Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is no stranger to childcare development, having spent over 10 years as a nanny or family childcare provider. She’s the wife of a travel geek, mother of two vivacious children, and has an amazing talent for trailing lost things behind her a la Hansel and Gretel. Her passion for lifting up women and advocating for children pours out in her work as a Central Indiana Event Coordinator, Writer, and Social Media Relations Director for Breastfeeding World. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. It is full of love and hope, ups and downs. And coffee, always lots of coffee- but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

www.raisinglaurenslittle.wordpress.com

The post Power in Imagery: Real Moms Breastfeeding on Instagram appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

One of my pregnant friends asked me this question when she found out that I was studying to become a birth and postpartum doula.

All of my friends who are mothers have wanted to breastfeed, but only a handful of them breastfed exclusively. They didn’t make enough milk to satisfy their babies so they supplemented with formula. Why are some women able to breastfeed and some not?”

I froze under the pressure of this hugely complex question.

I could feel my heart beating faster. There are a million possible answers to this. My friend’s eyes, patiently waiting, were bearing into my soul. She was eagerly expecting me to tell her the magic words that would ensure her breastfeeding success.

“Be concise,” I told myself. “Don’t scare her with stories of tongue ties or insufficient glandular tissue. Don’t intimidate her with the need to spend hours of skin-to-skin time every day. Help her to feel confident in one sentence.”

“Well,” I began shakily, “It’s good to really know how the breast makes milk. Sometimes women are given incorrect information and that affects their breastfeeding relationship. Having the right people around you really helps. You really need people around you who support your decision to breastfeed and professionals who are experienced in the physiology of breastfeeding. Unfortunately some women don’t have that kind of support, and as a consequence are not very relaxed, and that can affect their supply.”

She didn’t really say anything in response. Maybe my words didn’t seem magic enough. A little boring, even. She was probably even holding back a yawn.

Even though that answer was probably a little wordy for a first time mom, it was actually my short answer. There are so many aspects to the breastfeeding relationship. It is a relationship, after all.

Since that conversation I have been thinking a lot about why some babies are not thriving on their mother’s milk, even when mom has access to correct information, the best lactation consultant in town, and supportive family members.

If a medical condition is ruled out, why do some mothers still not make enough milk?

Could it be that breastfeeding is much much more than mechanics?

Getting a good latch is not all that matters.

I think that there is something that is happening under the surface. Inside mom and baby. In the air between them. Something is happening that has nothing to do with milk removal and more to do with how mom is feeling.

In order for breastfeeding to work, mom needs to be relaxed. She needs to let the milk flow. 

I know that sounds a little silly. “Let the milk flow.” But it’s actually not easy to just sit back, relax, and trust your baby and your body, especially if you are used to being in control.

We go from our pre-parenthood lives of waking up to an alarm, eating lunch around mid-day, and taking a shower around the same time every day.

Then parenthood arrives.

You can’t control when your baby is born (usually). Nor can you control when those first drops of white, mature milk will start to form. You can’t control when your baby will be hungry or sleepy, and a lot of times you can’t control when YOU will sleep or eat.

New motherhood is all about letting go.

Feeling nature around you can help you to “let go.” picture shared with permission from pixabay.com

Sometimes, new mothers try to stay in control, and the milk just doesn’t flow. For one reason or another they are tense or scared or just sort of freaked out about the massive shift that is happening inside them and in their lives.

There are a few other times in life that letting go is quite necessary. Pooping is one. Orgasm is another. You also have to be quite relaxed in order to eat and digest food. When you are tense you may have indigestion.

So making enough milk is no different. You need to feel safe, relaxed, and have a deep trust in yourself and your baby.

It’s not easy. I know.

That’s why new mothers need a lot of help.

They need help in breastfeeding, help in cleaning up the kitchen, and help in letting go. So that their milk will flow.

Are you feeling relaxed in your breastfeeding relationship? We’d love to hear your stories.

Please pin this article if you found it interesting!

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts and 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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Anne Kathryn Rice

Anne Kathryn Rice is an American mother of two strong willed children living on the Italian Riviera. She writes about motherhood and listening to your inner voice, even when cultural expectations, baby books, and impromptu advice seem to challenge your instincts. You can read more about her personal experiences on her blog.

www.lovegrowdiscover.com

The post Why do some breastfeeding mothers not make enough milk? appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Breast milk is the food of love

I love breastfeeding. I love the warm, milky cuddles; the stare of utter love and bliss that Squid often gives me as he feeds; the fact I grew this entire human and I am still nurturing him with my body almost 2 years after his birth. 

Time for a pit stop!

But I have a secret: sometimes, feeding my son makes my skin crawl. Sometimes, I feel like I can’t breathe, and that I want to be as far away as possible from my nursing toddler. Sometimes, the small voice asking for ‘mummy’s meeelk’ sends a shiver of dread through my entire being. 

You see, at certain times, I have nursing aversion. 

Nursing aversion is a phenomenon which is experienced in different ways for everyone. For me, it feels like my skin is crawling, like I could rip my breasts from my chest, and at its worst, it makes me want to expel Squid from my body and run away. Personally, it’s triggered when I can hear the milk coming out, and it makes my toes curl until I feel physically sick. Coupled with Squid’s insistence at playing with my hair, I feel claustrophobic and trapped.

