So, I had asked a few mamas to share photos of themselves (in or out of uniform) and sharing their stories and experiences.

I got out of the Navy in June of this past year. I was blessed with such an amazing environment and leadership that I was able to breastfeed my first child until he was 2.5 and in turn tandem nurse with my daughter. Neither of my children would take a bottle, so pumping just didn’t work for us. To keep this short, I ended up having a “wet-nurse” and nursed on lunch breaks to get us through. You can read about that journey here. But knowing that many moms have struggles, whether it be in the beginning or the entire time; it may be quite different for our military moms.

So, this post is to honor our military mamas. Even if your photo/quote isn’t featured, this is still for you!

“I was very glad that the Navy had an actual policy to protect nursing mother’s while on active service. Pumping was a pain, and I did it religiously with my oldest. I was determined to give him breastmilk, despite having to go back to work.”  – –

Rocky Rozhanskiy, US Navy Veteran

“Breastfeeding and pumping while in the USCG had its struggles. We didn’t always have the proper places to pump and store. But we made due. Even now, still nursing #3, 5 years later, I’m happy for those struggles. It’s what pushed me to exclusively breastfeed; despite the stigma surrounding working moms.”

– – – Jennifer Burman, US Coast Guard Veteran and Beauty and Lifestyle Magazine Bog Contributor

“Being a first time mom is hard. Being a first time mom with no family around is even harder. 6 weeks off, stitches are still healing, the weight is still packed on and the thought of a normal life again is behind me! I returned to work after having six incredible weeks off with my first born.

Day one consisted of figuring out where to pump at work. We were put in a storage closet about the size of an airplane restroom. In 2014 (the year my son was born), the Navy released an updated breastfeeding policy but many seemed to be uncomfortable about the subject. After day one, I knew that it was unacceptable to be producing my child’s food in that storage closet. I brought it up the chain of command and presented the updated instruction. “Must have running water accessible (not a restroom) and given privacy”! My main focus was getting us out of a hazmat locker, that’s literally what it was.

In the meeting with my COC, an E8 told me, “well why can’t you just do it in the restroom?” I wasn’t sure if he was joking or being serious, this man was very hard to read. So, I responded with, “why don’t you eat your lunch in the restroom senior chief?” I probably should have kept my mouth shut, but it got the point across.

Over the next few months there was a lot of progress but it took blood, sweat and tears to get there. A lot of our COC asked why we couldn’t just go pump in the hospital, it had a space nicer than any other lactation room on base.

But we have to work, simple as that.

Taking 10 minutes to drive to the designated location, park, walk to the room on the third floor, set up, get a let down, make sure to pump until I’m empty, break down everything, label and sanitize my area, walk back to my vehicle and then drive back to work. Oh, don’t let me forget to add that we have to do that about 2-3 times during the work day. “Must be allowed 20-30 minutes 2 to 3 times a day”, that evolution adds up to way more than 20-30 minutes when you want us to pump in a different building.

So, after putting up a good fight, they ended up designating us our own room. Two decking chairs, privacy, sink, outlets and more. It wasn’t a 5 star room but it was definitely better than what we had. When my son was 3 1/2 months old, he started getting teeth, lord help me. He would bite and bite and bite when he nursed so eventually, I stopped nursing. I began exclusively pumping when he was 4 months old; till he was 10 1/2 months old. It was tough to say the least. Fitting my pump schedule around school, work, watches, taking care of Landon, while still trying to have a social life made me extremely depressed. I felt trapped but I knew what I was doing was worth it.

Fast forward to three years later. We are still dealing with difficulties creating lactation rooms for mothers, but the navy is doing their best. It is a sensitive and awkward subject for a lot of people, especially men. I believe that providing training on the issue and helping educate the leaders in our fleet that will be dealing with pregnant women, will help beyond our expectations.

