Breast Milk….You Make My Dayyyyyy
Wow breastfeeding. What can I say? Well 369 days later all I can say is well damn done mommy!!!!
The journey is coming to an end as we transition Kinsley to regular milk and I would be remiss to not admit that I feel like part of my super power is leaving me. I have been able to feed my baby solely from what I produce naturally for over a year (4 days over lol). That to me is dope AF. It is a liberating and confidence gaining feeling to know we are made to do this. I was put on this earth to create life and then maintain that life with my boobies :).
the infamous bottle drawer
That confidence gain, SIS, is crucial!!!! Because even with a baby with a great latch YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING. Yeah we took the class, I even took notes, but I’ve never fed another human being from my body before. Before the beautiful connections and the sweet caresses were those early nights of self-doubt and asking my husband to look and make sure the latch was right. It was me crying in the parking lot after our first doctor’s appointment because Kinsley had lost a pound and I thought it was because I wasn’t feeding her enough. But with time and patience and after the cracked and bleeding nipples came an indescribable bond and a newfound trust in myself. This “mom only chore” became such a blessing. I began to learn the true meaning of what it meant to be a breastfeeding mommy.
Now don’t get me wrong being a breastfeeding mother is beautiful and all that, but it is also invasive and time consuming. This natural gift is all a CHALLENGE! You are at the beck and call of your baby. With the surge of hormones, emotions and body changes now add on breastfeeding and guess what? Your body is still not your own. You might get to a place of acceptance of the extra cup sizes (I was hella happy J ), have a feeding routine, and then boom you hear a crying baby during date night and ummmm hello leakage. Even after returning to work, like clockwork, I was pumping every two hours to ensure my baby had what she needed and also that I didn’t trick my body into decreasing my supply while away from her. Vacation... oh yeah bring that pump honey. Mama's milk is still flowing.
pumping on vacation
So what’s the point of this post? 3 paragraphs later lol… CONVERSATION, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, RESPECT. Because breastfeeding mommies are going through enough. We don’t also need the stares to do the most natural thing we are made to do. we don't need the judgement or the commentary. We are literally sacrificing sleep, our bodies, time spent with our spouse/partner, alone time, our work. We’re experiencing self-doubt, pressure and sometimes shame. However a mother decides to feed their baby and for however long, please recognize their choice of sacrifice. And stop staring- even if that baby is standing up lol.
Everyone’s journey is different and I have been lucky to have an awesome support system that doesn’t shame me, but rather celebrates me for doing what has been most natural.
What tips or tricks were helpful for you in your breastfeeding journey? I’d love to hear about them!
Oh and….
S/O to all the fellow, present and future DAIRY QUEENS- whether your journey was a day, a month or years. A fed baby is a happy baby - YOU’RE AMAZING – I think so and so does your baby!
Love ya, Mean it,