause the human race is so smart and we send men to moons and stuff.

We evolve by accepting breastmilk as the biological norm. We make breastfeeding better by ensuring every single mom has the support, knowledge, know how that she needs to successfully feed her baby.

While breastfeeding may be natural it doesn't come natural to all. By being more proactive on educating and supporting we can evolve , we can make it better. It starts with you , it starts with me. It starts with women everywhere feeding her kid whether in public or at home and not get discriminated over it or backlash. We evolve breastfeeding by evolving into a more positive and supporting environment for moms to feed their babies judgement free.

This article isn't meant to jab those who went with the alternative. I think it's absolutely wonderful that we were able to formulate food , but people need to understand that through all the new shiny technology and inventions one thing that can never be made better is mamas milk.

January 12, 2016/ Kristy Kemp/

Kristy Kemp

My name is Kristy Kemp. I created Breastfeeding Mama Talk back in September 2012. My motivation behind creating Breastfeeding Mama Talk was to be that support system for breastfeeding mothers around the world.

To My Son, Who Sometimes Just Needs A good Cry

By: Wendy Wisner

Dear Kid,

Everyone says you’re too big to throw tantrums.

But sometimes it’s a Thursday afternoon, your whole long week of school bubbling up inside you.

You asked your dad to help you get to the next level of Super Mario, but he was too busy feeding your little brother yogurt.

You asked your mom to watch you rehearse your song for the concert, and she was too busy putting away the groceries.

So you pushed up against her, pretending to smack her with your pillow.

But that didn’t get her attention either, so you threw your tired, hungry body onto the floor, and you broke out in the biggest wails you could muster.

And then, instead of finally listening, your dad came over to you and told you to keep it together, to lower the volume, and can’t you see we’re busy?

So you cried harder, pushing him away the same way he was pushing you away.

And now everything was churning inside you, about to boil.

Then, of course: tears, hot rivers of them.

Your parents were careful not to chide you for crying, but you heard their thoughts anyway (Isn’t he too old for this stuff? What are we doing wrong here? Will the neighbors hear?).

So your dad carried you to your room, and lay you on the floor, trying to reason with you.

Hey, your mom was trying to put away the groceries.

Hey, just tell us what’s wrong.

Hey, keep down the volume.

And after each word he said, you cried harder, searching deeper inside yourself for more tears, more screams, more rage.

There were no words in your head then. But it was like buttons were being pushed—each word he said turning up the volume.

Your mom walked in then. You were still angry at her. You wanted her to leave.

She wanted to leave.

She stood there above you, looking down. You could feel the tension in her body, all of her muscles pulling her away, out of your room, out of your tantrum.

So you pulled at the bottom of her pant leg, squeezed it into a tiny ball, pulled her down.

Somehow you managed—with her assistance?—to rest your head in her lap.

And then the switch, in both of you.

It happened suddenly, the way things happen sometimes, in childhood.

When she sat there, with your head resting on her legs, she let out a big mommy-sigh.

And her muscles relaxed a little; she melted there, on the gray carpet.

You, too, took it down a notch, a few decibels.

Sometimes I want to lie on the floor crying, too, she said.

Inside your head, you were nodding in agreement, but your body couldn’t do it. The tears were still coming, automatically.

She could feel your “inside-the-head-nod” though.

I’ll make a deal with you, a new rule. You can cry all you want, just do it in your room, and try to be just a little quieter. Just a bit.

You liked that. You didn’t know exactly how to do that, but you felt like you had been given something. Permission. A gift.

Where did the tears go? You didn’t know, but they were gone, replaced by words.

You told her about the boys at recess, how you were switched off the good team, and how you spent recess on the bench because you were angry, and no one seemed to notice except the recess monitors, who told you to get off the bench and just do something and then recess was over and you held it inside all day and all afternoon, and and and…

When you were done, you noticed that your mom was stroking your head.

And you noticed that you were hungry, because you hadn’t eaten that much at lunch, when your stomach was in knots from recess.

Sometimes you need just to lie on the floor screaming, to let it out, right? your mom asked.

