Katie and Colton ~ We Beat Each Challenge!

 

 

I knew all throughout my pregnancy that I was going to do everything in my power to exclusively breastfeed my son. My daughter was born 3 years prior and I was convinced to use formula after my un-necessary C-section at 36 weeks. She had jaundice and I was told she would progressively get worse unless formula was used. Our breastfeeding relationship went downhill from there.

 I finally had my natural VBAC and welcomed Colton after 41 weeks and 3 days! He latched on so well and nursed within minutes of birth. I thought all was going well but he kept nursing so often. Sometimes as often as every 10 minutes. I knew something wasn't right. I looked in his mouth and found a severe tongue tie. He could barely move his tongue and it was tied to the very tip, making it heart shaped. After much begging, we finally convinced the pediatrician to clip it in the hospital. Things were better but still not right. We went home and continued to nurse basically around the clock. Then we got thrush. After the thrush came a plugged duct. It grew larger than a plum in size and turned into full blown mastitis. I was miserable and finally went to a highly recommended lactation consultant. She was a lifesaver! She diagnosed another tongue tie as well as a lip tie. We were able to have those revised the very next day.

My little man was nearly 4 weeks old by this point. It took us some time to figure out how to properly nurse after his revision. We had to see the lactation consultant a few more times to get everything sorted out. I suffered from low supply because of his ties as well. He wasn't transferring milk efficiently at all, therefore my supply took a major hit. I tried and tried to pump and do everything I possibly could to increase my supply, even prescription medication. My body does not respond to a pump, not even a hospital grade pump. So it has been a struggle, to say the least.  I am happy to say that my son is 8 months old and we made it without supplementing. I couldn't be happier! I plan to breastfeed Colton as long as he wants.  I don't have any plans of weaning him until he is ready. 

Michele Plus 2 ~ Tandem Nursing!

I have loved nursing my second baby.  She was so easy, I think in part because I was still nursing my first baby so I didn't have to wait through milk coming in, or full breasts since they were working together to relieve mama.  It was the sweetest of times being able to simultaneously nurse both to nap, and allow mama to nap, too. 

 

I choose to nurse because it was free, natural, the best thing for my kiddos.  It made sense with how easy it would be compared to making bottles in the middle of the night and  was consistent with my desire for co-sleeping/bonding.

 

Breastfeeding was the one thing I knew I would do regarding raising kiddos.  It was very hard with my first but I continuously sought support and struggled through it for months.  I know first-hand how hard it can be, from the pain, to poor latching, to not being able to provide enough milk for their needs.  Yet, with help, we got to a place where it was easy and amazing.  It has been so worth it and I wish everyone could experience the beauty and sweetness that comes with being able to soothe and comfort your baby, while providing the perfect nutrition for them.

Rebecca and Clare ~ Patience and Confidence Builder for a First-time Mom

After 4+ years of infertility and undergoing tests, medications, and surgery through NaPro Technology, we were blessed with our beautiful daughter Clare in May 2014. I knew I wanted to breastfeed her and was hoping it wouldn't be a struggle. Luckily she caught on quickly but I did have a some struggles in the first few weeks as my milk supply adjusted. Clare would get really fussy while nursing because the flow and letdown was too much for her to handle. It was very frustrating when she'd freak out several times while she ate, but eventually we got things figured out. Now the hardest part is controlling a super wiggly baby!  

 

Just after Clare was born, a friend and her family came to visit. This friend has 5 beautiful children and is a pro in my eyes when it comes to breastfeeding. I was nursing during their visit and Clare was still having a hard time and started to throw a fit. I was embarrassed and emotional so I took her into the bedroom to try again. My friend came to see how I was doing and I started to cry and vent about my frustrations. She gave me a huge hug and some advice and encouragement, saying that I reminded her of herself when she had her first child. I've learned that having good support truly is vital when nursing. My husband, friends, and family have been great and super helpful in my confidence as a mother. 

