Mi decisión era tan sólida que durante mi embarazo no contemplé otra opción para alimentar a mi bebé. No investigué sobre las diferentes formulas que existen, ni cuál sería apta o no. Pienso que mi decisión se debió a las influencias culturales que sin querer se convierten en “norma”. Crecí viendo a mis tias y primas amamantar a sus pequeños así que yo no tendría porqué ser la excepción. Me lo propuse y ejercí toda esa presión sobre mi misma sin saber que tan difícil sería…

“Amamantar es alimentar a tu hijo con el elixir de la vida”

Natalia amamantando a su pequeño Theo, venciendo sus desafíos y logrando una lactancia exitosa.

En mis últimos meses de gestación consulté con una consejera de lactancia, ella solo me reiteró lo que yo ya sabía; “ la lactancia es natural!, tu cuerpo sabrá que hacer, todas las mujeres pueden”… etc. Un pequeño detalle se escapó y considero uno muy importante: todas las mujeres somos diferentes, que pasa si la producción baja? Qué hago para incrementarla nuevamente?! En ese momento no cruzó por mi mente, pues estaba segura que no tendría problema con la producción.

Lamentablemente tuve complicaciones en el postparto. Dislocación de pelvis y dolor crónico en el coxis debido a un desgarre interno durante el parto. Esto fue algo imprevisto y me afectó emocionalmente ya que me veía limitada para cuidar de mi bebé. El dolor era tan extremo que no podía sentarme, y caminaba solo con asistencia.

Amamanté a Theo acostada los primeros dos meses, pero con el pasar de los días empecé a notar una reducción en la producción de leche. Aun así continué amamantando pero lo hacía con más frecuencia, según la consejera: “la estimulación incrementa la producción”. Entonces colocaba a Theo en el pecho cada dos horas sin falla; de día y de noche. Dormía poco pero cada dos horas me levantaba llena de fuerza y empeñada en NO DEJAR de amamantarlo. No quería sentirme derrotada.

Los desafíos se presentan inoportunamente

El desgarre interno no sanó como debía y el dolor solo empeoraba por lo que tuve que ir de urgencias al hospital. Lo que menos esperaba: una infección causó un absceso y tenían que retirarlo quirúrgicamente. Afortunadamente fue un procedimiento ambulatorio pero Theo tuvo que tomar fórmula durante mi ausencia. No podría explicar por escrito que tan difícil fue esta situación para mí. Demasiado abrumante! Me sentía culpable, y negligente por no poder alimentar a mi bebé.

Por suerte mis abuelos paternos viajaron desde Colombia para conocer a Theo, y aprovechando su estadía le comenté la situación a mi abuela. Ella sugirió que la reducción de leche se debía al estrés por mi condición y mi dolor, y que debia tomar té de una hierba llamada “hinojo”. Según ella era la solución para volver a producir leche y en mayor cantidad! Por supuesto que le pedí a mi esposo de inmediato ir al supermercado por la hierba, y comencé a tomar el té tres veces al día. Después de unas semanas de amamantar cada dos horas y de consumir el té note el incremento.

Empecé a producir más leche y continue amamantándo exclusivamente hasta el dia de hoy! Mi bebé tiene 12 meses y me enorgullece poder amamantarlo. Sé que no es algo posible para todas las mamás pero considero que estos métodos de medicina alternativa pueden ser útiles para aquellas que anhelan amamantar tanto como yo.

Durante tu trayectoria con la lactancia materna, cuál ha sido tu desafío más grande? Déjanos un comentario y no olvides chequear nuestra redes sociales en Instagram y Facebook para más datos sobre maternidad! 

Natalia Quiroga

Hola! Mi nombre es Natalia Quiroga, soy una mamá de 26 años, estudiante de psicología y entrenadora certificada prenatal/postnatal.

Actualmente me encuentro radicada en New Jersey, EUA donde estoy comenzando mi emprendimiento ayudando a mamás a llevar un embarazo y parto saludables, y desde luego una rápida y efectiva recuperación.

Mi interés en esta area surgió como producto de mi experiencia personal con el embarazo y el postparto. El mayor objetivo con mi proyecto es concientizar e informar a las madres sobre los efectos físicos, mentales y emocionales que causa la maternidad y que lamentablemente están siendo subestimados.