It is always at its worst when I ovulate: this is really common. For about 2 days before and after ovulation, I experience this aversion. I really, truly dread breastfeeding Squid at this time. For me, it’s always worst in the evening. There are times when I have to get my husband to take over, before it feels like I’ll lose the plot. I then experience another episode around 2 days before my period: I can tell my cycle to the day by this aversion! It’s worsened by the fact that I experience a slight dip in supply around ovulation and the start of my period, which in turn makes Squid nurse more often, and with more vigour, making the experience worse for me. 

Though this aversion is usually predictable, and largely hormonal for me, I’ve always, always experienced it to a degree, but to begin with it was only in one breast.  

Lazy toddler latch!

When I was 19, in the wake of a messy break-up from my first serious boyfriend, I got my left nipple pierced. Even then, I remember asking the piercer if I would still be able to breastfeed, and was assured I would be able to. Fast forward nearly 6 years to Squid’s arrival, and breastfeeding didn’t come easy to us. I had long since removed the piercing, but now my baby boy was catching the scar tissue at every feed, making everything so painful. This, coupled with a severe tongue tie, and my poor nips were pretty damaged! When we had finally fixed the boobing issues, and it was largely pain free. However, I would experience these episodes of dreadful aversion, but only when Squid nursed on my left breast. The noise of the milk, and the tickly feeling would nearly send me over the edge. 

I’m not saying that the reason for this was the piercing alone. However, I think it makes that boob extra sensitive, and therefore worsens the aversion. It’s always worse on my left side, and I only nurse about 30% of the time on the left for this precise reason. That said, I experience aversion on both sides, especially around ovulation. I just find it more bearable on the right side!

Gymnurstics

My top tips for dealing with aversion

Practical changes

• Stay hydrated. It’s always so much worse for me when I’m dehydrated! I make sure I have a pint of cold water with me whenever I know I’m going to suffer! 
• White noise. Because the sound of the milk being ejected is a huge trigger for my aversion, I have to have white noise playing when I’m struggling. It really helps as I can often concentrate on the sound of the white noise rather than the milk. I use an app from the App Store, which was free!
• Take a magnesium supplement. This has helped me HUGELY. I know that my aversion is at its worst when I ovulate and get my period. Magnesium really helps me to deal with the dip in my supply at these points in my cycle. So I take a supplement when I ovulate and then until the first few days of my period. The aversion becomes so much more manageable!

Changing your mindset 

• Breathe slowly. Concentrating on my breathing, slowly in and out, really helps to regain control for me. 
• Set limits. Now Squid is older, I am able to explain to him that it’s uncomfortable, and I can ask him to unlatch. I often have to ask him to have the ‘other milk’, when I reach the point where I can’t let him have that side anymore. Unfortunately, the dreaded ‘lazy toddler latch’ can really worsen the aversion for me. Making sure Squid does a really wide mouth to latch with can sometimes lessen the sensations.
• Talk about it. It feels like a huge taboo: admitting that feeding your baby puts you on edge. Until I spoke to others about it, I thought it was just me, that there was something wrong with me. Now I know that there’s not, and this fact alone makes me feel less isolated. 

Milky love

All of these tips really help me out when I’m struggling. And sometimes, I just have to say ‘no’ to Squid. 99% of the time, he comes first but occasionally, I have to look after myself too. All this being said, one thing that really helps me to maintain a rational sense of thinking is to consider my long term goals. I know that Squid will nurse until he doesn’t want to anymore, and so remembering this helps me to focus on why I’m doing it.

Do you ever experience aversion? How do you cope with it? Do you recognise your triggers? I’d love to hear from you! You’re not alone, mama, no matter how hard it is. 

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Emily Lipscombe

Emily is a 20-something year old mama and teacher, living on the south coast of the UK with her husband and their toddler, balancing motherhood, family life and work (with varying degrees of success!) She writes about breastfeeding and parenting and everything else in between – check out her blog!

squidmamma.wordpress.com

The post Breastfeeding Aversion: How to cope when you’ve reached your limit appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

On August 5, over 180 mothers and 480 Breastfeeding supporters gathered to nurse their babies, discover resources, and finally, celebrate!

Families came from all over for Central Indiana’s Breastfeeding World 2017 Big Latch On in Central Indiana.

Why a huge event, about something so simple as feeding a child? Breastfeeding moms, feeding babies? What’s the big deal?

Because, even though breastfeeding is natural, it isn’t always simple. And even though motherhood is beautiful, it is also challenging. And messy. And even a little lonely. So yes, the latch, the bond, the breastfeeding, it’s why we gather. It’s why we support one other. But Breastfeeding World’s 2017 Big Latch On Events are more than that. These breastfeeding celebrations are about Unity. Here, we discover we are not alone in our breastfeeding journeys. Together, we are uniting in Motherhood.

After all, our children are the reasons we began this journey to begin with.

I love that once I arrived, my sense of loneliness went away. I felt empowered and supported. My family and my husband love that I breastfeed, but none of them support me nursing wherever, whenever.

I loved that I could feed my former NICU baby without fear of being ridiculed for not finding a bathroom or backseat of a hot uncomfortable car. It felt normal. I felt normal, like how it should feel. Just a regular mom, going about her normal business feeding her baby the “normal” way.” -Jessica Down

Here is the 2017 Big Latch On Final Count!

Central Indiana’s 2107 Big Latch On isn’t the only location working to build community support for breastfeeding. Not only did Breastfeeding World proudly host coast-to-coast Latch On’s. Families joined together in  Martha’s Vineyard, NYC, Central Indiana, and Downtown Seattle. These Breastfeeding World organized events culminated to almost 300 Latches, and over 1000 breastfeeding supporters. Yet, we were part of an even larger movement.

