Breasts as weapons can be dangerous.....

I know what the experts say - breast is best. I agree, it's natural, sort of (they seem to forget to mention how hard it is in the very beginning) and it's cheap. I'm a tight arse from way back so if my body is capable of producing "perfect" milk at no cost then I'm going to go with it.

I have one small problem with breastfeeding and that is that it is too handy. You don't need to pack formula, store boiled water or sterilise bottles; you just have to unclasp your unflattering yet super comfy nursing bra. Because you have milk "on tap" I've found myself in situations where I have used them as weapons. Baby has a clean nappy, has just had a sleep, temperature is fine and has a full tummy of milk but you're out and they're really whingey and your friends are looking at you sympathetically but secretly cursing you and your crying baby so you lay them across your lap (the baby, not your friend) and "pop a nog out" and give your baby a feed because you know that if one thing is going to silence your baby it is mums boob.
Problem is, if this is happening too often it becomes something the baby expects. I had this same problem with my daughter and her dummy.

Second time around I thought I knew what mistakes I made with my daughter and did what I could to avoid it happening again. Problem is, I didn't foresee our 3 night stay at the grandparents house turning into 2 weeks. I have adapted, that's what adults do but my kids are struggling. They love their grandparents to bits but they can't understand why we aren't sleeping in our own beds.
My daughters tamtrums are returning (grrrr....) and my son has taken to waking up regularly during the night. Too regularly. So what do I do when my son wakes up during the night making a fuss? I breastfeed. It silences him and makes him drowsy enough to go back to sleep. It works a charm but my too handy solution has meant that he is now waking up demanding a breastfeed in order to go back to sleep. And here I am, making the same mistake I made with my daughter 2 years ago. Using a tool to help the baby sleep instead of letting them do it by themselves.

Our floors will be finished soon and we will be able to move back home and then mummy is going to have to commit to some tough love to get blue eyed child back to self settling.

I wonder if parents with enough kids to form a soccer team ever correct their mistakes and have the perfect youngest child.....