I was heartbroken, ashamed and completely and totally alone.

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[right]I was terrified that I would never complete my family with a child. When I did get pregnant with my rainbow baby, I spent the entire pregnancy scared and trying to not get too attached. Lo and behold, Isabella was born perfect. A pain in the ass but a lovable one.

Recently, my husband and I decided to try for a second one. I got pregnant and although miscarriage whispered across my thoughts, I felt safe. After all, I had already been the statistic. My previous miscarriage felt like a shield of armor.[/right]

 It surely wouldn’t happen again.

Believing that, we excitedly told my family as well as my husband’s. A few short days later, we found out that we are experiencing another miscarriage. I am going through it as I write this.

Miscarriage can make a woman feel powerless, betrayed by her own body and empty.

I also feel like a disappointment to everyone we told. My in-laws will not get that 8th grandchild, my sister will not get that second niece or nephew. This time around I have an amazing support group. However, what it comes down to, I need to reconcile this within myself. I’m writing this at the request of a close friend who wanted to give me that chance to vent, while allowing other women to possibly find something to identify with. Honestly, this isn’t pretty and it’s pretty raw, but I want everyone to know miscarriage just happens. It’s random and indiscriminate and as long as you aren’t doing harmful things,

It’s not your fault

I’m still coming to terms with that and I’m hoping my words can help even one person. Miscarriage needs a voice and for its stigma to be removed. I can only hope this is a step in the right direction.

Robyn Bonavita

Update: A day before going in for my recommended D&C, I went into the doctor for one last sonogram. At this sonogram, a heartbeat was detected. It was slow, but it was there. My world was, once again, thrown upside down. It sounded like good news, but was it? Was my baby healthy? The doctor was unsure if there would still be a heartbeat three days later. We went back today. We found a stronger heartbeat! Now, we are at the point where things are progressing well, but the baby is measuring small. We don’t know which way this pregnancy will go, but we do know, that dealing with a possible miscarriage is so difficult. My emotions have been everywhere, the main feeling is fear. I fear everything at this point. Deep down, I know, I will get through this. I might become broken in the process, but it will eventually get better. 

Learn more about this series, a letter from the Breastfeeding World Team

[col1]Becca’s Story[/col1]

[col2]Anika’s Story[/col2]

[col3]Megan’s Story[/col3]

[col1]Anika’s Story[/col1]

[col2]Janice’s Story[/col2]

[col3]Randi’s Story[/col3]

[col1]Olivia’s Story[/col1]

[col2]Tasha’s Story[/col2]

[col3]Maegan’s Story[/col3]

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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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 A Voice For Miscarriage – Robyn’s Story appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

There are many moving parts when it comes to breastfeeding. One piece that is often overlooked or misunderstood is the process of swallowing.

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Swallowing entails three phases. The oral phase- sucking the milk into the mouth and moving it towards the back of the mouth. The pharyngeal phase- when milk is squeezed down the throat. Third, the esophageal phase -milk moves from throat into the esophagus, the tube that carries the food to the stomach. During the swallow, the body seals off the passage to the lungs to keep us from coughing or choking. Typically sucking, swallowing and breathing occur at a 1:1:1 ratio in very rapid succession – suckswallowbreathesuckswallowbreathesuckswallowbreathe. You may recognize swallows as very brief pauses after the sucks. This is followed by a quiet “ah” sound – the puff of air being exhaled after the breath.

A common disruption to this sucking cycle often occurs at the beginning of feeds, if moms experience a forceful let down. Many babies briefly gulp to compensate for the extra milk flow. Signs that your baby may be overwhelmed include widened eyes, sputtering, or pulling off of the breast. If you find that this occurs frequently, try a more upright or laid-back position so that baby has slightly more control over the flow. You may also briefly take baby off and allow your milk to drip into a burp cloth for a few seconds before re-latching. Some moms with a more forceful supply may briefly hand express through their let down, before latching baby.

Healthy babies are typically able to protect their airways through a forceful flow of milk. If you find that your baby is coughing during feedings despite adjusting your position or providing a short break, this could be a sign of a swallowing problem. In a healthy person, food almost never reaches the vocal cords (the opening to the windpipe and lungs). Coughing is a sign that milk has reached the vocal cords and could go into the windpipe and lungs. Though breastmilk has lots of great antibacterial components, even trace amounts of liquid or food can damage the lungs. This can cause upper respiratory infections, pneumonia, and scarring.

If you find that your baby is frequently coughing while feeding, talk to your pediatrician. Your doctor may recommend consulting a speech-language pathologist who has expertise in pediatric dysphagia (swallowing disorders in children).