Right, you said, got up, and walked into the kitchen for dinner.

11 Annoying Things About Breastfeeding...

This article is going to be a little different than normal. In this article I'm going to list things that may not be so enjoyable during your breastfeeding journey. Truth is, you may not love every second of breastfeeding and that's okay! No one said breastfeeding was meant to be fun or easy. Mamas need to feel comfortable opening up about the not so fun things they endure or sacrifice to breastfeed. 

1.) Pain! 
Time to stock up on some Nipple Nuture Balm !  Whoever said breastfeeding doesn't hurt lives in an alternate universe. Sure, many moms do go through their whole breastfeeding journey without an ounce of pain, but the truth is, many moms do experience pain and it's a real thing and definitely not fun. Either from sore, dry, cracked nipples, plugged ducts, mastitis, or engorgement, the pain exists and it definitely is not fun to experience, but sooner or later the pain subsides and it makes you feel extra badass like for fighting through it. 

2.) Leaky boobs. 
An obvious sign you're a milk making machine is those leaky boobs. They leak , and leak, and leak some more. You wish you had some magic cork to stop the leaking until baby is actually latched on. They also make for some embarrassing encounters when you unknowingly leak through your shirt as you're walking through the store. It's definitely a good idea to throw in some reusable nursing pads and I'd definitely invest in some comfortable ones. I love the Softies from Fairhaven Health! They are contoured to fit in comfortably. OR if your someone like me who leaks like a faucet when baby is nursing you should definitely invest in a Milk Saver! Why not save all that liquid gold and feed it to your baby or donate to other babies?!

3.) Fight Club. 
You hear stories and see pictures of beautiful breastfeeding moments. Laying peacefully in the still of the night, nursing your still baby to sleep. Yeah, sure, that works for a fiction novel , but in this reality babies & toddlers need something to do when they are feeding and sometimes that distraction involves pulling out hair, scratching, hitting, pinching, picking of noses, foot in face , and the wiggles. I'm lucky to make it out of nursing sessions without a black eye & a bloody nose! Ever since I started wearing a Nursing/teething necklace from The Vintage Honey Shop , it's given baby something other than beating me up for them to focus on and play with and if you use the code BFMTQ116 at checkout you will get 15% off! Thank you Jen & Mel for creating those magical necklaces and saving my sanity. 

4.) Hunger Pains more like Hangry! 
Pregnancy cravings have nothing on breastfeeding cravings! I crave more food than I did when I was pregnant. Luckily, breastfeeding burns up to 500 calories a day or I would need to get a whole zip code for my ass alone. 

5.) Milk Supply paranoia. 
While I love being able to be the only thing that provides nourishment for my baby it does leave me questioning myself if I'm making enough, is my milk good enough. The worries and doubts I can definitely do without. Not being able to physically see what is going into my baby's stomach sometimes sets me in a panic. Sometimes it just gives me a good excuse to order a bunch of Bessie's Best: Lactation Cookies, you know because making milk is important so what can hurt to scarf down a few dozen of the most delicious milk making cookies around? I get peace of mind and a tasty treat all in one!

6.) Alone time, what's that again?
Exclusively breastfeeding definitely has it's perks, but you soon realize some things you definitely took for granted. Like peeing alone and be able to take a bath without a baby latched. Not to mention I haven't been able to enjoy a meal hot since I took baby home from the hospital. It's as if he smells my food and suddenly has the desire to nurse right then and there, and waiting is not an option because he got onset starvation. 

7.) Breastfeeding Discrimination.
One of my biggest fears in the beginning was breastfeeding in public. I mean just google, "Breastfeeding Discrimination" and the thousands of results that pop up is not only heartbreaking, but terrifying for a new breastfeeding mom. The thought of someone having a problem with you for doing the most basic thing a mom is SUPPOSED to do for her baby can be nerve wracking. Luckily, I'm aware of the law which specifically states that I can breastfeed wherever I was otherwise authorized to be. Meaning, if I was allowed to be in a public place before I started to breastfeed then kicking me out because I'm breastfeeding is illegal. Being confident in your right to breastfeed definitely helps calm the nerves. 