Dedico un pequeño porcentaje de mi tiempo al crecimiento profesional, en realidad la mayoría de mi tiempo lo dedico a mi hijo de 12 meses y a su desarrollo. La maternidad me ha hecho ver la vida de otra forma y debo admitir que ser testigo del crecimiento y desarrollo diario de mi bebé es una de las mejores cosas que he podido experimentar! Amo ser mamá. Me pueden encontrar en instagram y facebook como @bewisemama.

The post El arte de Amamantar: natural, mágico y a la vez desafiante appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Vulnerable babies born prematurely or with medical conditions, are born with a challenging start to their lives. Some parents have time to prepare for this with a diagnosis in utero. However, for other parents it becomes a total surprise when one’s baby is quickly whipped away at birth for lifesaving care and treatment. No matter how or what the circumstances are, any NICU mother will face difficulties.

Feeding a NICU baby may be one of the biggest challenges.

Breastfeeding, formula feeding and nasogastric feeding. All of these present their own set of challenges that a NICU mum and her baby have to face.

The road to breastfeeding your baby in the NICU can be a slow and gradual progression. It can be weeks or even months until a baby is ready to independently and exclusively breastfeed. When the time arrives, this moment becomes an exciting and memorable milestone. Some of the limitations a mother faces begins with the access to her own baby. This access can be limited since the newborn may be in an incubator, under photo therapy lights or attached to many machines and tubes. Skin to skin bonding  (which stimulates oxytocins, milk production, and a good latch) may be minimal or even non existent.

Often times, a mother is forced to find other means for bonding and breastmilk production. These may come in the form of expressing breastmilk, looking at photos and hand holding their baby.

Formula feeding a baby in the NICU may be out of a mother’s control.

Little Hannah’s first breastfeeding session at 1 month of age

A newborn baby needs calculated nutrition right at birth and in the days or weeks following. A mother may struggle with not producing enough breastmilk to sustain her baby. Formula feeding then becomes the right choice for them at the time. There can be some benefits with formula feeding a baby in the NICU.

The time and stress with breastmilk production, expressing and/or latching dissapear. This time is often replaced with bonding and recovering. If feedings are hourly or second hourly some can be attended by a partner or nursing/midwife staff. However, formula feeding can also come with some challenges, especially to a mother who was desperate to breastfeed.

Another very common means for nutrition in the NICU is nasogastric feeding. For any newborn baby, feeding are energy consuming since they must happen around the clock. Precious little ones in the NICU need all the energy they can get to fight for their health and sometimes their life.

Some babies, especially premature babies, have trouble with sucking and swallowing; this can impact on their nutrition intake and therefor their growth and wellbeing. As mentioned above, nasogastric tube feeding is a common source of feeding in the NICU, the good thing about it is that it can be done during a baby’s sleep without disturbing them to complete the feeding. Nasogastric feeding saves them energy and gets the job done. Another positive is that a mother is able to cuddle and hold her baby and even latch him/her to the breast all whilst having a nasogastric feeding. This experience for both mother and baby holds so much value on their wellbeing and recovery.

For many NICU mums, figuring out how to feed your baby and give them the best start in life, raises many questions and anxiety.

A baby requires nutrition, growth as well as around the clock, timed and measured feedings. The decisions and anxiety regarding how to best feed a baby are some worries that a mum of a full term healthy baby may not experience to the fullest. For mums, feeding is a synonym of bonding and cuddling. It’s a desire and a goal.

All mums experience the same body and breast changes after birth. Facilitating a NICU mum to have the same opportunities as any other mum is important for the baby’s and her wellbeing. Keep in mind that a mother’s mental health can be affected due to her feeling like she has failed her baby in some way.

Remember that no matter what feeding option you choose, you are doing what is best for your baby at the time given the circumstances. Don’t be hard on yourself.

What was your personal experience with feeding your baby while at the NICU?

Amanda Marsden

I am a busy mum to 3 children, I have had 3 very different pregnancies and breastfeeding journeys. I have worked in health since finishing school (20 years ago), it is all that I know and all that I love, I don’t see myself doing anything else. I have been a Registered Nurse/paramedic all this time and since having my family I became a Registered Midwife. My journey as a midwife has allowed me to promote and normalise birth and breastfeeding, my passion is in educating and empowering women through my HypnoBirthing education.

The post Challenges NICU mothers face when feeding their baby appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Chances are, if you are a mother, then you’ve been a member of one of those teams. And unfortunately, with social media today, you may have experienced “mommy shaming” from the formula or breastfeeding camp.