Find more information at:

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Feeding and Swallowing Disorders in Children
• KellyMom: Fast Letdown

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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Adara Blake

Adara is a speech-language pathologist and IBCLC currently living in Philadelphia. She is a proud alumna of New York University as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Adara seeks to use her clinical background in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders to complement her lactation training, in order to better serve families who are experiencing difficulty during breastfeeding. She also has an specific interest in improving visibility and support for breastfeeding among women of color.

The post Infant Swallowing During Breastfeeding appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

My Birthday Selfie.

Wednesday, February 17^th, 2016

Tomorrow is my 28^th birthday and I don’t know why but this is a big one for me. It got me thinking a lot about time, life, and what’s led me to who I am today. Specifically, there’s a lot that’s happened in the last 11 months, leading up to this birthday. I’ve learned more about myself in the last year than I ever have; I’ve worked on and changed all my relationships I have in the last year; and, I’ve really reflected and tried to slow myself down to cherish and focus on my relationship with my husband and children.
Being a mom has always been a top priority for me, but I’ve always been anxious and so hard on myself if things didn’t go how I ‘thought’ they were supposed to go. And because of that there are things I might have missed if I didn’t slow myself down.

Close up and beautiful.

I also started my Instagram account in the last year and I started blogging. When I started documenting my babies, my journey of motherhood, and my breastfeeding journey with my daughter I received more positive feedback than I expected; especially, my posts about breastfeeding.

My first post, my first #brelfie, I made it because I realized I basically had no breastfeeding photos with my first, my son, who breastfed for an amazing 15 months. I was already a year in to breastfeeding my daughter and I only had a few of pictures but no brelfies. This is also when I realized this was something I am so proud of, a relationship I’m so honored to have with my daughter, and one I had with my son but have no photos to remember it by.
Breastfeeding is something to be proud of not ashamed of, so why shouldn’t I take more picture and brelfies of myself with my daughter? It’s beautiful and I know I’ll regret it later if I don’t capture this moment in time. So, 30 weeks ago I made a post about breastfeeding, with a brelfie, and it was my top post. I had mamas congratulating me for breastfeeding that long and a few shared their breastfeeding stories, as well. I knew then this was something I had to keep sharing because I think every mama should take more brelfies and not feel ashamed, embarrassed or even just shy about their breastfeeding journey with their baby. Before you know it, that baby of yours is going to stop nursing and not be a baby anymore. And when that time comes you’re going to want to remember those beautiful nursing moments. You’ll want to remember all those sleepless nights when all your baby wanted was you, and those lovely milk-loving days that your baby or toddler just calmed the moment you put her on your lap to nurse. You can’t turn back time and get those moments back, but taking pictures helps keep them.

“…my first #brelfie, I made it because I realized I basically had no breastfeeding photos with my first, my son…”

Nursing and loving our The Vintage Honey Shop breastfeeding necklace.

At 28 years old, I have had three pregnancies, one angle baby and two amazing, beautiful and independent babies born, and for the past three years I have been able to nurture and nourish my two little’s through so much. It’s hard to put in to perfect words why breastfeeding moms are so attached to this part of motherhood with growing and raising their babies because it’s never flaunted with intentions to judge or shame formula-feeding moms. I think the sooner we stop this war between each other by just being compassionate, loving and kind to one another, we can listen (key word*) to each other instead of jumping to conclusions. We post pictures or selfies to share our lives and world with others because we are proud and happy.

Just another morning routine nursing.

For me, sharing a brelfie is me being vulnerable, honest, sensitive, emotional, and proud because I love this part of my journey in to motherhood. I love and appreciate the bond breastfeeding has brought me with both my babies. It’s about my family and me, not what I negatively think about others, which I don’t.
Breastfeeding is natural, beautiful and unexplainable in just one post. And at 28 years old, I’m more confident, calm, patient, and wise to know it’s important to post and take brelfies because I’m so freaking proud of breastfeeding my babies! For me, breastfeeding is an important part of my motherhood and I’m not going to forget it.

One of the first photos my husband took of my daughter and me breastfeeding just a few days postpartum. He used a “fun” filter with his new camera.

Posting on Social Media isn’t for everyone, so I’m not suggesting you must do that in order to properly document or be proud of your breastfeeding journey. I do encourage you to take more pictures if it’s a time in your life and motherhood that you don’t want to forget. What are your favorite nursing or motherhood moments you’ve captured?