8.) Letdown from hell!
Making lots of milk is definitely a good thing, but drowning my baby with my milk is not the goal here. Strong letdowns can definitely suck the fun right out of breastfeeding, no pun intended. Once we got down a rhythm it wasn't so bad. Sometimes if I laid down it helped the milk from exploding, like champagne, out of a newly uncorked bottle. 

9.) Whoever said you shouldn't cry over spilled milk definitely didn't take hours pumping it out!
I'm sure this is something every single breastfeeding mom can empathize with, even if they have never spilled milk themselves. Seeing all your precious liquid gold splattered all over the floor can make a mama feel defeated and even depressed. For some moms, it takes a lot of work and effort to even get a few ounces to come out. Times like those it's definitely best you take a few moments to remember exactly why you go through this. Accidents happen and you will make more I promise!

10.) Nip Slips. 
For a breastfeeding mom and even those around breastfeeding moms a lot are used to the occasional nipple here or there, but the first time you open your front door and the UPS guy catches a glimpse of the nip because you're so used to walking around with a nip or or two out it can make for a quite awkward encounter. That's when you calmly thank him and close the door as fast as you can, hide in your closet, & scream in a pillow or just calmly laugh it off. You're a new sleep deprived mom! Cut yourself some slack!

11.) Lopsided Boobs.
Sometimes baby likes to nurse from one side which leaves your other boob feeling a bit neglected . It definitely gives you a good reminder which breast baby should nurse from though! It also gives you some reassurance that your boobs are definitely producing milk, you know, in case you had any doubts!

January 09, 2016/ Kristy Kemp/

Kristy Kemp

My name is Kristy Kemp. I created Breastfeeding Mama Talk back in September 2012. My motivation behind creating Breastfeeding Mama Talk was to be that support system for breastfeeding mothers around the world.

10 Reasons Why I Will Never Let My Baby Cry It Out...

By: Kristy Kemp 

Finally home with your newborn baby. No more nurses to cheer you on, no more doctors around to ask the twenty some odd questions that pops in your head every twenty minutes, no more lactation consultants showing up as soon as you call, to help get baby to latch, & no more hospital staff to get your baby in that perfectly tight swaddle you could bounce a quarter off of. Just you and your baby. Just you and that tiny little human that was just kicking from inside your belly just nights before. Just you and your baby that you carried inside your belly for months dreaming about the day you would actually get to hold him in your arms. The time is finally here. You soon realize taking care of your baby outside the womb is a whole different ballgame, but you just take it day by day. 

Something you were not prepared for was how much one small little baby could eat, cry, & poop , oh my the poop, so much poop and tears, poopy tears, oh look, new mom brain showing through I'm blending words. The sleep deprivation and laundry is starting to show, the tears from how sore your nipples are, and the fantasies of being able to shower again. As tired, stressed, and smelly as I may be I will never neglect my baby , I will never leave him to cry it out. It seems silly that I would even need to say that, say that I will never allow my precious newborn baby to cry and cry and cry and be scared , alone, and wondering why, no one comes, until eventually the crying stops because of physical exhaustion. My sleep may get interrupted and it may take ten attempts to finally get all the dishes loaded into the dishwasher, but all that other stuff can wait because when my baby needs me I drop everything , no questions asked. 

1.) The sound of my baby crying is part of me , meaning as soon as I hear crying, I'm physically and mentally wired to react to get to my baby as soon as possible. Kinda like when the doctor taps your knee cap with that hammer thingy and your leg kicks up on it's own, I'm the leg kick in that scenario, it is just my natural reaction. 

2.) When my baby cries he is not trying to manipulate me to do extra pointless things, like some people imply or Things you may think a baby could live without. Sometimes all he needs is to see that I'm there and it immediately calms him.