Well I have a confession to make…I’m on BOTH teams.

Let me explain…

During my breastfeeding class- before my son was born- I learned all about the benefits of breastfeeding. The bond…the antibodies…and the cost! My goodness, formula is expensive! I knew I wanted to breastfeed my baby for all these reasons. But things didn’t exactly go according to plan.

After my son was born we dealt with a poor latch and a lot of pain. Despite a consultation with the lactation specialist and a few weeks of (unsuccessful) attempts, I switched to exclusive pumping. But my supply could never keep up with his appetite and we had to supplement with formula.

This was a hard blow for me, personally. I so badly wanted to have that contact and bond with my son without the bottle. I did extensive research on different formula brands and didn’t like some of the ingredients I was reading! I’m somewhat of a “granola” mom, and want everything to be pure and natural, and I didn’t feel like any of these formulas added up to the purity of my breastmilk.

But then…I got over my aversion to formula.

I had to. At this point, I really had no choice. I had to feed my baby. I accepted the fact that although the formula didn’t come directly from me, it is designed to give babies what they need in order to grow. Millions of babies are fed formula, and they are perfectly healthy! In fact, we are lucky to have access to such nutrition in our country.

I will always believe that breastfeeding should be attempted first, for the health benefits and the bond between mother and baby. But it is certainly a challenge too great for many women, and mother’s health and well-being are important too! But before becoming annoyed with the labor and delivery nurses for being “pushy” about breastfeeding, remember that they are not trying to be judgmental or rude. They are encouraging new mothers, not pressuring them. There are many resources to help breastfeeding moms today, from social media to local meet ups. From a member of the breastfeeding community, we are here to support and guide you…not make you feel guilty for choosing not to breastfeed.

I am currently exclusively breastfeeding my eight-month-old daughter, and couldn’t be happier.

I’m proud of myself for powering through another rocky start in our breastfeeding journey, and the bond I have with my baby is indescribable. I do get sad that I didn’t have this with my son, and wish I would have known then what I know now. I hope this article can inspire other women to attempt breastfeeding, even when it feels impossible!

This post is meant to encourage mothers to be supportive of each other no matter what. Our country is facing a great deal of judgment and disagreements right now, and we all just need to respect one another. We can offer our knowledge and experience while keep our minds open to other’s feelings and views.

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

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Gloria Brooks

I was born and raised in New Jersey, but now live in Tampa,FL with my husband David and 2 babies, Noah (2) and Cecelia (3 months). I went to the University of Florida to study special education and I’m currently an Autism teacher in Tampa. I’m currently extending my maternity leave to be home with my babies, and will return to teaching in January. Being a full time mommy right now is the most wonderful (and exhausting!) job in the world.

The post You can support “Breast is best,” but not be “Anti-formula” appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

While I was out and about with one of my dear friends and our babies enjoying the beatiful spring weather in NYC I received the call from one of my older brothers alerting me about the earthquake, he had tried calling my dad in Guayaquil and there was no answer. Soon that call became a four way call with all my siblings desperate, scared and feeling trapped without any news from my father nor any other family member. Fortunately about an hour after, my dad was able to call us and let us know he was ok, I can literally say I felt life coming back to me, the relief I felt was indescribable. Sadly, this story was not the same for many of my fellow Ecuadorians. 

As the night approached we began seeing pictures of the devastation in our beloved country, entire cities had been destroyed, buildings everywhere had collapsed, bridges had fallen, Facebook soon became the outlet for desperate people trying to find their loved ones who were missing. Up to this day the 7.8 quake that hit Ecuador has left 577 dead, approximately 105 missing persons, 4.605 injured and 23,504  homeless families. There have been about 530 replications since Saturday, the most recent being a 6.6 quake on Thursday April 21st. 

This is one of the most devastating natural events that has taken place in Ecuador since 1979. Esmeraldas, Manabi and Guayas were the three main provinces that suffered damages. Pedernales, a small city located in Manabi is practically all buried under debris. There are many cities that are still isolated. I’m proud to say that my compatriots have come together to help out all those who are in desperate need. Supermarkets have been emptied in an attempt to get them all water and main necessities. Unfortunately it hasn’t been enough.

Ecuador needs you, my country needs you!

Even though we are away we can still help, we want to do the best we can which is why I need you to help us help them! 