– – – Andrea Nicole, US Navy, Logistics Specialist Second Class

“Being a mother requires far more sacrifice than you can ever imagine. Now, add being an active duty mother, and the virtue of motherhood can completely overwhelm you.  Breastfeeding my three children hasn’t always been easy.  I’ve pumped in locker rooms, bathrooms, and sometimes in my car.  My supply has fluctuated; I’ve gotten engorged, due to not having enough time to pump. And, I’ve cried countless times in feeling as though I am not enough as a mother.  Education for nursing/pumping moms wasn’t advocated as much as it has been within the most recent years, and although I was only able to nurse my first 2 sons until they were 6 months old,  through education and support I was able to nurse my 3rd son until he was 18 months old.”

– – LT Maria Relayo, US Navy, Aviation Ordnance

Photo captured by: Haley Nicole Photography https://www.facebook.com/haleynicolephotos/ @haleynicolesphotos

“Seeing this photo gave me all the feels. I didn’t breastfeed as long as I wanted with my first because I was on the flightline. I didn’t have the time or energy to make it back to the hangar to pump when I needed to. So, transitioning to formula was what worked for us. But here I am, 6 years later, as a veteran; waiting for my active duty husband to come back from deployment, breastfeeding my one year old daughter in the hangar bay. And, I really am just SO thankful that we made it this far in our breastfeeding journey. I am so happy I have this image to look back on and remind me of all the obstacles I overcame to get here. “

– – Raquel Renteria, US Navy Veteran

“I have served for 8 years thus far in the US Army Reserves and have had two daughters during that time. Both of my daughters nursed, so I knew I was going to have to pump during work and drill weekends.

Initially, my experience was awful, which I was fearful of. I drilled with a unit that I was not a part of. I was more or less visiting, due to being a new area. At first, I was promised a private place with a locked door for me to pump. That promise was not kept. I found myself in a small bathroom with no lock on the door and an extension cord running from down the hallway into the bathroom.

I felt ashamed; because I should have said or done something.

Yet, the next day I found myself pumping in my car on a cold, snowy day. I didn’t go back and drill with that unit after my experience. A month or so later, I made it clear that there were policies and laws broken and that is why I no longer wanted to be apart of their unit. I never received a response back. Months later, I discovered a new unit that had just “stood up” and they were very accommodating to me from the get go and never once gave me a hard time. I was excused from ranges and field training while I pumped, since there was no way to store my pumped milk.

With my second daughter, I had no issues because I was still with the unit that provided me what I needed. I believe the Military, as a whole, needs to work on accommodating service women with their needs when it comes to nursing, pumping and maternity leave. There are both federal and state laws that supposedly “don’t need to be followed because it’s the Military”, so I have been told.

That first unit that I was with when I had just started pumping, was made up of mostly older men, who probably had never been in that type of situation before, or who may have never had a soldier ask that question; but that is no excuse. If a woman choses to use a restroom, that is her choice. But no woman should be made to use a restroom, especially in fear of reprisal, which was my situation.

I hope my story helps others and doesn’t allow the Military to tell a mother that they can’t feed their child in the best way they think possible. Many women in the service don’t nurse or pump because it’s just too much of a hassle while in uniform. That just seems so wrong to me. However we chose to nurture and feed our babies is our right and our choice, no one else’s.”

– – Molly Taber, US Army Reservist, Automated Logistics Specialist SGT

And this is me, nursing my daughter on my last day in the Navy. 

The military life isn’t easy. And being a mom in the military doesn’t make it any easier. But we do the best we can, while providing all of what we can, for our kids. Even if it means making sacrifices for ourselves, or in other areas, to make sure we can do what is best for the babies. Thank you to those who have served, are serving, and will serve.

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

Abigail Dougherty

A 27 year old from Wisconsin but currently stationed in California with a happy marriage and two rainbow babies. Abigail is currently in the Navy and is also a certified personal trainer. I am a kinesiology major who plans to use her knowledge to help her do more in the fitness industry. She’s a breastfeeding, cloth diapering, essential oil using, gym freak, babywearing, kind of mom. Abigail loves empowering and encouraging women to be who they are and to take pride in that.

