Before having a baby, I never thought of my breasts as having any use for my child beyond milk. The day I gave birth I realized that they were one of the greatest early parenting tools I had. The baby is upset. Offer the breast. The baby can’t sleep. Offer the breast. The baby is sick or hurting. Offer the

“Is she eating again?” “She will be too attached.” “You know, you really should put her on a schedule.” “She won’t know how to self-soothe.” These are just a few of the many comments I got in those first few weeks of motherhood when family and friends saw me breastfeed my new daughter on demand. My favorite comment was, “She