Thousands of children have lost everything, many of them became orphans in a matter of seconds. The Ecuadorian infants, pregnant women, breastfeeding moms and children are in need of your help which is why Breastfeeding World is organizing a major collection of donations. We are working with the Ecuadorian Consulate in NYC as well as with TAME Ecuador (an Ecuadorian airline) to guarantee the prompt delivery of all donations. 

Ecuador Earthquake – Helping from abroad

Although everyone needs our help we would like to focus on the defenseless: the infants, children, pregnant and lactating women. We have set 4 affiliated collection sites in NYC, 1 in Stamford, CT, 1 in NJ and 1 on Martha’s Vineyard which will be gathering all donations to then unite them all and deliver them directly to TAME Ecuador.

1. Responsible: Alexia Garcia – 231 W 148th Street Apt 3H New York, NY 10039. (Main Site)
2. Responsible: Lisa Maloney – 3000 Ocean Parkway  Brooklyn, NY 11235
3. Responsible: Kate DiMarco – Address coming soon
4. Responsible: Jennifer Reyes – 63-42 Fresh Pond Road Ridgewood, NY 11385
5. Responsible: Shelyn Garcia – 560 State Road West Tisbury, MA 02575 (on Martha’s Vineyard)
6. Responsible: Sharon Emeline – 71 Netock Ave Oak Bluffs, MA 02557 (on Martha’s Vineyard)
7. Responsible: Guilianna Lector –  28 Roosevelt Ave Apt 2 Stamford, CT 06902
8. Responsible: Samantha Salinas – 1083 Fulton st. Rahway NJ 

The Ecuadorian children and women are in desperate need of: 

• – Diapers (any brand and all sizes) 
• – Baby wipes ( preferably the single packs to be easier to distribute) 
• – Baby food + cereals (No expired items please!) 
• – Baby formula
• – Baby blankets (New or gently used)
• – Baby bottles
• – Plastic utensils and cups for children
• – Children toys
• – Women sanitary pads 
• WATER! A LOOOT OF WATER

We are currently accepting donations of these items ONLY. Breastfeeding World will not accept monetary donations. You can deposit monetary donations directly to the bank accounts that the Ecuadorian Government has disposed for this purpose.

If you are NOT close to any of the locations listed above you can still help us, you are welcome to purchase the items that you’d like to donate and ship them to our Main Site. Every little help we get counts!

We are working on sending two shipments. We are hoping to send the first one as soon as possible with as much donations as we can get and then a second shipment in Mid-May. We will confirm the actual shipment dates soon after we speak with the representative from TAME Ecuador. 

Ecuador is in desperate need of your help. Please do not turn your back away, help us make a difference!

A small contribution from you can change the world for these families that have lost all they had. 

If you would like to contribute to this cause we ask that you fill out this form below to help us organize your donation better, we are counting on you! 

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Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

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Alexia Garcia

I’m a proud mom to a beautiful little girl who is the reason of all my smiles | Creator and founder of the Breastfeeding World Project – passionate about normalizing breastfeeding | Professional photographer serving New York City

The post Solidarity with the survivors of the Earthquake in Ecuador appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

One Mother’s Story: How to Cope With Motherhood when Breastfeeding Doesn’t Work Out

The Haviland Family- Kati, Vivian and Jared

My first five months postpartum were some of the darkest days I’ve ever experienced. As a person who had long wanted a child, I had a completely different vision in my head of how motherhood would be but reality kicked me in the ass quickly:

My husband and Mom were there to coach and help me through the pain of delivery. I had asked for an epidural halfway through labor but I kept being held off because the on-call midwife “didn’t want me to set myself up for a C-section.” I was angry because I felt as though she wasn’t taking my pain seriously. When I finally got an epidural, of course I was fully dilated, so I pushed for nearly 4 hours only to end up needing an emergency C-section anyway. I was beyond exhausted and I just wanted my baby to be safe and healthy.

The first two days in the hospital I was in a lot of pain but I was managing. Vivian and I were working on breastfeeding with the help of a lactation consultant, and my husband, Jared, would help when she wasn’t there. It wasn’t easy and hurt like hell but I had hope that it would improve as time went on. By the third day Vivian had jaundice so instead of going home she was sent to the NICU for light therapy. I was devastated.