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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Page Rose

I am a 27-year-old WAHM to two intelligent and amazing toddlers (3 and 1.5 years), and two stepdaughters (12.5 and 8.5 years). I am a very active and passionate birth advocate working to change regulations, laws and cultural norms in the U.S. to provide parents to be educated and empowered to know all birth rights and options. I am a proud emergency, unplanned c-section, turned all natural, non-medicated VBAC experienced mama! I am a modern-hippie mama practicing attachment parenting, who loves babywearing and toddlerwearing, and of course breastfeeding! I love to laugh with my amazing husband/best friend and to travel to new places with our beautiful family.
For more of my lifestyle and mommy blogging updates, check out my Instagram page @PRbabywearingMama.

The post Breastfeeding on my Birthday appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

What my Monday morning looked like.

Early Monday morning, on Dec. 1^st, around 2 a.m., my 3-year-old son came into our room, woke me up and climbed into bed with my husband and I. He had been sick with what we thought was a cold since the Tuesday before, but by the fourth night he was wheezy and breathing deep while sleeping. He would wake about half way through the night for two nights but would fall back asleep with us the rest of the night. But by the third night of wheezy breathing (sixth night total of being sick), this early Monday morning, there was just something different and worse this time.
The morning of Dec. 1^st, from 2 a.m. until 6 a.m. felt like many more hours had past because all three of us were falling in and out of sleep, but not actually getting any sleep at all. He was starting to have a really hard time breathing, struggling in fact, and was feeling a little feverish.

Breastfeeding in emergency situations can be very handy and specially nourishing for your children

My babies in arms in a hospital bed. My poor boy.

After getting our son in a steaming shower and calling the on-call nurse by 6:30 a.m., we were told to go to the ER. We were shocked and I felt it was all happening so fast. He seemed fine in the day, almost seemed like he was improving, he just had some minor cold symptoms. By 8 a.m. we were at the ER and back in a room with a doctor and nurses. My husband had to go to work but was going to try and get off early and meet us there, so I told him not to worry and I would keep him updated. Never did I think we would be there all day and he would be admitted to stay the night. With in 15 minutes of being in the ER, he was diagnosed with Croup (severe) and was given breathing treatment and steroids. He was in a lot of pain, exhausted, confused, and just wanted to go home.
I had babyworn my 19-month-old daughter in, so she was with the two of us, in the hospital bed during all of it. Now, I was trying to be prepared and packed a snack bag, but I forgot it in the car in all the chaos. Little Miss and I were starting to really need food even though she had morning nursed already before getting there. The nurses did what they could and brought us a few snacks but we were still hungry.

Breastfeeding in an emergency.

So conveniently, even under stress and with little to no food, I breastfed her all morning! This made caring for my son so much easier because I did not have to worry if my daughter was starving to death and she got what she needed. My daughter stayed calm and helpful (90% of the time), just sitting in the bed with her poor sick brother and myself because she could nurse. She didn’t get grumpy and act out, she didn’t feel left out or ignored, and she didn’t need special attention. All because of breastfeeding! I didn’t need to get out of bed, stop holding my son, stop helping the nurses with him to get or make food or milk for her because of breastfeeding. I am so grateful for being able to breastfeed and sticking with it. I love that because of breastfeeding, I was able to nurture my very sick son in a scary situation, while also nurturing my 19-month-old all by myself!

Our sweet nurse pulling my babies in the hospital’s pediatric wagon after 10 hours of being there. They were getting restless.

Because of breastfeeding, both my babies were taken care of and I felt like a supermom never missing a thing for my babies.

We want to hear from you: What’s your breastfeeding in emergency situations story? Drop us a comment below!

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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Page Rose

I am a 27-year-old WAHM to two intelligent and amazing toddlers (3 and 1.5 years), and two stepdaughters (12.5 and 8.5 years). I am a very active and passionate birth advocate working to change regulations, laws and cultural norms in the U.S. to provide parents to be educated and empowered to know all birth rights and options. I am a proud emergency, unplanned c-section, turned all natural, non-medicated VBAC experienced mama! I am a modern-hippie mama practicing attachment parenting, who loves babywearing and toddlerwearing, and of course breastfeeding! I love to laugh with my amazing husband/best friend and to travel to new places with our beautiful family.
For more of my lifestyle and mommy blogging updates, check out my Instagram page @PRbabywearingMama.

The post Breastfeeding in Emergency Situations appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

She’s getting my nose while nursing.

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Morning nursing my sweet baby.

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Baby Girl getting me while nursing.

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For many reasons, when Selfies were becoming increasingly popular, I was very hesitant (and negative) of the concept. How silly was it that young kids, people my age and some older were taking part in something that seemed egotistical and awkward? A picture with just yourself, without someone taking it of you, just seemed crazy.