This year The Global Big Latch On registered 725 locations across 23 countries. The final count numbers ended with:

17,790 children breastfeeding during the one-minute count

18,036 breastfeeding women attended

What an amazing feeling, to sit among so many moms in your community, feeding your babies. Then adding to that feeling, knowing that you are joining in unity with families from all over the world! You can find out more about this year’s global events here.

Impacting our Community

I didn’t know why at first, but I drove home with tears. Mainly because I was so proud to be apart of something like this, considering my breastfeeding journey. It was so very difficult in the start. I felt comfortable after a big even though I came alone! I didn’t win any raffles, but I was a part of something bigger than any gift. Cassidy and I have survived almost 6 months of this journey together and I got to share that with 180+ other mothers.” -Andrea Kernodle-McCauley

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Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is no stranger to childcare development, having spent over 10 years as a nanny or family childcare provider. She’s the wife of a travel geek, mother of two vivacious children, and has an amazing talent for trailing lost things behind her a la Hansel and Gretel. Her passion for lifting up women and advocating for children pours out in her work as a Central Indiana Event Coordinator, Writer, and Social Media Relations Director for Breastfeeding World. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. It is full of love and hope, ups and downs. And coffee, always lots of coffee- but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

www.raisinglaurenslittle.wordpress.com

The post Finding Unity at Central Indiana’s 2017 Big Latch On appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Normalizing breastfeeding is very important to me, but I was going about it the wrong way. Why did I decide to let my inner warrior go? I’d like to share my story with you.

I’ll admit, when it comes to dealing with life’s challenges, I have always been more of a furied fighter than a patient yogi. If I have a vision I go for it. Quickly.

But when my husband and I found out we were expecting our first child, the warrior in me relaxed. I took off my armour and settled into my safe place.

Even in the womb, I could feel how this baby was shifting my priorities.

I was shifting away from “not gonna let anyone stop me,” and towards, “appreciate this moment before it’s gone.”

It’s amazing how new life creates new ways of looking at life.

Then the baby arrived.

And I was caught totally off guard by a battle I never expected. My sword and shield were packed away in a closet so when the first shot flew at me I was shocked.

“Your baby won’t get enough nourishment if you breastfeed like that.”

Huh?

I slowly lifted my head up from my newfound mindfulness.

“It’s really unsafe to sleep with your baby.”

What? Another one?

“If you breastfeed too much your baby will be spoiled.”

Yikes. This was really happening.

Then, on the news, “Woman accused of indecent exposure for breastfeeding her baby in public.”

That’s it.

Forget mindfulness.

The warrior in me was back.

Every time I went out with my baby, my eyes darted around like a cat sensing danger, ready to retaliate if necessary.

On an airplane, I saw a woman nursing with a cover. I wondered why. Who would say something if she took it off? I was ready to defend her. And breastfeeding.

I learned about the other warrior mothers out there, just trying to raise and feed their babies the way they choose. Court cases, pumping laws, talk show hosts who tell their viewers to “be discrete.”

“Breastfeed Wherever You Want.” The ad for a Latch On that was held in Rome this past May.

I learned that this battle is so big that women need to join forces in Latch Ons around the globe, just to get the message out there that this. is. normal.

To learn about Breastfeeding World’s Big Latch Ons that will take place on August 4th and 5th, 2017, visit our home page.

I live in Italy and I can tell you that the struggle is real here, too. The ad for a Latch On in Rome shows a breastfeeding mother with the ultimate warrior look.  And here’s a video of a Latch On in Bologna.

Like all these mothers I was reading about and getting to know at La Leche League meetings, I was on a mission. The mission was to normalize breastfeeding. To educate. To defend my choices in motherhood.

I memorized my breastfeeding rights in case anyone challenged me.

I didn’t buy a nursing cover.

The pediatrician told me that my child was “too dependent” on me and I flipped out.

Back off, people!

So I started firing back. I was waving my sword around like a mad woman.

I preached the benefits of breastfeeding to whomever would listen (especially pregnant women). And I was ready to attack whoever challenged the bond, the antibodies, the right to feed my baby the way I wanted to.

I had to win. Yet, I was so confused as to why this was even an issue.

 

 

 

And then.

It was quiet.

 

 

In part because I ran out of ammunition. In part because I realized that I was firing randomly and “the enemy” was actually not on the battlefield.

I thought that there were a bunch of people out to get me. Out to change me.

But really there was just an absence of knowledge and experience.

In so many families, breastfeeding is not normal. Many pediatricians are not trained in the physiology of breastfeeding.

But no one is out to get me, really. A lot of people just don’t know. They don’t know what a gift this is.

They don’t know that giving my milk to my babies, like pregnancy and giving birth, is like pure magic.

I put down my sword and shield.

And I picked up my baby.

I unfurrowed my brow.

And shifted my focus.

There is no war. Only ignorance. I can’t fight ignorance.

I can educate, but I can’t force that either.

All I can do is breastfeed my babies, with a smile, knowing that I am doing what’s right and good for us.

The critics will come and go, and I’ll hear their words. But their words won’t hurt me, because I know that they are coming from a place of “unknowing.”

People can sense if you are living your life with calm resolution. The naysayers will have less and less to say if they realize that this, for me, is a non-issue.

I’m just going about my business, breastfeeding or not, pacifier or not, co-sleeping or not, when I want, where I want, how I want.