There is no worse feeling than seeing your baby hooked up to a million wires and not being able to hold her. I cried and cried and cried, not just from the stress of seeing her in that state, but from the physical pain my body was in after such a grueling labor and delivery. Breastfeeding started to become very difficult at this point for us. I knew I had plenty of milk supply but Vivian was crying and struggling to latch and I was crying out of pain and frustration. A nurse offered a small bottle of formula and I gladly accepted.

After nearly 6 days in the hospital, we were finally able to go home. I hadn’t seen the outside world for nearly a week. My body was horribly swollen from all the drugs that had been pumped into my system. I remember the relief I felt as soon as I stepped inside my house. I had thought everything would get better once I was home but again, the universe had different plans.

Breastfeeding continued to be a struggle. My nipples were cracked and bleeding. Even water hitting them while taking a shower was horribly painful. Vivian would cry every time (as would I) and when I did get her to latch, she would fall asleep fairly quickly. She still suckled while her eyes were closed so I assumed she was getting enough to eat. When I took her to her first doctor appointment, she had only gained an ounce over a week. Mentally everything was taking a big toll, so the doctor sent me home with several types of formula to supplement with.  I felt like a huge failure.

I didn’t want Vivian associating eating with stress so I decided to try pumping to make things easier, but it was harder. I would sleep through alarms I had set at night to get up to pump, and when Jared was back at work, I had no clue how to pump and hold the baby. I would only pump 3 to 4 times in the evening while he was home and started doing half formula and half breastmilk. I did this for five weeks and then made the choice to do straight formula. Her next several doctor appointments were amazing –  she was gaining weight, growing steadily, and advancing mentally just as she should be. Her doctor reassured me that I was doing great with her. Because I had always planned on breastfeeding, I felt like a huge failure again even though she was doing so well. I had a huge fear of being judged by others because I was formula feeding my baby.

Jared was only able to have a week off of work so once he went back, I was absolutely terrified. My dad was able to come over in the mornings to help me but I cried constantly during the day being alone with Vivian and every evening when Jared got home, I’d cry again. I loved my baby but didn’t feel connected to her. I found myself waking up everyday feeling like I wanted to die. I would sob to my mom that maybe I had made the wrong choice in having a child. Maybe I wasn’t cut out to be a mother. My mental state was getting darker and darker and I didn’t know what to do. Poor Jared, who had been through all of this right alongside me, kept urging me to get help. He knew this was not who I was and I knew it was taking a huge toll on him.

At four months postpartum, I began seeing my counselor. I had seen her in the past when my grandma passed away so she knew me and my history well. After a few sessions, I was diagnosed with not only postpartum depression but also anxiety and PTSD from my traumatic labor and delivery. I tried anti-depressants for a short period but stopped them due to side effects. I started exercise again recently and plan to use that as my outlet to help me heal. I continue to get better everyday and know that I can get past everything.

Bottle feeding is beautiful, too.

I’m just now accepting the fact that it’s ok that I couldn’t breastfeed. I have a beautiful, healthy, HAPPY baby girl who is growing perfectly.

So what have I learned?
1. ASK FOR HELP. I was too stubborn and ashamed to admit to anyone but Jared that I was badly struggling with EVERYTHING. It’s possible that had I asked for more help, I may have had a better chance in being successful in breastfeeding.
2. It’s ok that I couldn’t breastfeed. Feeding my baby formula does not make me a bad mother. She’s fed, end of story.
3. I should have educated myself more on postpartum depression.
4. Motherhood is not all beautiful and fun and games as society likes to think. It’s really hard.
5. I should have been nicer to myself and learned to relax. It would have saved Jared and I both a lot of grief.
6. Jared and I have a much stronger relationship than I ever truly realized.
7. Crazy as it sounds, I’d go through it all again for my baby because I love her that much.
8. I am a great mother.

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our HT #BreastfeedingWorld 

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Lissa James

Hi! I’m Lissa James, currently living and loving in Seattle, Wa. I blog mainly about my experience breastfeeding, as well as attachment parenting, and postpartum anxiety and depression. I hope to encourage and empower other women through my writing. I am a Potterhead/The X-Files junkie, and I love to read and paint. I am currently writing and illustrating a children’s book about breastfeeding! Find me on instagram @bumblebeelullabies and find my mama mermaid art @mermamame!

bumblebeelullabies.wordpress.com/

The post Motherhood: When Breastfeeding Doesn’t Work Out appeared first on Breastfeeding World.