The post Honoring Our Military Breastfeeding Mamas appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

They didn’t really mean that they thought that baby was having a hard life. They were saying it as a way to tell the babies that they’re okay. That it’s not that hard to be a baby. Life is easy for you. At least, that’s what I got out of it.

Babies eat, sleep, cry, poop, and lay there.

Really, that’s all they seem to do. they may kind of move around and make funny sounds and faces. Mind you, these are the thoughts of a teenager. But, now that I am a mom, I can totally see how this phrase is totally skewed.

It IS hard being a baby! And I have come up with a small list of reasons as to why:

1. They can’t communicate with you.

Crying is the only way for your baby to tell you that something is wrong, or that they are in need of something. It’s how they let you know that their butt is dirty, or they are freaking starving. Imagine your life, right now, if you had to sit and scream while someone guessed what you needed, and when? You want to eat – but you now need to wait until they go through all the possible choices. But no, adults don’t have to do that, because we can take care of ourselves. We just get up, go to the kitchen, make a sandwich, and enjoy. Babies cannot do this- and that’s why they’re usually screaming at you. And it’s hard.

2. They sit in their own urine or poo.

Unless you are a parent that does Elimination Communication with your babies – we tried it and it’s amazing but we couldn’t dedicate the time – your babies are likely to end up wearing a diaper. Diapers aren’t fun. I mean, I supposed I’ve heard people joke around about how they would love to wear a diaper so they could just go to the bathroom whenever and wherever they wanted. Yeah, a little out there, but to each their own.

Anyhow, babies don’t get a choice. They are just stuck with dirtying their diapers and sitting in it while they wait for one of us to smell it or remember to change them. Not to mention, there’s diaper rash if your grown up isn’t quick to change the diaper. Think about it, sometimes parents forget to change a diaper and the baby is sitting there a little longer than expected. Would YOU like to sit in your poo, and just hang out in it? I mean, some babies don’t actually cry when they’re dirty. But definitely don’t have a choice on whether or not they go.

3. They always get picked up, even if they don’t want to

Hey, sometimes it is pretty awesome to have someone hold you. If I was picked up and carried around all day, that might be fun. But for babies, everyone wants to hold them! They get passed around the room at family gatherings while everyone is waiting in line to hold them. This doesn’t sound bad, does it? You’re right, it’s not really all that bad, but they never get alone time. Some babies might even feel anxiety towards being around people!

An infant can get sensory overload and too much stimulation easily- and it’s not good! I always wondered why my son wouldn’t sleep well on nights that we were out with him a little later than planned. It might have something to do with the fact that he was just so excited about everything around him. But at the same time, there are babies who want completely left alone, so they’re  just “a pain” when you’re out in public. This is why. Being an introvert or an extrovert can start a lot earlier than you think.

4. They Can’t Process Their Feelings Well

Sometimes, babies experience really big emotions. This point might be a little more directed at my toddler than my 5 month old, but it still works in both cases. Their brains aren’t fully developed for a LONG time. The part of their brain where reasoning develops, doesn’t quite complete until they’re young adults. I know that with my toddler, sometimes he just gets so upset and he doesn’t understand why. It’s normal. So, I sit there with him and let him know he’s okay and mommy is there for him.

Read More about parenthood and meltdowns here: Teacher Confessions: after school meltdowns explained

Once he calms down, I’m there with a hug for him. It’s definitely one of the best things I could do for him during those moments, and I’m so glad a good friend of mine shared that tactic with me. As for babies- that’s why they cry and scream and stress us the eff out. They don’t do it in purpose- but they just don’t get it! Their brains are constantly growing and doing new things that it’s just…crazy sauce in there! And here’s where we’re tested…patience is going to be the best coat of armor we can wear during these times!