 

Breastfeeding has been a learning experience for sure and has helped me grow in patience. I love the bond that it's created between us and I'm still in awe at the fact that I'm able to feed my baby with my own body - it's so beautiful! Nursing in public can be hard at times (again, the wiggly baby) but I've encountered nothing but positive comments so far. I do typically use a simple cover when breastfeeding in public, just out of personal preference, but have been told by several mothers that they never had the confidence and support to even do that when their children were nursing. 

 

I've gone back to work part time so I have to pump for those few days I'm in the office. It feels like such a chore sometimes, but is definitely worth it, knowing that she still gets that nourishment while my husband is with her on those days. I'm also very lucky to have a supportive boss and coworkers and can take pumping breaks as needed. I can definitely see why some women get discouraged and quit nursing when they don't have a supportive environment and people around them. While I'm still at the very beginning of my journey as a breastfeeding mom, I know that I am truly blessed!

Monica ~ LIfetime Bond

It all started on March 19, 2013 I already knew that my plan was to breastfeed. My whole pregnancy I did research and followed some Facebook pages, also my number one supporter, my mom, had done it so why wouldn't I?

As soon as Julissa was born at 3:08pm she was placed on my chest and she was squirming looking for her milk and latched immediately! That's when I knew this was definitely what was right! About a week of being home I was feeling pain when she would nurse on my left breast, the kind of pain that I would count to three before latching her on, the pain that brought tears to my eyes, that made me curl my toes, but the mom in me thought I have to keep going I can't be selfish! I became worried Easter evening when I was sitting on the bed nursing while watching TV, I looked down to help Julissa re-latch and there was blood on her little chin! As a first time mom I was definitely freaking out! I later realized that I had not been latching her on correctly; the reason for the blood was that I had a scab which was pulled while nursing. The next day I called a lactation consultant and she walked me through latching her on correctly. I let my left breast heal for a week, once I started nursing again everything was perfect!

We have not had any problems since then and we are going strong at a year and seven months! I had always had small breast and thought that I wouldn't make a lot of milk, but boy was I wrong! I had what friends and family called my own milk factory going, I had enough to feed my sweet princess and after she was full, I still had plenty of milk to pump, I could pump 6-8oz from each breast! I also was able to donate milk to a friend whose milk supply was low when she had her newborn.  This is by far the BEST experience ever. I've learned so much, such as breastfeeding isn't just food it helps with so many other things. Of course it nourishes a baby/child, helps with skin conditions, congestion, ear infections,  and it also helps reduce chances of breast and ovarian cancer and many other things!

Marcy and Kennedy ~ Kennedy Makes 4

 

My first, Jackson, had a traumatic birth, so breast feeding with him was a challenge from the beginning. I was told he was going to die, so started drying up my milk. After about 3-4 days, he was still hanging on and they said I should start pumping milk for him. So, I did and they started feeding him breast milk through a feeding tube.   This continued for about 3-4 weeks. Then they tried feeding him with a bottle of breast milk. When he got that process down, they said we could try breast feeding. He latched right on the first time but it didn't last. Those first few times in the hospital attempting to nurse, he cried and cried.  So we gave up until we got home. Once we got home (he was 6 weeks old), he started nursing off and on. We eventually had to supplement with formula because my supply couldn't keep up since I had to pump so much.  He nursed until he was 14 months old with formula supplemented as needed. 

My next 2 girls, Claire and Kate nursed with no problems until they were almost 3 years old. 

I'm now nursing my fourth baby, Kennedy, (she is 4 weeks old in the picture) with no problems and plan on going until she's at least 2. 

 

Each child can be different and respond in a different way to breastfeeding.  However, don’t become discouraged if it seems hopeless.  Seek support and help from a lactation specialist if needed to help you over the rough spots.

Victoria and Augustus ~ Breastfeeding Anxiety

When I was pregnant with Augustus, I felt more anxious about breastfeeding (or rather, breastfeeding going wrong) than anything else. I was excited about labor and giving birth. Of course, I was just out of my mind excited to meet our sweet little bug. But, breastfeeding! Yikes! I had so many questions. Would he latch? Would I have supply issues? Would I like the experience of nursing a baby? What if I get mastitis? What can I do to not get mastitis? Will I develop thrush? My biggest concern was will I have supply issues?