It only took a couple (maybe three) years for me to reconsider the power of the Selfie. Now, society could have continued to use it like I said above, taking shirtless-mirror pictures one after another. However, after so much time, the Selfie stopped being a single-person, self-absorbed portrait and became a very useful and wonderful way to capture yourself in your most memorable and priceless moments. What better way to use the Selfie than when you’re breastfeeding your baby?

Lo and behold, the Brelfie!

Brelfie!

Now, if you are not already aware of the benefits of breastfeeding and why so many mothers are proud of it, know at least this: it is one of the most amazing and cherished times and bond between a mother and her baby. It is natural, beautiful and extraordinary, and well, sometimes unexplainable to describe the bond breastfeeding brings a baby and her mother.

For some, they’re not ready for the Brelfie, as the U.S. culture is going through a large breastfeeding movement on education and advocacy as to why it is important for mother and baby, and why it is our human right to do so wherever, as necessary. There is nothing wrong or sexual about breastfeeding; it is completely natural and what women’s breasts are designed to do.

Lil’ Miss lifting my shirt to morning nurse.

When I had my son in 2012, I could not have been more confident that I would push through whatever obstacles were thrown at us to make sure I gave him the best and breastfeed him. It was an amazing 15 months of sometimes frustration, dependence, incredible bonding, love and sacrifice I only wish I would have documented more. My husband captured only a few moments, but even I must admit I felt silly and like a weirdo if I thought about taking a Selfie (Brelfie) while breastfeeding. I still covered up while breastfeeding (even in my house!) and I wanted to avoid any discrimination or public humiliation during outings when I needed to feed him.

My son is very special to me and it makes me extremely sad to know I never took a Brelfie our entire breastfeeding time together. I changed, evolved and educated myself so much on breastfeeding during our journey and it breaks my heart to know I did not capture that progress and bond in a picture.

Us nursing, again.

When my daughter was born spring 2014, I told my husband I was going to take a lot of pictures this time! Even though I can’t make up for all the Brelfies with my son by taking a ton with my daughter, at least I learned from my mistakes the first time around by no longer caring about what people might think and stopped being ashamed. This time with my baby girl will only last for so long and I want to capture as much of it as we can because it is BEAUTIFUL!!!

So, don’t forget to take a Brelfie a few times a week, maybe more. You and your baby will always cherish these captured moments of love and bonding breastfeeding brought you, trust me!

What is your opinion about the #Brelfie and it’s impact in our society? Do you feel that nursing mothers should keep posting their nursing pictures? Yes, no? Why? We want to hear from you tell us your thoughs! 

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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Page Rose

I am a 27-year-old WAHM to two intelligent and amazing toddlers (3 and 1.5 years), and two stepdaughters (12.5 and 8.5 years). I am a very active and passionate birth advocate working to change regulations, laws and cultural norms in the U.S. to provide parents to be educated and empowered to know all birth rights and options. I am a proud emergency, unplanned c-section, turned all natural, non-medicated VBAC experienced mama! I am a modern-hippie mama practicing attachment parenting, who loves babywearing and toddlerwearing, and of course breastfeeding! I love to laugh with my amazing husband/best friend and to travel to new places with our beautiful family.
For more of my lifestyle and mommy blogging updates, check out my Instagram page @PRbabywearingMama.

The post The Spectacular Brelfie appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Before I get into my post about fitness this week, I want to wish everyone a Happy International Babywearing Week (October 4th – 10th)! I love this babywearing selfie I took of Hannah and me when she was just a couple weeks old. She just loved to be carried around when she was tiny. It was when she took her best naps!

Anyway, I must apologize for missing a week of blogging; we were in Boston on a family trip and then had some technical difficulties and well, Baby Hannah and I are back now!

So, this week I am writing about:

Post Pregnancy Fitness I wish I had done to prepare for being a Mom….

Throughout my pregnancy, I maintained what I thought would be a very healthy fitness routine to prepare to give birth for the first time. I read all about what you can and can’t do in the first, second, and third trimester. For the most part, this included a lot of swimming, walking, and yoga. These three activities were wonderful leading up to my labor. Swimming in the pool and ocean felt great as I felt so lightweight in the water. Walking was excellent for my circulation and a little bit of cardio while going uphill. Yoga was also fantastic with all those hip opening poses. However, I didn’t think once about how I could prepare my body for after the birth.

I truly had no idea how physically exhausting being a mom is. My daughter is now five and a half months old and by the end of each day I practically feel like I’ve done a Cross Fit workout. My back and shoulders are sore from lifting not only my little Hannah, but also lifting the stroller or carseat in and out of the car a couple times a day. My knees are tender from crawling around on the floor all day while we play. My legs are beat from carrying her up and down the stairs or picking up toys, bottles, laundry, and pacifiers while having her on my hip. It all adds up to become one major Mom workout by the time bedtime rolls around and I place Hannah in her crib for the final time.

