booknboob.com Blog

In brief, book n’ boobing is reading a book while a child sucks milk from your breast.

However, I am no longer a breastfeeding mama.  So, why the whole book n’ boob thing?

Well, it’s catchy.

And, it’s my blogging roots.

And, well, I still believe in it.  What mother doesn’t long for the days of reading and feeding and just relaxing while the little one was still little enough that they just laid around and gurgled?

Plus, you must understand, that while I was still book n’ boobing it, I was also conjuring up, in my humble little head, the plans for a virtual empire in which “book n’ boobing” would whisk me away to the land of, say, being invited on Oprah.   Or would, at least, make me a best-selling authorette.   (You know like that Julie & Julia bitch.)

In fact, I started with a web site rather than a blog thinking I could single-handedly create a world renowned virtual hot spot for new mamas.

That hasn’t, as you may have noticed, happened.

Still, it’s hard to let go.  I remain enamored with my kitschy idea.   And,  I continue to plan to make and sell t-shirts and door hangers and, you know, all sorts of hip and happenin’ breastfeeding and reading sort-of stuff.

Now, if you are, by chance, still reading this, and are still interested in the art of book n’ boobing, you can read my original “About Us” essay from my original (now pretty much defunct) web site in which I explain how I came to be the book n’ boob queen.

Thanks for reading!  (Buy a t-shirt when they come available.  And, don’t you dare steal my friggin’ idea!)

~Em

While it has been many months since I’ve breastfed, the idea and then the realization that I could, hot damn!, publish a web site about reading and writing and momming and living just for the sheer pleasure of it, came to me while I was spending those countless hours rocking and reading and nursing my son.

Like many of you, I’m sure, I have always dreamed about having one of those jobs where you can sit around and read.  You know, like in a hip book store where, when you’re not helping customers, you can arrange your shelf of favorites.  Or, like my sister’s boyfriend, landing a job with the city transit that actually pays you to sit and read in the station once a week while you’re on call!

I was always jealous of the people in those jobs, secretly cursing them under my breath as I prepared a language arts lesson for my middle school teaching gig.  Then, on September 27th, 2007, 8:49pm, my son, Silas Edison was born.   I didn’t realize it at first, but I had just signed on for one of those cool sitting-around-and-reading jobs.  Only, instead of helping anonymous customers or wiling away the hours in a transit station, I was cuddling for, caring for, and nourishing my child!  Uh, Wow!

Of course, I didn’t start out reading and feeding or book n’ boobing it as I later called it.  Actually, once I got a hang of the breastfeeding thing, I probably did what comes natural to most over-achiever types: I tried to maximize my nursing time by catching up on the laundry or paying bills, writing emails and thank you notes,preparing dinner for Christ’s sake.

It wasn’t long before I began to resent the time spent breastfeeding.  Instead of a time to bond with my son, nursing seemed like a cruel obstacle to getting everything else done.  Relax? Are you kidding?

When I finally confessed to a friend that I did not enjoy breastfeeding, I realized that I was heading down a dangerous path. Not only down a path that might mean early weaning, but also a path in which I forget what it means to relax.  And, perhaps, even more critical, a path in which I fail to teach my son how to relax.  Not another anxious busybody, please!

So, that’s when I exiled myself to the glider.  I committed to deep breathing, a glass of water, and a good book EVERY time I stopped to feed my son. Soon I found myself plowing through the shelves of books yet unread.  And, possibly more exciting, finding that I was inspired to start a daily writing practice again!

So, while I am no longer a nursing mother, I feel like I’m still book n’ boobing it.  I’m constantly working to carve out the time to read and write and just relax.  I hope all of you mothers are finding the time to do the same