I’m still a warrior at heart, and living in the moment is still something that I have to consciously choose, but at least I have left this battle behind.

With the Third Annual Times Square NYC Big Latch On approaching, I applaud all of you mothers who proudly breastfeed, showing the world what is normal, natural, not always easy, but magical.

We can make this normal again. And there doesn’t need to be a battle. Just a bunch of mothers breastfeeding will do. With a smile. In peace. Together.

 

 

What about you? How do you normalize breastfeeding? Please share your experiences with us in the comments below. It would make my day.

 

Did you like this article? Don’t forget to pin it!

 

 

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts and 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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Anne Kathryn Rice

Anne Kathryn Rice is an American mother of two strong willed children living on the Italian Riviera. She writes about motherhood and listening to your inner voice, even when cultural expectations, baby books, and impromptu advice seem to challenge your instincts. You can read more about her personal experiences on her blog.

www.lovegrowdiscover.com

The post Normalizing Breastfeeding: Why I Decided to Let Go of the Warrior in Me appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Moms know well that there are many precious moments in their infants’ lives. But few can compare to the emotional closeness of breastfeeding. So many of those invaluable rituals pass almost unnoticed as we’re immersed in a sea of worries. As we think about how we can solve yet another issue.

Especially for moms that raise toddlers and infants simultaneously, like myself. It becomes crucial to create a soothing atmosphere in every room of the house. You will want to be present in those priceless moments and not worry about a sink full of dishes or tripping over toys on the floor. And that is where simple decluttering tips come in handy!

Inside-out makeover

Even if you’re in love with your trinkets and knickknacks; when you have a toddler running around the house while you’re trying to breastfeed your bundle of joy, it’s not easy to enjoy the feeding time with a peace of mind.

If it does’t bring you joy, considering purging it. Put away the smallest and least-used items in your home. Decorative, grabable items can be put in a storage unit, in a drawer, or up on a high shelf. Keep your rooms clean and focused around several larger pieces of furniture with warm accessories; such as pillows, carpets and curtains.

The same goes for your nursery – I’ve used many colorful boxes and sliding drawers to store clothes, extra blankets and toys, so that they are out of reach without my help. With that, every room is clutter-free. Plenty of clean, open space allows you to breastfeed in comfort and focus on your baby without panicking about that pile of books that needs organizing.

A breath of fresh air

Nothing inspires a sense of serenity quite like clean, fresh air. However, living with kids often causes burnt meals, smelly diapers, and as cute as baby farts might sound, they can be surprisingly hard on the nose! It took my husband a while before he got used to various baby smells. We had to learn how to change those diapers like a professional pit-stop team – in less than five seconds.

Living in cities alone exposes you to an above-normal level of air pollutants and unhealthy microelements. No matter how hard you try to keep your home clean and tidy, dust, pollen and hair find their way into every room.

With the help of low-maintenance plants and high-quality air purifiers, even the smelliest, stuffiest rooms turn into a breastfeeding oasis for you and your baby. Removing toxins and pollutants, will not only help your baby breathe better, stay calm and soothe them to sleep with ease, but it will also help them stay healthy and lower the risk of allergies or asthma in the future.

Stress-free maintenance

Our first baby shower resulted in so many doubles that I cannot even begin to name them all. Pacifiers, plush toys, breastfeeding pillows, crib blankets, you name it. Some of them, of course, were bound to come in handy sooner or later. But, most of them just took up space. This was definitely the case with a breast pump I had a special relationship with. I couldn’t wait for the time to get rid of it too.

With a second baby on the way, we had to get rid of all the extras and make room for the things we would actually need. So, a spring cleaning in the middle of winter ensued, and our home suddenly felt lighter, brighter and less chaotic. We decided to literally take baby steps to avoid collecting clutter in the future.

As soon as I receive a double gift or buy an extra item by mistake, I donate it, sell it or pass it on, in no less than a day or two. This helps me keep our home clutter-free, simple to clean, kids and breastfeeding-friendly. Instead of one major spring cleaning session that can take up a whole day or even a week, we created a manageable routine that keeps stress at bay and doesn’t interrupt or hinder my precious breastfeeding sessions.
Focus on finding the best long-term solution that will simplify cleaning and organizing your home, and every breastfeeding session will become a private, stress-free moment of bliss you will remember for the rest of your life.

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts and 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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Zara Lewis

The post A Breastfeeding-Friendly Home: How To Declutter Your Life appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

The Doctors induced me at 36 weeks because of my daughter’s diagonosis with severe intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). She was born 40 hours later via emergency c-section at 3.5 lbs. Perfectly healthy, just small. Due to her size, she spent 14 days in the NICU. So the situation left me stuck exclusively pumping, scared to even try breastfeeding. Once released from the hospital, I slowly introduced the breast, hoping that my daughter would latch easily. With only a couple of exhausting tries, my little one finally latched and gulped! Our journey began and is still going strong 6 months later!

My biggest challenge with breastfeeding has been managing it while I work

As an Active Duty Officer in the Army, I have to force myself to make time to pump. The operation tempo at my current duty station leaves little wiggle room for me to sit down and pump without interruptions. I felt so apprehensive when I went back to work, but even more so, when I went to the field for a week. I was extremely anxious before I left, trying to figure out how I would manage the work load, making time to pump, and storing my milk in a safe and sterile manner.

Initially, when I brought it up to my supervisor, he blew off the topic. Basically, he told me that I needed to figure it out.