I find myself thinking all the time now, why didn’t I prepare more for this before I had a baby? I was so concentrated on preparing for the birth that I didn’t look past the birth to what it would be like on my body afterwards. So, I have vowed that with my next baby, I will be more prepared by adding a few extra steps to my exercise routine. I have outlined three simple moves I wish I had done more of below.

• SQUATS – When I have my baby girl in my arms and I have to pick up anything off the floor, I can’t simply bend over and grab whatever it is, especially if I’m wearing her in a sling or a Moby wrap. Squatting has become something I do all the time that I wish I had done more throughout my pregnancy.
• STAIRS – If I had known how many times I would be running up and down the stairs to fetch things I left up in the nursery and bringing them down to the playroom, I would have done a lot more stairs. Stairs and step workouts also strengthen the muscles around the knees which would help a lot since I am always crawling around on my knees after Hannah now!
• ARM CIRCLES – These are great for building shoulder strength. Small 3-inch arm circles with your arms stretched outwards at shoulder height with lightweights in your hands get your muscles warmed up nicely. Your blood starts flowing and prepares your joints for lifting those heavy baby car seats, strollers, jumpers, and other fun stuff you buy!

Even though I didn’t do any of these exercises while I was pregnant, I am doing them now and it is helping me get stronger and to feel more mobile. The importance of Mobility is something I will write more about in the future.

I try to include Hannah as much as possible while I work out, too– she makes a great 15 pound weight! So, whether you’re doing these with or without your baby belly, I hope they help you prepare for “mom life”, which as we all know is the hardest, most fun job of all!

We would love to hear from you… What post pregnancy fitness routine did you wish you could have done to prepare you for life as a new momma?

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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Emily Anderson

Originally from New Jersey, but moved to Australia when I was 25. While in Australia, I met my husband and we’ve been married two years now. In April 2015, we had our first child, Hannah. Since having Hannah, I have taken a break from working in real estate and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with our little family. I am learning daily about being a mom and enjoying every minute of bonding with my daughter. I’m excited to share my experiences with other moms who are interested in learning about breastfeeding and other fun mommy stuff!

pramsandlattes.com

The post Post Pregnancy Fitness: Preparing for Life with Baby appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

But what happens if they don’t…?

The day after I stopped eating soy and dairy we went to a wedding reception. Food was a challenge here.

About a month ago, when he was a little over four months old, my son began having flecks of blood in his poopy diapers. Bright red blood, to be exact. With the first diaper, I wanted to be sure it wasn’t a fluke, or maybe from a small fissure somewhere in his GI tract. But, it happened again. I called our pediatrician who said that I should stop eating all dairy and soy, give it the weekend, and come in if it happens again. Well, it did. There are few things scarier to a mom than blood in a diaper. The blood was accompanied by mucous, and was noticeable. Things were different.

We went to our appointment and he was happy as can be. He wasn’t (and still isn’t) fussy, and he doesn’t show any signs of distress. The pediatrician poked his belly a bit, swabbed his bottom, and, since he decided to have a gigantic poop, checked his stool for blood. There wasn’t visible blood in that one, but there was microscopic blood. She said that since he’s not in distress and eating well–he was 20 pounds at that appointment– to continue avoiding dairy and soy in my diet. In two weeks we would have a follow up.

Milky snuggles after a long session of cluster feeding. This boy is growing like a weed!

Two weeks passed and we had been blood free the entire time! I took in a stool sample, just in case, but I was certain it would come back clean. She checked it and no blood. He had gained a full pound in the two weeks, and was just as happy as the first time we went in. So that means no dairy or soy for me for a long time. I don’t mind, I’ve lost about five pounds in this short amount of time, and am only five away from my pre-pregnancy weight.

But, last night, the blood returned. While I know it can take some time for the dairy and soy to clear both of our systems (4 weeks!), it makes me nervous. The pediatrician said to keep an eye on it and if the amount increases, the blood sticks around, or his demeanor changes, to make an appointment immediately. So far, we are doing okay. The blood hasn’t increased, but it hasn’t left yet, either. He’s also been such a happy baby the entire time, that I can’t imagine he’s in any pain. But, blood is terrifying.

My happy boy

I’ve been meticulous about avoiding dairy and soy. It really does cut out all eating out, most snack foods, and a surprising amount of beverages. Next week, I will give you guys some insight into what eating this way is like: how it’s affected my life, our breastfeeding relationship, and if it’s changed my milk supply.

Please note: I am not a medical professional. If you notice these symptoms, please, please seek medical attention for your child.

