#MyStory #Breastfeeding #Tubefeeding #MentalHealth I believe that every breastfeeding story starts long before the baby is actually born. At least for me it did. I had a beautiful image of a mother smiling down at her nursing baby. In my mind, breastfeeding was a magical moment where the baby easily latches and starts to feed while the mother closes her eyes and enjoys the endearing moment of closeness. Once I was pregnant, I started to hear from my friends about their breast

#MyStory #Breastfeeding I’ve been pregnant or nursing or both for over seven years. I have three wonderful children and another one ‘in the oven’. I gladly nursed all of these adorable creatures for almost two years each. I obviously love babies and nursing these sweet growing babies. But I was at a loss and couldn’t think of a story I could share with other women about the wonderful experience I had breastfeeding. For me, it all seemed so natural and perfect, what can I say?

#MyStory #Breastfeeding #Pumping #Formula The first several weeks of breastfeeding my daughter were challenging and painful. I didn't know how to nurse, and I didn't get much guidance from the hospital's lactation consultants about how to nurse (specifically how to latch and de-latch) properly. As a result, I ended up doing superficial damage to my nipples - mostly bruising and torn tissue - that took time to repair. In addition, I had an abundant supply in the first several

#MyStory #Breastfeeding About a week before I gave birth to my first son, I had a dream. In that dream, I was nursing my new baby – but it wasn’t comfortable, it wasn’t warm and fuzzy, it was tricky and mechanical and I was having difficulties trying to get my over-sized nipple into his little mouth. I have always been thankful for that dream because it prepared me for what nursing would actually be like. About a week later – when my son was born – I wasn’t expecting nursing

#MyStory #Breastfeeding #Toomuchmilk My oldest son was born in a regional hospital in a North West Massachusetts mill town, now a hub of modern art, but then the very poor neighbor of the picture-postcard perfect college town where we lived. My late husband Peter and I had moved to the college town the year before. He loved it, and I saw myself edging towards an institution. When Jacob was born, I hadn’t made friends my own age (26), though that would change a few months late

#MyStory #Breastfeeding #Formula My story began when my son was born in 2000. I was adamant about breastfeeding even though I had some close family members who did not support my decision. Things did not start well as my nipples are small and my son had trouble latching on. I was encouraged to use a nipple shield which worked great even though he wouldn't nurse without it. I didn't have any trouble producing milk until I went back to work and was stressed. My milk production

#MyStory #FeedingTube #Pumping #Breastfeeding I have memories of attending breastfeeding classes with my mother, a lactation consultant for the county health department. As a I drive down certain streets in my hometown, I can still remember my mother and sister discussing whether or not my sister should start using formula for her daughter. When it came time for me to have my own child there were too many things to think about. I prepared for it all and told myself I would do

#MyStory #Pumping #Breastfeeding #Formula #BreastReduction I had a breast reduction at age 20 (in 1999). The surgeon was very clear with me that going through with the reduction would greatly reduce my chances for being able to breastfeed. I wasn't breastfed and I was certainly not concerned with that at age 20. I wanted my back to feel better and to not have bra strap marks digging into my shoulders anymore. After getting 3 lbs (~1.3KG) removed, I could finally wear size Sma

#MyStory #Breastfeeding If I would have written this entry three weeks ago I would have been able to tell you how I have always had the most amazing experiences with nursing. I’d tell you how I nursed both of my daughters with no hiccups. How my now four year old magically weaned herself from nursing on the day she turned nine months old. How I always had enough milk for my babies and even extra to pump, freeze and donate my milk to women all over Israel. Three weeks ago my t

#MyStory #Breastfeeding How funny, as I sit here waiting, not quite breathing, that I can smell the first days of my daughter’s life: sweet and soapy, but a bitterness underneath. At first, I can’t name it, this smell—soft baby hair laced with cradle cap? Maybe her first newborn onesie washed in boiling water with organic all-natural soap? No… inhale, exhale, and there it is, that smell: glass bottles, rubber nipples, and the pump that squeezed my aching breasts for flowing l

