My Second World Breastfeeding Week

WOW!!! My second world breastfeeding week!!! This is amazing. I started my journey knowing in my heart that I wanted to breastfeed, but had no idea what it was "all about". I read up about breastfeeding and tried to stare at my nipples to figure out if they were inverted or not...what does that mean...and often wondered how much it will hurt....that was the extent of my "breastfeeding" prep.

I put my daughter to my breast as soon as I possibly could and remember that moment distinctly. I thought to myself, "here we go...let's see if this works...and what this feels like". Little did I know what it would do to me. We all know what the benefits of nursing and breastfeeding are for a child, but the momma...it was pure bliss.

I am not going to lie...I was scared. I was nervous...but I also knew to trust the process. Trust the wet diapers. Trust the baby cues. I watched her little mouth and looked for little swallows...It was happening!! It was really working!!  Every poopy diaper, every wet, empowered me. I knew it was working. I was so bonded to her that I hated when other people held her too long....I hated when she wasn't in my arms and I didn't understand the biological process.....and how normal it was. As I became comfortable in my role, I became comfortable in my attachment to her...I understood my mama bear feelings and I loved it.

I trusted my body and used my own milk to heal my newbie nips...and that only lasted two weeks...it's funny because now, I don't even know if she is latched on or not...I have to look, but if I have sand in my bathing suit...I COMPLAIN like crazy! It truly does not hurt...at all...

I celebrated each milestone and started trusting cluster feedings for what they were...opportunities to sit down and let her bring more milk in. I stopped watching the clock and stopped needing to time her nursing sessions.

I carried around a cover and needed help getting her ready to nurse in public...I waited for comments and was ready to go with a prepared argument about my rights. It never happened. I received glances, but mostly smiles. I started getting better at being discrete and didn't need any help. I started leaving my cover home and falling in love with my nursing relationship, mastering the ability to nurse with one hand while holding her and papers while on line at the DMV.

I knew enough to know that I was going to be hassled by my pediatrician's office...and was I ever. Not the pediatrician himself, but his assistant, who either had a problem with me or a problem with breastfeeding itself. Whatever the issue, it started in the hospital, "You know you should introduce a pacifier as soon as you can...Get some sleep" and "She did lose a few ounces, so you should consider supplementing". Thanks to new momma hormones and my knowledge, I knew to flat out say "NO...are you kidding? Do you even know what you are saying?" and never looked back...Every time I saw him he said the same things...he chalked things up to "nursing" and I smiled, knowing that he is missing out on something spectacular.

The overwhelming feeling of love and peace that I feel each and every time I nurse is amazing. Looking in her eyes, holding her hand and now as a toddler, holding her foot in my mouth...is priceless and something I cherish in the core of my very soul.

Overcoming those early days and knowing that I knew best was so empowering. I can't say it enough. We don't get enough support. It's sad. Moms who don't breastfeed don't feel like they have support and moms who breastfeed feel like they don't get enough support...what's up with that?

We need to do our best to help Moms and families know about breastfeeding to make accurate decisions for themselves, but also need to help promote understanding of "support" to do the best that we can.




I had and still have the most amazing support system in my husband. A man who was destined to be an attachment parent from birth. He loves everything about breastfeeding. He waved his hands at well meaning family who kept saying, "but you can't give her a bottle...how will you ever bond with her!". When she squeaked, he responded immediately, "Momma...she needs some boob!" He loved knowing that she could comfort herself for any reason and melted along with me when she started asking to nurse with "mama me me".  This is absolutely crucial to my nursing relationship. I fall in love with him all over again when I see him smiling and gazing at us while we nurse. It's truly amazing.

Screenshot from last year's Latch On from The Patch

Does this look like two people that are not bonded? I don't think so.

Whether you nursed or breastfed for an hour, a year or two or five, celebrate yourself! Celebrate your ability to accomplish your own personal goals, to be able to do what was best for your family with love in your heart and your arms. 

I celebrate the fact that my original nursing goal was three months and we are 16 months going strong without any intention of stopping.