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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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 Every Mom’s Fear: Blood in a Diaper appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

At 17 I was diagnosed with the Big C; a very rare type of Ewings Sarcoma that resulted in chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It was found growing off my rib and onto my lung and part of the treatment involved surgery on my chest to remove my right lung. Later my chest was reconstructed with muscles from my back and although I never had breast cancer, all the surgery and radiotherapy to my chest did mean that I was left with little to none breast tissue in my right breast. I had to be realistic from the start and realise that I would never be able to breastfeed from my right side, however when I became pregnant it was obvious I could breastfeed from my left side. As one very old school, strict midwife pointed out to me: “Many women feed from only one breast, so you have no excuse young lady!” (Yeah, she was mega supportive, loved her (!)).

I’ll share with you some personal tips for breastfeeding after cancer

So the first thing I would say is, have no expectations. Go into the idea of breastfeeding with the presumption that you might not be able to do it because of what you’ve been through. Try and come to terms with that and deal with it before your baby is born. The pressure to breastfeed on any mum is high but you’ve got to remember that you’re not like any other mum. You’re different. You’re robust and battle hardened. You’ve dealt with physical pain and mental hardship not many people have experienced. Life has chewed you up and spat you out and you’ve STILL come out the other side, better, stronger and equipped to deal with whatever is thrown at you next. So if you can’t breastfeed, that’s okay. Because you’ve got so much more to give your baby and the sooner you realise that the better; because motherhood is an emotionally draining experience as it is, filled with enough guilt about what you should/shouldn’t be doing without you adding some more to the mix.

The other half of this is assuming you have discovered you can breastfeed. Having breastfed two babies now, what I realised was how super unprepared I was with my first boy, George. Like any new mum, you spend your whole time preparing for the birth but actually forget about all the important bits afterwards; like how you’re going to keep this entirely helpless creature alive. So although I recommend to all new mummy’s to read up investigate and research everything you can about breastfeeding – how your breasts work, how they produce milk etc. – I especially recommend it to those that have had cancer. Because even though you know your body probably better than anyone else, this is an entirely different ball game. There’s no talk about cells and mutation, there are completely different side effects and your body is full of hormones.

Some people are very lucky and it just comes to them, others find it a bit more of a struggle. Either way I fully believe that if you’re prepared for everything – the cracked nipples, the cluster feeding, the colostrum, the hind milk and the leaks – then there are no surprises and you’re more likely to persevere and carry on. Because the first few weeks are the hardest and if any mum can get through them then they can do anything – and if anyone is prepared for this emotional, mental and physical challenge, then it’s a cancer survivor.

Lastly, I’d say the best thing you can do is get support. Read up on breastfeeding with your partner, mother, siblings and best friends, find a lactation consultant that you click with and see if there are any support groups in your area. These are the people that are going to be there for you, push you and guide you when you are struggling, feeling low or simply just need someone to talk to. My partner was so great particularly with my first boy because he listened and digested everything the midwife would say to me, all the helpful tips she’d give on her visits to check up on us. If I was struggling with a position, he’d help me into another. He’d remind me to eat and drink when I’d forget to look after myself and it was amazing. I also had my sister stay with me when my second baby Francis was born and she was my rock in those first weeks. She reminded me to pump to keep up my supply, giving me encouragement that I could do it despite my doubts. These are the people that you need around you and will appreciate tenfold.

But most importantly whatever happens in your journey with breastfeeding, be proud of your body. It has battled and fought for you, it has survived gruelling treatments and it has grown, nurtured and given you the most beautiful gift you will ever have. If you can breastfeed then that is fantastic! But equally don’t feel like a failure if it hasn’t worked out for whatever reason, because if you tried your hardest then that’s all you need to know. Be proud that you could do it despite everything, be proud that your body produced milk and provided food for your baby for however little or long it was. Just remember that whatever happens on this rocky, arduous and downright exhausting journey that is motherhood, your body is smart and strong… and so are you.

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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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 Breastfeeding after Cancer appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Fashion is something that is easily overlooked in the days, weeks, and if you’re anything like me, months after having a baby. I felt frumpy and messy for the first few months and it seemed like I was topless AND covered in milk 24/7. I mainly wore my old maternity clothes, which didn’t make me feel very good about myself. When I started venturing outside, my daughter was around two months old, and I needed clothes that made breastfeeding in public easier, while also making me feel better about my new body. After searching my local mall from top to bottom, I realized there aren’t very many stores that carry clothing that is specifically for a breastfeeding mother without also doubling as maternity clothing. There are snap-down camis and bras, shirts with flaps and holes, dresses that stretch from here to there, and fancy woven tops that can be very, very hard to put on correctly.These clothes often have a hefty price tag to boot, and a lot of new mothers have to be careful with extra expenses as they now have a new life to invest in.

