In observance of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, I wanted to share a little bit of my breastfeeding journey with you. As most of us know, breastfeeding is a healthy and beautiful way to nourish a baby. Yes, it is true that I am a big supporter and endorser of breastfeeding, however I don't judge or look differently at mothers who choose not to breastfeed. I have been receiving a lot of direct messages lately from mothers asking for breastfeeding advice. These messages truly warm my heart because I had so many struggles as I breast fed all 3 of my children and I felt very alone in my process. I did have women to call on for support, but after a while I felt that there wasn't anyone who could truly relate to my issues and setbacks.
For some reason, I faced a plethora of issues with my children when it came to breastfeeding. Everything from a short frenulum to cracked and bleeding nipples and many other issues in between. I had family members who tried to console me by telling me to give my children formula, but I was determined to breastfeed my children and nothing was going to stop that. After dealing with my the shortened frenulum and latching issues with my first child, I thought I was a breastfeeding pro! Then my second child came and the latching issues started all over again. I worked through it and overcame the issues once more. Then there were 3! When it was time to start breastfeeding my third child I just knew I had that in the bag, but much to my surprise, my third time around presented the most problems.
Despite all of the issues, crying and setbacks, I am happy to say that I successfully nursed my first two for one year each and I am almost 2 years into nursing my third child. For me, it took about 6-10 weeks with each child to get into a good groove and past the pain and problems. And despite all of that, I would do it all over again. I know it sounds crazy, but I understand all of the many benefits of breastfeeding and that's a sacrifice that I wouldn't hesitate to make.
I hope my story inspired you in some way. Breastfeeding mommies will always have a special place in my heart, so if you ever run into any struggles in this area. feel free to DM me and I will be there fore you! I'd love to hear your feedback regarding my journey or answer any questions that you may have, so feel free to post your questions/comments on my Facebook page. Here's to taking time to #PressHealthyButtons!