However, I knew the regulation and that they had to accommodate breastfeeding moms so I didn’t allow this to be the final answer

After continuing to pressure my supervisor, he told me that I should have a stash for my little one (I already did) for the week I worked. Although my supervisor is a medical provider and most likely knew, I made it clear that I still needed to pump and store the milk. After more of this back and forth conversing, I decided I would take matters into my own hands.

In the end, I coordinated with my husband to pick up milk once a day. Luckily, he is military as well and worked just down the road from my field site. I stored milk in a cooler (trust the Yeti) with ice packs (lucky for me, it was also freezing outside). And I pumped in my HMMWV every 4-5 hours. I made it work because it was a priority to me, even if it wasn’t to anyone else.

Working full-time in the Army makes it difficult to breastfeed, especially when you have a supervisor who is not fully on board

From the beginning of my pregnancy, I had issues with my supervisors recognizing that I was actually pregnant. I went to the field until I was 7 months pregnant. I wasn’t allowed to leave after the maximum “8 hour” working day. Event though it’s outlined in Army regulation. When I did try to adhere to the “8 hour” days, they called me back for pointless meetings or formations.

Bottom line up front (BLUF): if you don’t have a supervisor who is willing to advocate for you, take matters into your own hands!

I am still writing my breastfeeding story because I put my foot down

It’s not easy, but my daughter is definitely worth it! Although work will always keep me busy, it is important to me that my daughter receives the best. If I can give it to her myself, then I will continue to do so!

Lindsay Martin

Lindsay Martin joined the Army in 2015 and currently works as a Medical Service Officer on Fort Bragg, NC. She lives in Broadway, NC with her husband Keith and daughter Tatum.

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts and 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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admin

A photography project founded in late 2014 by Alexia Garcia, photographer a Alegares Photography. Breastfeeding World aims to promote breastfeeding and encourage new moms to nurse their babies through the art of photography and story telling.

The post Army Moms Who Make Breastfeeding Work- Lindsay Martin Guest Post appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

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Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is no stranger to childcare development, having spent over 10 years as a nanny or family childcare provider. She’s the wife of a travel geek, mother of two vivacious children, and has an amazing talent for trailing lost things behind her a la Hansel and Gretel. Her passion for lifting up women and advocating for children pours out in her work as a Central Indiana Event Coordinator, Writer, and Social Media Relations Director for Breastfeeding World. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. It is full of love and hope, ups and downs. And coffee, always lots of coffee- but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

www.raisinglaurenslittle.wordpress.com

The post Come Join Central Indiana’s Big Latch On! appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

I had endured so much pain, aggravation, and exhaustion that I had lost sight of the prize. It was too much.

I can’t! I said to the room in general, I’ve got nothing left!

All around me, a half-dozen heads turned in my direction with sympathy on their faces; my husband withered, the nurse patted my hand, and the neonatologist team shook their heads as I visibly wilted. All heads, that is, except one. It popped up from its previously unwavering position at the foot of the hospital bed between where my feet were lodged intermittently in the stirrups: that head belonged to my certified nurse-midwife.

Are you kidding me? she practically shouted. After everything you went through to get here, to be able to do this… After all that, you’re not giving up now!

Less than ten minutes later, my third child was welcomed into the world, delivered safely into the hands of the only person who fought for what I wanted as hard as I did.

This is really the middle of the story, but it is the first moment of true glory in my constant battle to keep on a more natural path. And, every moment of doubt thereafter has been smacked down by a distinct voice with a distinct phrase.

This was my third pregnancy, so from the time we made the decision to have this baby; we knew what we were in for. I suffer from a condition that is only a part of my life during, what feels to be, the most important thing my body will ever go through.

It’s called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy or ICP, sometimes known as gestational cholestasis. For some reason, my body develops a block when trying to move bile salts between the gall bladder and the liver. The bile salts spill back into the blood stream, causing what is essentially, a pollution of the bloodstream. The medical community describes the feeling as “discomfort”, but anyone who suffers from the condition knows it is pure hell.

Itching breaks out on the palms of hands and soles of feet. It crawls up the arms and spreads through the body like poisonous insects crawling under the skin, stinging with every step. There is often no outward signs. No rash or discoloration, and scratching relieves nothing as the itch is under the skin. It becomes 24/7. Sleep is unattainable, warm weather makes it worse, creams and lotions can be useless. Approximately 1 in 1,000 women experience this misery. And, it often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as an allergy.

I contended with it for weeks in my first pregnancy before my OB believed me enough to run the bile salts and liver enzyme on my blood test.

Treatment included, an oral medication for the itch, but the only cure is delivery of the baby. Delivery has to occur early, at or around 37 weeks gestation, because the biggest and scariest risk of the disease is stillbirth.

I thank my lucky stars that we caught it, and that my oldest son was delivered safely, even if he had a slew of complications. When we had my daughter, the prenatal care, and eventually the induction went much more smoothly than I could have imagined. We knew what to expect, yes, but I switched to a nurse midwife, and her care made all the difference. I was never doubted again, never made to feel ridiculous over my concerns. I was always encouraged, always informed of what my choices were. So, it was a natural decision three years later to go back to the same person when my next pregnancy test blinked a positive.

Baby number three was a surprise gender, and we were more financially sound and stable in our home than ever before. We expected a repeat of past issues, but knew we could certainly handle the fallout. I progressed beautifully and enjoyed more doting than ever from my husband, and I took my medications without a concern for itching.