5. They Can’t Do Whatever They Want

Well, nobody can actually do whatever they want. There are rules and laws and what not. But rules are meant to be broken, right? This kind of goes with number three. If a baby wants to crawl somewhere, suddenly they find themselves picked up. Mobile infants aren’t allowed in certain rooms or on the stairs, so gates are put up. They can’t eat food until about 6 months (we start baby led weaning a little later). And of course, you aren’t allowed to stick things in outlets…okay, the last one was silly.

But seriously, parents and their kids can’t always communicate well with each other, so baby gets picked up, and then they can’t do what they want! Maybe a baby is sitting there thinking

‘I want to move from this swing to that couch and watch a movie with mom and dad.’

Too bad. You can’t move. Can’t work those arms and legs the way you want to yet. WHAT IF THIS WAS YOU?! Yeah, I’d be mad too.

I mean, these are all just simple things to think about when people just say,

“It’s so hard being a baby,” with the ever obvious eye roll
OR
“Oh, you’re okay…”

Because clearly, they are not.

Being a baby is rough. So, just cut the kid some slack and let them be exactly what they are – babies. Have you ever looked at your tiny human and realized just how hard it really is to be a baby? What are some of the toughest things your little one struggles with?

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Abigail Dougherty

A 27 year old from Wisconsin but currently stationed in California with a happy marriage and two rainbow babies. Abigail is currently in the Navy and is also a certified personal trainer. I am a kinesiology major who plans to use her knowledge to help her do more in the fitness industry. She’s a breastfeeding, cloth diapering, essential oil using, gym freak, babywearing, kind of mom. Abigail loves empowering and encouraging women to be who they are and to take pride in that.

The post 5 Reasons Why it’s hard to be a Baby (No- It really is!) appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

That’s where we ended up.

Wet nurse: a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another woman’s child.

In our case, our wet nurse was a friend of mine who was watching my son while I went to work. She breastfed her own daughter, and had an oversupply of milk. When she offered to nurse my son, I wasn’t too sure. But what do we think women did before the 20th century?

Before the times of formula and pumping, women were nursing other women’s babies.

Image Source: DomesticGeekGirl.com

I returned to work at about eight weeks post partum, and that’s when I started pumping. I didn’t pump a large stash before going back to work. Unfortunately, even though I pumped every 2 hours and nursed my son at lunch, but we found out he wouldn’t take a bottle. For a little while we made do because he would end up nursing the entire night and sleep all day. Team no sleep for mama. But he needed more than that.

That’s when my friend offered to help wet nurse.

As weird as it was for me (at first) I was so grateful for the help. It made life easier on me and less stressful. It made life easier on my husband because I no longer freaked out all the time. I could go to work and not worry about the pumping, the clean up, or that my son wouldn’t take a bottle. It was easy on my friend too because she could nurse both her daughter and wet nurse my son at the same time!

A lot of people thought it was weird. They would say, “Why don’t you just give him formula.” Clearly, they didn’t get the issue here.

We made it work. Always do what’s best for your family- which is what we did. I nursed my son at drop off, my lunch break, and when I picked him up. My friend would text me to see when I was coming to make sure she didn’t wet nurse him, in case I was on my way. Once he started eating solids, he needed her less, but the option remained available to him. It felt so wonderful, knowing that he was still getting the breast-milk that I wanted him to get, even if it wasn’t coming from me 100% of the time.

This was all fine, dandy, and pretty wonderful until little man got older.

As he approached his first birthday, we noticed some changes. By all means, a lot of these changes were likely because of development and naturally…growing up. Things like tantrums and not listening to me. But we also noticed that he was becoming more attached to his sitter. She noticed it too- she probably noticed how it made me feel before I did.

When I would go to pick him up after work, he didn’t want to come to me.

He would cry when I would pick him up and when he wanted to nurse, he no longer wanted me to nurse him.

That hurt like hell.