 

Our little Augustus Jude was born at 41 weeks 3 days by a natural, unmedicated, vaginal birth. His birth was the first vaginal birth in my family since 1959 something I am incredibly proud of. Oh, and he was perfect, beautiful, sweet and he latched immediately! He gained 3lbs in less than 10 days after birth and continued to grow into a soft and squishy baby. Augustus is now almost 13 months old and still nurses many times throughout the day and night. I haven't had any supply issues nor have I had mastitis or thrush.  All of those worries and questions were for nothing!  Interestingly, the one question I never thought to ask while pregnant was, "What happens if my breastfed baby refuses a bottle of expressed breast milk?" I never asked that question because I had never heard of a baby refusing a bottle until Augustus was born. He simply won't take breast milk from a bottle, sippy cup, open cup, straw, or medicine dropper. I love that he loves to nurse and I love nursing him. But, both I and his other mama, Lindsay, wish that he would have taken to a bottle. She would have loved to have fed him more as a small baby, to share those tender moments with him. Instead, they developed their own special routines and care-taking activities. Lindsay gives him his bath every night, lovingly washing his hair, singing songs about getting clean, and teaching him to splash and blow bubbles. And, once Augustus started exploring solid foods, the two of them discovered that they both love vanilla yogurt and vegetarian "sausage" breakfast sandwiches in the morning. And, oh how they love dancing together!

Best advice, don’t overthink breastfeeding.  Relax and enjoy those precious moments.

Amy Brown ~ Support is the Key to Success

I always knew breastfeeding was something that I wanted to do, but I didn't know anyone who had really been successful.  All my friends either didn't want to or quit pretty soon.  When I became pregnant with my son I was working in Denver, CO and was traveling back and forth between Denver and Dallas.  My son, Connor, was born at Rose Medical Center in Denver in February 2013.  They had an AMAZING staff who were all very knowledgeable and helpful with breastfeeding!  I bought this cute little outfit for my little man so everyone would know my plans for nursing!  Everything was great!  He gained weight like a pro and we moved home to Dallas when he was just two weeks old!  By the time he was 3 months old he had been nursed in 5 different states, in 2 different airports, on a plane, in many different restaurants, pretty much everywhere!  I thought I was a PRO!  Then, I started working again...  I tried to follow his eating schedule with my pumping schedule at work.  My supply stayed up fairly well for the first 2 months or so, but then one day it was just gone!  I was frustrated because I was stressing about supply issues and I was NOT losing the baby weight (it did not melt off like everyone said it would!!!). So after about a month of struggling with what I should do, I decided to stop breastfeeding my son at about 6 months.  It was the hardest decision I have made to date about him!!  I cried for about 2 weeks!

Fast forward about 1 month and I found out I was pregnant with my daughter!  We were ecstatic!!  One thing I knew with the little one was I wanted to nurse for at least a year.  Brooklyn was born May 2014 at Texas Health Harris Methodist in Bedford.  The lactation consultants there were even more amazing than my experiences in Denver!  We had a "slight" latching issue that was sorted out in the hospital!  Once we got her on point, she was a pro just like her big brother, and she gained weight fast!  As a distance runner, who ran throughout my entire pregnancy, I started back to running when she was about 3 weeks old.  I was nervous about it affecting my supply, but have had no issues.  I run about 25-40 miles per week and with proper nutrition and water intake, it’s been an awesome experience.  I will complete my first marathon when she is 8 1/2 months old!  I will say, nursing has been so much easier this time, and I believe my previous experience and just the fact that I am more knowledgeable about it has helped tremendously!

Through nursing, I've learned that a strong support system is the most important thing you can have!  I believe that if I would have had more people to guide and help me to figure out my supply issues with my son, I would have been able to make it to the one year mark with him.  I've learned the first 6 weeks are by far the hardest.  I've learned to embrace my body and to not focus on "baby weight," but rather enjoy the miraculous things it can do while providing nutrition for my baby!!  I've also learned that as a full time working mommy of two, nursing gives me the time with my new baby that I probably otherwise would not set aside!  I cannot wait to see what the future holds!  We plan to grow our family in the future, and I hope and pray that with each my experience is as amazing as the last!!!