May is Military appreciation month. To celebrate all our hard-working military members and family I wanted to talk to some badass active duty mama's and some awesome army wives.
Today we are talking to army wife Taylor. She took some time to sit down and tell us what it is like to service and breastfeed.
How long have you been breastfeeding?
I have been breastfeeding Theo for a little over 6 months.
How does your husband being active duty effect your parenting?
My husband actually has missed the birth of both our children due to him serving in the Army. So that definitely affects the parenting. He is gone for 12 hours a day, has additional duties and responsibilities where he is unable to be home with us. Being in the military is great though, and we really appreciate the support we get. It really does take a village when your spouse is serving in the military.
Do you like living abroad? Has that changed you as a mom?
We love living in South Korea! We lived in Germany before this and love the opportunities there. The two countries are so different. Being abroad definitely has changed my parenting style. Children in both Germany and Korea are very independent, and the parents let them be. Europe is also so progressive about breastfeeding (and I think that really helped me get comfy with public uncovered nursing) while Korea is very private. I don't remember ever seeing a German woman using a cover when breastfeeding in public. We do have nursing rooms here which is convenient though.
Do you feel comfortable nursing on base or around fellow army wives service members?
On base, I feel 100% comfortable breastfeeding without a cover (as it is also 100% legal for me to do it on base too!) I have a As I said earlier, nursing off base, is a little more different. Theo hates being covered so I rarely use a cover. However, since we are guest in Korea, I try to abide by their customs and courtesies and use the nursing rooms provided.
Does the Army provide breastfeeding support?
I know legally the army supports breastfeeding mothers., whether it be active duty moms or spouses. Depending on the unit, they often let them go nurse their baby when need be (if the location works out!) and obviously they must give adequate time/place to pump. We have a La Leche League here too that provides support and New Parent Support which has breastfeeding classes and support to help. There's also a Facebook group for pregnant/new moms that has a lactation consultant on hand. Oh! and we have a nursing pod for those who want to use it at the clinic (although I often see people not using it). It does come in handy though for people who want to nurse in private (or for my child who get distracted so easily)
Thanks for all you do for our country and for sharing your story with us. Show your love for this awesome army wife by commenting below.