Seeing my own child reach for another woman as if she was his mother broke my heart

I went home on many occasions – crying, telling my husband that I am a horrible mother. I asked him if I made the wrong decision. It’s not a fun place to be in. He constantly reminded me that it is a good thing that our son cared for his sitter. She took care of our baby as if he were her own. He felt safe with her, and could find comfort when I wasn’t around. Yes, that’s all fantastic- but it still hurt me. I’m his mother.

Like I said, my friend noticed how it was making me feel and it took awhile before we finally sat and talked about it. A few tears (okay, a lot) and a glass or two of wine later, we figured some things out. During my lunch breaks, she left with her daughter to the park, or took her upstairs just to do something away from us. She gave us time to just be together. That was actually one of the best things we did. My son and I could re-bond with each other in those 45-60 minute sessions. Even if we weren’t nursing the entire time, it was just him and I, together. Once we were about a month or two away from him turning one, we slowly weaned him from her. We didn’t wean him from breastfeeding completely (he’s still nursing today at two).

We decided that he was mostly eating solids and nursing only in the evenings anyway, that he didn’t need to nurse from my friend anymore. He still got breastmilk in the mornings at drop off, lunch, and at pick up from me, then all evening. He was still getting the milk and he wanted me. I became his comfort and his safe place again.

Would I use a wet nurse again?

The answer to that is: yes. As I sit here writing this post, I am preparing to go back to work again after having my daughter. She will be a little over four months when I go back and she is also not a fan of the bottle. I am not too worried about her favoring the bottle more than the breast anymore. I know what it’s like to not be able to give my baby a bottle at all. But at the same time, I am not stressing out about whether or not my baby will eat. We did a lot of learning the first time and not all babies are the same, even if they are brother and sister. So, who knows what’s going to happen. But we have a better idea and understanding of what could happen and how to help.

The bottom line is: I am incredibly thankful for a friend that was kind enough to offer to help us out. That’s a lot of dedication and strength on her part to nurse two babies at once, one not even being hers. And I am thankful for the fact that my husband and I were both open enough to the idea of using a wet nurse.

You have to do what’s best for you- and for your baby.

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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Abigail Dougherty

A 27 year old from Wisconsin but currently stationed in California with a happy marriage and two rainbow babies. Abigail is currently in the Navy and is also a certified personal trainer. I am a kinesiology major who plans to use her knowledge to help her do more in the fitness industry. She’s a breastfeeding, cloth diapering, essential oil using, gym freak, babywearing, kind of mom. Abigail loves empowering and encouraging women to be who they are and to take pride in that.

The post Why Letting Your Baby Wet Nurse isn’t the End of the World appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

There are a few things that I have noticed with my first baby that I always wondered, ‘do all babies do this?’ It turns out, both of my babies are hilarious and did some of the same things. Granted, they are also very much different, there are some similarities. Breastfed babies are hilarious.

Let’s start with this:

Does anyone remember the hilarious video of the breastfed babies nursing on the other’s cheek?

Totally adorable and hilarious, right? It’s what babies do! Feels like skin – boob. Boob means food.

When I first had my son, I was incredibly worried about breastfeeding. I worried about whether or not he would know how or where to go at it. Babies are insanely smart and have built-in boob finders. The thing is, sometimes they don’t realize if it’s yours or your husband’s.  I couldn’t believe how much my son was trying to get his nipple! Through the shirt, even! Let me tell you, they get really mad when you actually give them the wrong nipple. Don’t do this.

Let’s talk about suction.

Weird topic, right? They have insane suction and will suck up your arm like a vacuum if they think it’s a boob! Raise your hand if you or your spouse has ever gotten a hickey from your baby. Yep, I’ve been there too. My husband would actually let it happen on purpose just so I could finish a shower. My baby may not be nursing but at least they’re being comforted for a few minutes! It’s funny enough that they’re completely okay with that – for just a few minutes until the real thing arrives.