3.) Even when I just changed his diaper, fed him, burped him, and every other possible thing you can do for a baby I still attend to his cries, even when I know that all there is left I can do is to hold him, cuddle him, talk to him. Babies need frequent cuddles and reassurance throughout the night and day and they are just as important as food and sleep. So even when you crossed every single thing off your checklist knowing there isn't one possible thing you can do , there is ALWAYS gonna be a need of your baby wanting you near. 

4.) If I only attended to his cries when I thought he actually needed something like food or a diaper change when in the world would I get the bonding in? How would I be able to establish trust that my baby can always count on me to be there if I only show up half of the time or the times I think are convenient to me?

5.) I don't know about you, but how would I even go about my day hearing the sound of my crying baby? Let's say I did have the, "Well his diaper is clean & belly is full so he doesn't really need me" attitude, I sure as heck would not be able to relax one bit the whole time I left my baby to cry in the hypothetical scenario. 

6.) I follow my instincts and my instincts are pretty strong in this area. My instincts tell me to comfort my baby, every single time. 

7.) I'm aware that sometimes my baby just needs me close for no particular reason at all and that is fine by me. If I have to I will wear my baby all day everyday and bed share at night if that's what he needs to feel safe. Although, I don't know why my baby hasn't gotten tired of me yet. 

8.) Here's one, how about because I don't want to? 

9.) You say having my baby cry it out is good for his lungs and I say his lungs work just fine and I'm pretty confident that me comforting the cries will not cause any damage to his lungs. 

10.) I love being a comfort to my baby and I love the fact that I'm the one that brings him security. Hearing the crying stop as soon as I step into the room kind of makes a girl feel important, you know?

January 09, 2016/ Kristy Kemp/

Kristy Kemp

My name is Kristy Kemp. I created Breastfeeding Mama Talk back in September 2012. My motivation behind creating Breastfeeding Mama Talk was to be that support system for breastfeeding mothers around the world.

Dear Wendy Williams, My Breasts Are Not Fun Bags...

By: Tamara Leigh Perry‎ 

Dear Wendy, 
Millions have seen and shared the video of you attempting to shame Alyssa Milano on your show. Needless to say, it outraged the masses. However, I understand why you did what you did. It's because you simply don't understand breastfeeding and spoke from a point of ignorance. 
I know you would never bring a fellow woman and mother, who represents everything beautiful and miraculous about being a woman and mother, on to your show to attempt to drag her on national television. Breasts are not 'fun bags'. They are meant to nourish a baby, protect a baby, give life to a baby. Alyssa is doing what God intended her body to do, and for that, she is a champion among women. No woman in their right mind would ever attempt to strip that away from or diminish that for another woman. 
If it were not for the ability to nurse a baby from our 'fun bags' countless children around the world would not survive. Now I have a very difficult time believing you would be ok with not feeding a starving baby or child because you 'don't want to see it.' I also doubt many women in third world, war torn countries have cars to go hide in so they can be sure not to offend anyone. 
I could go on and on about the endless benefits to mother and baby that breastfeeding provides, but that's not the point of this. 
Since I have taken the time to educate you and we can all understand mis-speaking from time to time, I will happily accept your gratitude in the form of an apology to Mrs. Milano and proud breastfeeding mothers the world over. And to further show your solidarity and that you proudly support all women (since you claim to) in being the best mothers they can be, I think you should host a nurse-in on live tv (you know, since you could take time on your show to attempt to shame a breastfeeder) and show the world how beautiful and wonderfully made a woman's body really is! God bless you Wendy Williams. I sincerely hope you learn to think before you speak. 
With love, 
The Proudest Breastfeeder You Will Ever Meet
#WendyWilliams #ForWendyWilliams #AlyssaMilano#IStandWithAlyssa #BreastfeedingIsBeautiful#BreastfeedingIsNormal #ThePurposeDrivenBoob#YourIgnoranceOffendsMe #YouCantShameMe#MyBreastsHavePurpose
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January 08, 2016/ Kristy Kemp/

Kristy Kemp

My name is Kristy Kemp. I created Breastfeeding Mama Talk back in September 2012. My motivation behind creating Breastfeeding Mama Talk was to be that support system for breastfeeding mothers around the world.