Then, I broke out in a rash across my swollen belly early into the third trimester.

My midwife’s face was filled with sympathy when she saw the pox and the scratch marks, she knew it was PUPPP right away (Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy). She laughed when I started coming in with a belly wrapped in plastic wrap like a leftover meatloaf, but recognized the genius of how I kept the soothing lotion on. Still itchy, but I was determined to be in good spirits.

I saw her more frequently, and was going downstairs to the High Risk department for monitoring and biophysical profiles weekly. We were tracking progress as best we could, but of course everyone was still adamant about delivery at 37 weeks. 

I’ve had expectant mothers with this condition, the high-risk OB would tell me, who came in and had perfect fluid, and heart rates, and the babies were moving around fine, and they would go home. Then I would get a call and an hour later, and the baby would be gone.

After hearing that, I was terrified.

I showed up at the hospital on the scheduled day, ready for my third medically necessary induction, nervous but excited. I was to be examined before they started the drip. “Uh oh”. That is not a phrase one wants to hear when under the scrutiny of anyone in the medical profession.

Your baby seems to have flipped, he or she is breech. Guess we’ll be having a C-section today! the hospital’s OB said brightly.

No, I refused.

I knew how important it was to get the baby out. I knew I wouldn’t be able to go home and come back another day. Sure, I had never gone into natural labor (not for lack of trying), but, being armed with knowledge of entirely too many statistics and facing the intense recovery of serious surgery, I balked.

The L&D doctors and nurses thought I was ridiculous; We can go in the OR and you can have that baby in your arms in a half hour, they said.

Still, I refused.

My midwife arrived, and offered me an alternative: external cephalic version, or simply a version. A trained doctor would push and roll the baby by placing pressure on my uterus from outside the body. It would be painful, so I would need anesthesia, and it had only about a 50% success rate.

I agreed. They had to me wait 4 hours, so the single bite of waffle I ingested that morning would be digested fully before the procedure. At 2:30 in the afternoon, I was administered the spinal/epidural combination, strapped to what looked like a cross, naked from the waist down in the OR with a team of doctors, students, nurses, and my husband. And, of course, my ever-present midwife. They pushed and rolled, and watched carefully on the ultrasound for signs of uterine rupture or distress from the baby. No one thought it would work at first, but they did it, to their own comical levels of surprise. They congratulated each other while my midwife soothed me.

She smiled, but she leaned towards me and said, Now the real work begins.

My legs were useless from the spinal, and the hospital nurses on the evening tour were adamant that I not move from my upright sitting position.

The baby needs to move down, to engage, my midwife explained kindly.

But of course, when she came back much later to find I hadn’t been allowed to move at all, that the overnight team had not provided proper sanitary care, wouldn’t allow me to remove the automatic blood pressure cuff for even a break, and that I was in immense pain with no sleep, I caught my first glimpse of her temper.

Twenty-three hours of labor. We were all at the end of our ropes.

I had not eaten since 6 AM the day before, I was not allowed even a sip of water. My husband was a champ, stroking my hair and speaking soothingly all day and night, jumping at any request. But, even his eyes were dim now, his five o’clock shadow grown into a full beard. He rotated his head to stretch his neck, never releasing my hand from his grasp. My lifeless leg dangled over his elbow. “You got this. You can do anything,” he whispered to me.

My midwife glared at me after her outburst. Then she softened. You can do this! Don’t you tell me you can’t, after all that. Now PUSH!

The pain was intense, they had turned the epidural down so low (at my request, so I could use my own muscles better) that I suspected it was turned off. I powered through. The baby was turned to my husband so he could be the first to tell me the gender.

“It’s a boy!”

Rang triumphantly through the room. My husband’s masculine pride in himself broke through into my euphoria and made me smile as he clipped the cord. A wet, naked baby was placed into my arms, and I struggled to get my hospital gown down to press him against my skin. The next procedures were a whirlwind. I recall a ruckus over too much blood, and they adjusted something on the intravenous.

But I felt it.

Through the haze of adoration for my new baby boy, the love and wonder I shared with my husband in this endless moment, I felt the approving gaze of my midwife. She was right, of course.

I could do it. And, I did do it.

So, it became that in moments of breastfeeding, when I struggled most, I heard her again. When the neonatal team tried to convince me to rest instead of show up to the NICU every two hours to nurse him; or my family treated the topic with disgust, as though I was a lesser citizen, because breastfeeding is for the poor; when I nursed every half hour for weeks on end; when I had foremilk/hindmilk imbalance and block-nursed for 4 days; or he bit, slapped, and pinched; when I hadn’t slept more than three hours in a row for 8 months; when people said, “You should stop now, he’s old enough,” or “If you keep on feeding him like that it’s because YOU like it,” as though I were perverse…

I would hear my midwife say to me, After all you went through, you’re not giving up now!

For twenty-five months, I breastfed my son.

I was reluctant to end, but I guess my toddler knew what he was ready for. He self-weaned, and never looked back. In the end, I never gave up. For his good start, for my husband who supported me without ever questioning, for myself, and for the voice in my head, I never gave up.

After all I went through, I never gave up.

Jacqueline Falvey-Rossi is a mother of three children ages 2, 5, and 8. After many failed attempts at breastfeeding with her first two children, she achieved success with her third child, ultimately nursing for more than two years. She has become an advocate for breastfeeding normalization, and for increasing support for new nursing mothers. Her brand-new blog, Mommy is an Oddity, is about celebrating the individuality in each parent as opposed to conventionality, and promotes embracing each other’s more unusual qualities as our strengths. She wishes to help all moms accept parenting in good humor, and feel comfortable as themselves, whoever they are and wherever they are in life.

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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admin

A photography project founded in late 2014 by Alexia Garcia, photographer a Alegares Photography. Breastfeeding World aims to promote breastfeeding and encourage new moms to nurse their babies through the art of photography and story telling.

The post The Unintended Mantra That Made Me a Success at Breastfeeding appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Recently, a post about Lactavism from Kristen at Motherwise popped up in my Facebook timeline from a few years ago.

Lactavism comes in different forms and words. And Lactavism may mean different things to different people. However, Lactavists all have the same goal. We want to show the world that breastfeeding is normal. And mothers, who join together, have the power to do  it. Kristen said,

Have y’all been keeping up on the recent Nursing In Public controversy? The Concord Mall in Wilmington, DE harassed a mother for breastfeeding in a Hollister store. Local women started commenting on the mall’s Facebook page, calling them out on it. Whoever was running their Facebook page literally said, “It was an eyesore.” And then ALSO said, “Hope you guys don’t mind if I suck my wife’s breasts in public.”

For real. Literally said that. It’s sad and frustrating and highly disturbing that people respond this way to the act of feeding a child. But it’s also really funny to me that companies think they can do this and experience no repercussions.

Breastfeeding moms are a force to be reckoned with. Corporations and businesses keep making the mistake of thinking they can harass and degrade us, breaking the laws that protect our rights to nurse in public, and there will somehow be no consequences.

Naw. Not happening. You will not shame us. You will not control us. We will feed our babies wherever we go. We will feed them as covered or as open as we prefer. We will NOT go hide in a disgusting bathroom. We have the right to nurse in public; you do NOT have the right to harass us.

If you do harass us, we will flood your Facebook page with negative attention and possibly make national news. We will organize nurse-ins at your stores nationwide to protest your ignorance. And thus far, almost every time, you will end up issuing an apology and updating your employees on breastfeeding mothers’ rights.

Breastfeeding Mothers are Powerful

Ladies, we have so much POWER when we join together as a collective movement. Look here at what we did at the amazing, peaceful Women’s Marches all over the WORLD! Businesses, media, and individuals should quiver in fear of the collective force of women with a goal- particularly a goal oriented around the well being of their children, such as lactavism. Look at the nurse-in which was organized when Katy Lee and Hoda disparaged breastfeeding in public on the Today Show! According to the Department of Labor, 57% of women in the United States participate in the workforce. Of that,  70% of those women have children under the age of 18.  Mother’s are everywhere, and when we join together, we have a strong voice.

Lactavism is not about being a “Boob Nazi”

Normalizing Breastfeeding is not about shoving our boobs in everyone’s faces. There are all types of breastfeeding moms. Just as there are all types of moms. We are not all the same. Lactavism is about creating a safe place for mother’s to feed their children. Without “Butter’s” and judgments.

Photo by: Alegares Photography

That’s it. Organizations such as the La Leche League have garnered a reputation of being “Boob Nazi’s” over time. But it isn’t further from the truth of what lactavism tries to do.  Whether you and your child prefer to nurse under a cover, or in a quiet corner, or in the middle of Times Square, it should always be because Breastfeeding should be a choice made between a mother and her child. No one else.

However, in order to create that sense of normalcy, breastfeeding mothers need to unite together. We need to take brelfie’s, attend latch-on’s, share articles and blog posts. We need to let other mothers know they are not alone in their breastfeeding journey.

After all, to quote Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

So let’s impact our world, and our children’s future, together.

 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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Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is no stranger to childcare development, having spent over 10 years as a nanny or family childcare provider. She’s the wife of a travel geek, mother of two vivacious children, and has an amazing talent for trailing lost things behind her a la Hansel and Gretel. Her passion for lifting up women and advocating for children pours out in her work as a Central Indiana Event Coordinator, Writer, and Social Media Relations Director for Breastfeeding World. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. It is full of love and hope, ups and downs. And coffee, always lots of coffee- but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

www.raisinglaurenslittle.wordpress.com

The post The Powerful Way Lactivism Ultimately Impacts Your World appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Not sure what I mean?

Picture a well-paid professional mother working for “Awesome Expensive Coffee Business” Corporate Headquarters. We will call her Linda. Whenever Linda decides that it is time to pump, she leaves her desk and heads to a space with the beautiful label “Lactation Room.” She sits, behind a closed door, on a comfortable loveseat, plugs in her company provided breast pump and goes to work collecting her liquid gold for her baby. After she is finished, she packages her breastmilk and stores it in the office refrigerator to be carted home later for her baby to enjoy. Sounds pretty great right? You would definitely say that Linda has a choice to continue breastfeeding her baby AND work.

Is pumping at work still inconvenient? Sure, leaking bottles in your briefcase, leaving your work for many periods throughout the day and toting precious cargo back home is definitely no walk in the park, but it is doable.

What About This?

But, let’s think about the woman who staffs “Awesome Expensive Coffee Business’” counter. Melissa, that’s what we will call her, is told that she is only allowed to pump on her breaks. So, instead of eating and drinking on her breaks to keep up her breastmilk supply, she is found barricading herself in a small bathroom envisioned for customers, hoping that she may pump enough milk for her baby at home. Hoping that there may be a place to store her milk so that she does not need to dump it later on.

Would you say that Melissa has a choice? Along with the normal inconveniences of being a working, pumping mother, Melissa has so much working against her. So much so, that many mothers in Melissa’s same situation choose not to breastfeed at all. They decide against what is paramount for their baby because they feel that they need to choose between making a living and doing what is best for their child. Disadvantage begets disadvantage.

It is so important to normalize breastfeeding because,

This cycle continues everyday.

In 2010, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act added on a protective clause to the Fair Labor Standards Act for working nursing mothers. This clause states that an employer must provide time and an adequate space (a room other than the bathroom that is free from intrusion by other workers and the public) for a nursing mother to pump.

I bet that sounds like it solves all of our problems. Well, unfortunately it doesn’t.

Beyond the fact that it is difficult to enforce and that a lot of businesses are unaware of these laws; there is an additional clause that states that an employer does not need to compensate a worker for the adequate time that they have allotted the mother to pump. So, our friend Melissa, even if you are provided an adequate space where you may feel comfortable and the proper time that you deserve to be able to pump breastmilk for your baby; your employer can decide not to compensate you for the time that it takes to pump. Here we are again, a mother is put in a position to choose between making a living and breastfeeding her child.

Everyday that I nurse in public, every time that I share a brelfie, every Big Latch On we coordinate is working towards bringing rights and awareness for the women who have had to choose supporting her family over breastfeeding.

Whatever your choice may be, you should feel that you have a choice; that you have a voice for your family and your desires as a mother. No one should feel as though they need to decide between breastfeeding their child or earning a living. Breastfeeding should not be reserved for the wealthy and well-being; the stay at home mothers or the mothers who alter their work schedule to accommodate their new role. Breastfeeding should be for every mother who chooses it for their child, for their family. Nursing should be a right, not a privilege.

Together we stand up for the mothers who find themselves without this right.

Join 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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Samantha Sykula

Born and raised in NY, I studied speech and language pathology at NYU. I am a stay at home mom to two beautiful children, Richard and Charlotte and wife to my wonderful husband, Rich. I have always had a deep love for learning, which has grown further since becoming a mother, I am always looking for new ways to enrich our lives. Becoming a mother changed my life, I learned compassion, caring and most importantly, true love. I hope to share the experiences of my breastfeeding, cloth diapering, babywearing, crocheting, full of love, life.

The post Nursing Should Be A Right, Not A Privilege appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

But if we’re honest, making it magical can also be stressful. Breastfeeding can add an extra layer of stress to the holiday buzz. We can concede that what we all dread most are the unsolicited comments of our relatives. It is my hope that every breastfeeding momma will smoothly sail though the holiday season without one snarky remark like “Are you STILL breastfeeding?”. Or maybe your family is more inclined to not so subtly suggest that you go into another room to feed your little one. Whatever their angle might be, it would be nice if everyone would concern themselves with something aside from your boobs!

This year my desire it that you won’t just survive the holidays, but that you would thrive! Here are a few tips that I think will help you do just that

Be confident.

For some of us breastfeeding in public can be anxiety inducing. Even if “the public” is related to you. Take a little time now to build yourself up. Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are magical. Your body alone can sustain a human life for a full year!! You, my dear, are amazing. Wear that like a badge of honor. Put on your invisible super hero cape when you embark on your holiday advendtrues this year. No one will want to mess with a superhero.

Plan.

 Holidays are stressful enough without adding a cranky baby to the mix. Offer the breast to baby 30 minutes before each departure. If you have a few stops to make in one day, feed the baby before leaving each stop. This may not appear to be helpful on the surface, but think about how much better you’ll be able to let those comments roll off when you show up at ease. Offfering the breast before leaving each destination will hopefully calm baby for the ride so that you can enjoy the break in between relatives. Make your car your sanctuary. You can’t have a sanctuary if baby is crying from being hungry and or passed around.

Settle into your NO.

Most breastfed babies want their mothers/fathers. If they are old enough to recognize who is holding them they may not want to be whisked away by strange relative after strange relative. They will want to be close to you. Don’t be bullied into letting your baby be taken away because Aunt Bertha hasn’t seen them before. You can walk baby over to Aunt Bertha and let her admire at the distance that you and your baby are most comfortable with. Don’t feel bad about saying no. No is absolutely your right. If you anticipate having an issue with a particular person about the boundaries you’ve set then take a moment to have a talk with your partner so that you will have back up. 

Wear your baby.

Baby wearing is a great way to do many things. It keeps baby feeling calm and secure. If you have that right system you can easily nurse baby without much adjustment or distraction. Your family may not even know what’s going on. And it is a lot harder for people to whisk baby away.

Consider nursing in a quiet room or corner.

This is a good option if you want to remove yourself form any possible discussion about your choice to breastfeed. It also works well for babies 6 months and older who’ve started to become distracted by movement and loud noises. You can nurse in peace and hopefully efficiently without baby poppin on and off the breast to see the happenings.

I hope at least one of these tips helps you breastfeed with confidence this holiday season! Do you have any helpful tips for dealing with your opinionated and pushy relatives?

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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Joi Barnett

Joi is a Believer, wife, mother, entrepreneur, and artisan, who has a passion for educating and empowering women holistically. Using family and women’s health as a focus, Joi has built an all natural soap business and doula practice to serve the needs of her community. She lives and loves in Indiana with her husband and 4 children.

The post Opinionated Relatives: 5 ways to Thrive this holiday season! appeared first on Breastfeeding World.