Do we have any co-sleeping parents in here?

We are definitely a bedsharing family. It’s easier on me when it comes to working and actually getting some rest. There’s this super cute, hilarious, and entertaining thing that she does when nursing to sleep at night. Dream-feeding is what I like to call it. Nurse, nurse, nurse – sleep, sleep, sleep and then you hear that cute, little “pop!’ She let’s go and it’s like she’s saying, “I am all done.” That’s not the funny part. As she throws her head back to announce that she’s finished, she slowly brings her head back down to relax. Once her cheek slightly touches the breast and feels any skin, she throws her head back and forth again as if to say,

“MOM. I said I am done. Stop trying to feed me!”

And then, there is the shirt grab and the won’t let go.

Maybe she has a fear of falling, or she’s just making sure she has easy access to the food. Either way, I laugh because she’s got quite the grip!

We also have the boob pillow. All babies love the boob pillow. (Honestly, my husband enjoys the boob pillow too.) If only we could figure out what it feels like…
ANYWAY, this isn’t really that funny but it’s so adorable and I love how comfortable they are when they’re passed out on there. After a satisfying nursing session, it’s crazy that they can just conk out anywhere and drool.

 Ah, the life of a breastfed baby…and even a toddler. 

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

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Abigail Dougherty

A 27 year old from Wisconsin but currently stationed in California with a happy marriage and two rainbow babies. Abigail is currently in the Navy and is also a certified personal trainer. I am a kinesiology major who plans to use her knowledge to help her do more in the fitness industry. She’s a breastfeeding, cloth diapering, essential oil using, gym freak, babywearing, kind of mom. Abigail loves empowering and encouraging women to be who they are and to take pride in that.

The post The Amazing Ways Breastfed Babies Are Hilarious appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

I am so sorry. Even if you’re not a very “judgy” kind of person, we’ve all been there. We have judged another mom or two for how they are parenting their child. In some ways, we may judged them for the way they’re NOT parenting their child.

But to those moms that I looked at before I ever got pregnant, I am sorry.

There are a lot of things my husband and I said we wouldn’t do. We had this idea in our heads that we were going to do our best to be the perfect parents. The kind that people would look up to. What? All of us are a little naive in the beginning! So, I have compiled a list of things I have said and how different everything is.

1. I will never let my child watch TV.

   Let me tell you- with my son, I was dying to get this kid to watch some TV! He’s the kind of kid that would rather run around, not sit still, and scream at the top of his lungs. There is nothing wrong with an active child, but sometimes mama’s got to have a break. Like, going to the bathroom for example. Now that he’s approaching the two-year old mark, he’s watching TV. And you know what? I don’t feel bad about it. Everyday, our “Baby Babble” DVD is playing and it’s helping him and us learn. Thank goodness for friends that introduce you to such things.

2. I will never let my child eat in front of the TV, in the living room.

   This kind of goes with number 1 but this is a big one. When my husband and I got married, we bought a dining room table and said, “We will eat every meal at this table.” Needless to say, that never happened and we ate in the living room all of the time. It is so much easier sometimes, to just sit down on something comfortable and veg out once you’ve finished eating. Now that I have two littles to take care of in the morning, it’s so much easier to get my son his breakfast in front of the TV and then go back upstairs to tend to the baby. Hey, it works for us and I so clearly judged moms too harshly.

3. Babywearing is for hippies.

   I heard about babywearing and thought it might be a good idea. Those buckle carriers from Target sounded perfect. I could wear the carrier to go on all of these hikes (that I never went on) and workout with the baby on my back (which I always do). But those fancy “sash wraps” weren’t going to be my thing. They look all complicated, scary, unsafe, and expensive. Turns out, they’re none of those things. Well, except maybe the expensive thing. Which leads me to 3b. I will never buy a handwoven wrap. Clearly I am a freaking liar. These things are gorgeous and super comfortable. