Home again

We're back in Pennsylvania today - can't believe we've been away almost a month, or almost a quarter of Dot's life. We had a great trip but it's lovely to be back.

But something's not right: this time last year it was freezing cold up here and the river was frozen into huge hunks of blue ice like something that normally comes with a David Attenborough voiceover. Today not a bit of ice in sight and apparently it was 70 degrees two days ago. Might be easier to handle but it's just wrong. Still, encourages up to redouble our efforts to stem global warming.

Dot and I decided to wander down to the river this afternoon to reconnect. Her jetlag kicked in just as we reached its banks and after five minutes abject caterwauling I acquiesced and got my boob out on a rock in the carpark of the deserted campground. Dot was fussing a bit but I assumed it was just because an icy wind had got up from nowhere, and wrangled her on. So imagine how bad I felt when, after some furious guzzling, I sat her up to discover a veritable beard of super absorbent material from the breast pad all over her chin and a few bits in her mouth (I'd gone back on the Lansinoh ones having run out of the eco-friendly version and been unable to buy more even in Waitrose). No wonder she'd needed some gentle encouragement to eat.

I spent the rest of the afternoon brooding over the harm I'd done her poor little body and feeling hopeless because what to do? I couldn't keep going with the Lansinoh pads, and even if I could find them, the Natracare ones had finally proved no match for my super-leaky boobs. And anyway, all disposable pads were creating far too much landfill for my conscience to bear. I seemed fresh out of options.

Then I saw in an email from one of the Bowery Babes (my yoga group) a reference to some woolen breast pads. In desperation, I got in touch and got the web address - danishwool.com - and hurrah! My prayers have been answered. Washable breast pads made from naturally hygienic eco-wool that are super absorbent, create no landfill waste and act as boob warmers into the bargain! (Just call me toasty tits) And here they are:



OK so they look like some creepy remedial thing and I'm worried they might be terribly itchy but I've ordered some (and a cute bib for Dot) anyway. I ordered the Ekstra - "For women with extra strong "let-down" reflexes or heavy leakage". Look, no one ever said this motherhood thing was glamorous (at least, I didn't).

So hopefully my ongoing quest for dry, eco-friendly boobs will soon be over. Just pity my poor, long suffering husband.

I'm still dying to tell you about this cheese tasting, by the way, but Dot had me up at 5 this morning (baby jetlag: not pretty) so I'd better get my head down while I can. Cheers all.