If you are worried that you won’t be able to afford all of the clothing that you need to breastfeed, I’m happy to say that in the past fourteen months I’ve gotten by with only four nursing bras, three nursing specific tops, and a whole lot of creativity. I searched within my own closet to figure out what styles worked for me without spending a fortune and I am happy to share them with you now.

1. The Sleeveless T-Shirt:

If you aren’t comfortable showing a lot of cleavage, this is an excellent option. You can make one out of an old T-Shirt to save extra money. Your sleeve holes should be bigger around the armpit in order to breastfeed without ruining the shirt and a stretchy material works best. You can find the “Mere. Soeur.” (Mother. Sister.) shirt that I’m wearing here.

2. Double Shirt Method:

This one comes in handy if your baby dislikes nursing covers and you are uncomfortable exposing your breasts to other people. Simply wear two loose-fitting, preferably low-cut shirts, then pull the top layer up over your chest and pull the bottom layer (along with your nursing bra) down right before you latch your baby. As your baby gets older and his or her head gets bigger, it will be virtually impossible to see any flesh if you position your shirt the right way. The green shirt that I am wearing is a pre-pregnancy boyfriend tee from Target, while the striped shirt is a maternity tank from H & M that is tight-fitting enough to look normal after pregnancy. Even if I bought these brand new, it only would cost about $20 for both. Try a thrift store instead and you will save even more!

3. Loosely Fitted Tank Top:

This is an edgier style, but can be versatile depending on the type of tank top you choose. In the picture above I am demonstrating the side pull (this will cover more of your breast), as well as the pull down method (which is fast and efficient if nursing in public does not make you blush). The best thing about this shirt is that I bought it long before getting pregnant, so not only can I breastfeed comfortably in it, but it cost me nothing in the process. I wear this style a lot while babywearing, which is another great way to discreetly nurse in public without using a cover.

Any of these styles can be worn year-round when paired with jeans and a blazer, or a skirt and cardigan. Whatever style you choose, have fun and get creative! You don’t have to buy a $30 nursing top, or continue wearing your maternity clothes in order to breastfeed and be fashionable. Dig into your closet and find what works for you. The most important thing is that you are comfortable and can feed your precious baby with confidence while saving a few bucks in the process.

Happy nursing, ladies!

We love to hear from you! What is your go to fashion item as a breastfeeding 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 

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 Affordable Fashion for the Breastfeeding Mother appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

My advice to anyone starting out: if you are not absolutely floored by how often you’re nursing, and you’re worried the baby’s not getting enough, just go ahead and nurse more. It’s like a joke, how often you’re nursing. You’re nursing all night? Great! Your butt hurts? Your limbs falling asleep under you? Don’t worry, it’s not forever. Just surrender to the frequency, let yourself enjoy it. Because you know what? It IS enjoyable. It’s wonderful once you don’t fight it. 

Since I couldn’t think of a better alternative (I was just too tired) I did it. Apparently my son wanted to feed every hour and a half for months. Yes, even at night. It was amazing how consistent his internal clock was. I could time trips to the store, drives to the in-laws, on his clock. It was a bit limiting, but also freeing. I wasn’t feeding him on my schedule I just went with the flow. Something’s wrong? You’re upset? You can’t be hungry again, can you- you are. Okay. Here we go.

I hear a lot of women saying they have a low supply and I often to think if they weren’t surrounded by people second guessing their methods, if they were encouraged to just trust their instincts, many of them (many: of course not all) would find supply takes care of itself.

Now that said, I had some advantages and some disadvantages that could qualify this “let nature take its course” attitude. My son was always game. Slow little nurser but he was big, almost 10 lbs, and strong. But the downside was it hurt. I got the latch wrong at first (I was exhausted, he was three weeks late and we’d had to induce) and later found out I had Raynauds Phenomenon – painful nipples from lack of circulation, often brought on by trauma or cold. It took a while but the Raynauds became less of an issue when his mouth grew and I bought some large wooly breast pads. But in the beginning it was quite painful and I spent every nursing session (essentially all my time) googling pictures of proper latches, I went to LLL meetings and sneakily watched other women nurse. Then I straight up asked them to show me, as I leaned in looking perplexed. I just couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

The first week home my pediatrician recommended we supplement so that his jaundice would go away faster. God, the relief! I did one feeding a day for 3 days with formula. He slept, my nipples got a tiny break (I was still feeding him on demand so it wasn’t much of a break) – I could very easily have kept this up. But I felt strongly about breastfeeding and read that using a bottle so early could cause nipple confusion, and I didn’t want to risk more discomfort. I asked a doula to come help me work on other positions for nursing. Things were a little better. No one was sure why it hurt so much, but it was bearable.

