I had the benefit of working from home during my pregnancy.

Since I had only two pregnant friends ever, when I became pregnant I dove into research, becoming obsessed with things that had no prior relevance to me. My neighbor was an infant massage and prenatal yoga teacher so I devoured all of her books. I read everything, including out-of-print hippy-dippy books like the Wise Woman books, “Spiritual Midwifery” and “Our Babies Ourselves,” and the bestsellers with some good fiction (“Midwives”), and comedy (Jenny McCarthy’s “Belly Laughs”). I could talk the talk. By the time my husband Michael and I began our baby classes, I could have taught them! One thing was certain: I did not trust the medical community and I was obsessed with both breastfeeding and immunization policy. Unfortunately, the Sears “Breastfeeding Book” came along after my pregnancy, I can now recite it by chapter. If my next kid is a boy, his middle name may be Sears.

I have a hard time not being so forthright about nursing and pushing my social agenda because it’s consumed my life for the past two years. I could have an associate’s degree in breastfeeding at this point. I realize that ultimately and most importantly, a woman has a right to choose whether or not she wants to nurse. Some women physically cannot nurse (or have surrogates or adopt) and certain occupations make it very difficult to continue, so I try to be very respectful. But sometimes I’m not. (Sorry!)

-Audra Hughes