#MyStory #Breastfeeding #PumpingAtWork I had my first child in 2010, followed by two more. First delivery was rough; recovery was worse. I’d been so fixated on the delivery that I really hadn’t given much thought to breastfeeding other than the fact that I wanted to do it. The first few tries were fine, but I remember how quickly the pain came on—I felt like someone was taking razors to my nipples every time my little guy latched. I couldn’t fight back the tears for a few wee

#MyStory #Breastfeeding Three babies and three very different experiences Jacob, my first baby, arrived 5 1/2 weeks early on November 22, 2010.  He was whisked to the NICU for a 7 night stay where I learned so much from those wonderful nurses and doctors, including how important and how hard it would be to keep Jacob fed and gaining weight given that he didn't know how to suck, breathe, and swallow at the same time yet. In order to keep my supply up, I had Jacob try to nurse

#MyStory #Breastfeeding When my daughter was born, she inch-wormed her naked little body up to my breast and latched immediately. (This was after an excruciating 45 minutes after delivery, during which time she was whisked away before I saw her because of a retained placenta.)  And so, this was how I thought she would nurse, laying with her tiny body on me, parallel to mine, until a nurse came into my room the next day, and remarked, "well, that's one way to do it," and promp

#MyStory #Breastfeeding #Anemia Sometimes beginnings can be rough, but I didn't think ours would be THAT rough My son Asher and I got a rough start due to complications during my labor. My placenta was retained, causing me to hemorrhage, and an emergency D & C had to be performed to save my uterus. During that time and for 4 days after, my son stayed in a completely different part of the hospital from me, as I required blood transfusions and intensive monitoring. This separat

#MyStory #Breastfeeding Writing about breastfeeding is like writing about Moby Dick. It's well worn stuff and the best insights have been down on paper for generations. So what's here isn't news to anyone, except, perhaps, me. I read a whole lot about breastfeeding while I was pregnant (Martha Sears, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, kellymom.com, lots and lots of blogs). I was worried, as I'm wont to be, about finding a rhythm with Augie. I was concerned about my breasts and

#MyStory #Breastfeeding #premmie #Formula Breastfeeding is hard. No one warned me of that while I was pregnant. No one spoke about the process of breastfeeding at all. They'd say "get sleep now" or "make sure you rest." Everyone seemed to be focused on the pregnancy itself and how I was feeling and the sleepless nights ahead but no one uttered a word about the world of breastfeeding that I was about to enter. Thanks for that. I had my son Asher at 35 weeks. I had never had a

#MyStory #Breastfeeding “It’s the most natural thing in the world, right? How hard can it be? I don’t really need to take a class on how to make my breasts work, or how to teach a baby to suck. Isn’t that what instinct is all about?” Or so I thought. How wrong I was. Although, I’m not sure any amount of classes, YouTube videos, or literature would have made those first few months of breastfeeding my first child any easier. It is something you have to actually do to learn, and

#MyStory #Breastfeeding #Formula I would say that my feeding story began long before I was a mom, long before I even ever attempted to breastfeed my first born, a beautiful, healthy baby boy who was born at 36 weeks—catching us all by surprise. I remember my mom cooing at my baby brother while she would breastfeed him, and I remember hearing how wonderful this experience was, about the loving bond it created and you could see what nurturing looked like. These stories and mem

#MyStory #DMER #Breastfeeding It’s been just ten months since I’ve stopped nursing but I find that my post-labor/new mommy brain fog had blocked out so many of those rough early days. It’s only now when I start writing about it that the memories are coming back. I was fortunate enough to go into motherhood knowing that nursing can be a difficult experience. I had my mother and friends warn me throughout my pregnancy that nursing wasn’t for everyone and that it was ok if I dec

#MyStory #Breastfeeding #MomLife It’s 6 am. I wake up in a hospital bed having only slept about three or four hours after giving birth to my son 5 weeks early. My breasts, usually VERY small, are rock hard, bumpy, lumpy, and terribly painful! What is happening?! How did no one tell me about this? All my girlfriends had had babies before me. Did no one think this was an important piece of information to share with me?! I heard about the blood clots; I heard about the possibili