What Helped our Breastfeeding Journey be Beautiful
It’s no secret breastfeeding can be a bit of a taboo subject. Like everything in this fallen world, good things are often tainted by trials. Many women experience pain, supply struggles, embarrassment from social pressures, and more during this delicate season.
Just before I gave birth to my son, three of my friends had extremely difficult breastfeeding journeys. Their willingness to share helped me prepare myself for the worst, while still hoping for the best. It was because of their advice that I learned some of the very things on this list.
My goal was to make it to one year of breastfeeding for the many health benefits to myself and my son. After a traumatic birth experience, I am extremely grateful our breastfeeding journey was a relatively smooth one. I was able to far surpass my original goal and weaned him just before his second birthday. I count that a huge blessing and want to share my experience and advice to hopefully help other women and babies.
So, without further ado, here are the things that helped my breastfeeding journey be a blessing and not a burden:
Prayer. God is our strength and help. He designed your body for this and though we live in a fallen world, He can help you through it. That may mean leading you to the right resources to have a better experience or even giving you the peace to wean when the time comes.
Lactation Consultants. Most hospitals offer free consultations with lactation specialists and many offer free breastfeeding support groups after being discharged from the hospital. I saw the hospital ones 2 or 3 times during our 3-night stay. My pediatrician's office has a lactation consultant who helped me tremendously at my first couple of appointments. She was very hands-on and helped me get a really solid latch even with a sleepy premature baby.
Fellow Moms. Ask all the moms you know about their experiences. Whether it’s in person or online, there is wisdom in a multitude of counsel (Proverbs 15:22). Whether their journey was positive or negative, there is something to be gleaned from everyone! Do try to balance negative stories with positive ones - we need both realistic warnings and hope-filled encouragement.
Reading/Researching. The blogs Kelly Mom and La Leche League were invaluable to me throughout my first year. There is so much information freely available online that helped us immensely.
Nipple Cream. Use this generously before and after feeding your little one in those first few weeks to reduce pain and prevent cracking/bleeding nipples. A good latch should also help this! That’s something the consultants can help.
Proper Nutrition. Not only is proper nutrition an essential component of a healthy pregnancy, but also during the postpartum and breastfeeding periods. Getting enough quality calories from healthy sources of protein, fat, and carbohydrates kept me and my baby well-fueled. Many women experience a sharp decrease in supply when they cut calories to lose the baby weight, so be mindful of that! Your body burns about 500 calories from breastfeeding alone, so don’t worry too much about that side of things. Your’s and baby’s health is what matters most. My family and friends showered us with meals and snacks for the first month postpartum and it was truly the biggest blessing we could have asked for. You can also eat foods that boost milk supply - I ate lots of oatmeal and oat cookies even before giving birth.
Proper Hydration. I carried around my free hospital cup like a trophy for the first couple of months. It was hard-earned and so helpful to stay hydrated. My husband helped me keep my primary nursing stations (bedroom, nursery, living room) stocked with snacks and ice water. Especially in the first few weeks, your body triggers intense thirst every time you nurse. Later on, I discovered how much electrolytes helped boost my supply and satiate that thirst. Body Armor Lytes and Nuun tablets are my favorite sources of electrolytes.
Aluminum-free deodorant. I started using Native deodorant while pregnant in an effort to rid my body of toxins that could potentially interfere with the breastfeeding process. Aluminum in deodorant blocks your sweat glands from working properly to expel toxins. Your armpits and breasts are interconnected which is why clogged ducts can be felt all the way into the armpit. Generally speaking, reducing the toxic load in your body is a great thing for overall health, especially in regard to childbearing (pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, etc.)
Overcoming People-pleasing. This was hands-down the biggest and longest-standing hurdle to overcome in my breastfeeding journey. I had to let go of pleasing other people and simply do what was best for myself and my child. The objectification of women in the world makes it very difficult for us to see each other as more than objects, but whole human beings whose bodies are made in the image of God with many more functions than sex.
In some social circles, it is expected that women will use a cover or go somewhere private to nurse in isolation. Of course, there were times when it worked for me to do one or both of those things, but other times it simply wasn’t an option - especially when it caused discomfort to my baby. I had to remind myself that if someone was uncomfortable, they could leave the room or borrow a blanket to cover their own head. See how silly it sounds when the roles are reversed? Babies deserve to be treated with dignity and respect just like adults. If a breastfeeding mother is expected to go into another room every time they nurse, she’ll be isolated for 5-8 hours every single day. This hardship will likely shorten her breastfeeding journey and cause great harm to her well-being.
Supportive community. I am overwhelmingly grateful for how my family, friends, church, and community at large supported me throughout this time. It truly takes a village and I am blessed with a great one! Very few people ever made a fuss over my breastfeeding journey (although there were some LOL), but the encouragement and support of others helped drown out the noise. So THANK YOU for being in my corner.
I thank God for the many ways He blessed and helped me through these two years. It was a beautiful journey, one that I grieved had to end. I am so thankful I have another baby on the way and am genuinely excited to nurse her when she’s born! Is there anything else you would add that helped you? Comment below!
