In honor of August being #breastfeedingawarenessmonth I wanted some share some struggles and successes I’ve had this year in case it can help someone else in their journey.
First off, feeding my baby breastmilk was not the intuitive “natural” experience I had hoped/assumed it would be. A c-section, tongue-tie and mastitis set up some pretty incredible hurdles the first few days/weeks of my baby’s life. During the first few days I wasn’t sure if we would make it a week. 3 weeks felt like a stretch let alone 3 months even though I had originally imagined breast feeding for well beyond that. Luckily the knowledge sharing of friends and family helped me to push for:
- the tongue-tie diagnosis when I had toe-curling pain (we talked to several doctors, two lactation consultants and finally an ENT who diagnosed and “revised” the tie)
- advocating for pumping instead of going straight to formula when my baby’s blood sugar dropped in the hospital. C-sections often delay a baby’s hunger signs and breastmilk coming in and I had a friend who had recently been in a similar situation and shared her experience of exclusive pumping with me
- reaching out to my midwife when I had signs of mastitis for treatment. I’m grateful my mom recognized the signs and pushed me to call.
Statistically people are more likely to breastfeed if they know at least one other person who does and I can an absolutely see why! It took a village for me!
That being said, I completely understand and sympathize for anyone who is having to/had to switch approaches, gears, or goals. Formula or milk banking can be a godsend.
If you are still on your lactating journey though and are looking for support, I would like to offer a few resources:
@milk_minute_podcast is hosted by 2 midwives/IBCLCs and has an incredible archive of lactation related topics (including a discussion of the new mastitis protocol recommendations!).
Pediatric chiropractors were an incredible resource post tongue-tie to help our baby loosen his jaw and neck muscles
Lastly, I am available for nutrition and herbal coaching sessions to support lactation, energy, and gut health during postpartum and beyond
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