Eventually I realized the only time it didn’t hurt was when I WAS nursing. It relieved the pressure of the increasing milk supply while simultaneously ramping it up, which he apparently needed. So I just nursed him whenever he wanted and spent the time hunting online for The Softest Bra Ever Imagined. I found a bunch of bras but non helped anywhere near as much as the wooly pads eventually did. If you have Raynauds, try the wooly pads, they saved my sanity.

After all this? Never a problem with supply. When he went through a growth spurt, I went through it with him. Until my supply was totally established (which took about 12 weeks) things continued to be uncomfortable, but it wasn’t forever.  And I’m so thankful I stuck with it, it’s a lovely bonding experience, it’s a calming influence, it puts him to sleep, it gives me a chance to be with him peacefully and relax, it’s free, and it requires next to no planning. You can do it instantly, anywhere. It’s the ultimate weapon of mothering.

If I’d had to rush back to work, or if I’d had naysayers around telling me he wasn’t getting enough milk, or I was feeding him too often, or what’s the big deal, just supplement,  I might have struggled with supply issues too. Pumping takes a lot more effort (I only pumped sometimes) and nursing most efficiently increases the supply. I was lucky in many ways and I not so much in others. The first few weeks – they’re intimidating to almost everyone. You just can’t believe you have a baby, you don’t want to make any mistakes. But in my case things worked themselves out – largely because I had a chance to let them.

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 #NYCBreastfeedingWorld 

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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 Nursing Blind appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Image taken from google search

When it comes to breastfeeding, I’ve been blessed with the gift of oversupply. This was also the case with my first child as well. I can usually pump up to 16 oz. in one sitting…more if I’ve overslept (youch!) or go over 3 hrs without pumping or nursing. My freezer is nothing fancy just a normal top of refrigerator compartment, it’s tiny though. My frozen bags that were already filled to the top were falling out everywhere when we would open the door. Most of the milk was coming close to expiration. I couldn’t bear the thought of throwing my milk away as I had so many times before. At one point we had tossed 54 bags!!!

I was fighting with myself about having to toss more milk out. We can’t afford a deep freezer so that was out of the question. I hopped on to google and found out that you could donate your frozen milk as long as you were healthy and met certain guidelines. My milk was actually considered “high demand” since I am vegan and my diet is dairy free.

Me, pumpin’ it up at work

All within a day’s pump session at work

Several sites indicated how you could donate and charge others for your services. Being Buddhist, I’m not into all that. I just wanted a way to give back. Not everyone can breastfeed. Not everyone wants to. But we can all agree that it’s the best start possible for our little ones. I took to Instagram to ask other mothers for advice and to see if they knew of any ways I could donate without having to charge people for my milk.

I was pointed to Human Milk for Human Babies which is a public facebook page where you can post your milk and what area of the country you are in. People looking for milk in your area can contact you through the site and you arrange a public meeting area to donate to them. I made my first Facebook page and posted my ad to the donation site. Parents began contacting me left and right. My heart was just exploding at the thought of being able to not only feed my children, but to help others.

I met with my first donor baby shortly after. The exchange was peaceful and the baby was so cute. The mother was young and told me about how her supply plummeted shortly after he was born. She was so grateful to find a donor. She even brought me some storage bags to say thanks. Since then, I have been donating every month and have met mothers and babies from all over my area. It’s an amazing way to give back while also keeping your refrigerator from exploding. There are other websites out there to help get you started on your donor journey.

My breastmilk, ready to be donated

Milk donation is one of the best decisions I have made while on my breastfeeding journey. If you are able to donate, I think you will agree with me. The feeling is indescribable and it’s such a wonderful way to give back.

Have you ever been able to donate your breastmilk? If so, we would love to hear your experiences! Leave us your comment below telling us all about it!

Spen’sar Custer

Born and raised in Central Florida and currently reside in Tennessee. I am a working mother of 2, a wife, a vegan, a Buddhist, a breastfeeder and last but not least a breast milk donor. My dream is to one day become a certified Lactation Consultant. I have experienced an unplanned C-section, and a natural non medicated VBAC. Find her on Instagram: @themilkmonsters

themilkmonsters.blogspot.com/

The post Giving back: Human Milk for Human Babies appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

Photo taken by Alexia Garcia – Alegares Photography

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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 #NYCBreastfeedingWorld 

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 Let’s welcome World Breastfeeding Week 2015 appeared first on Breastfeeding World.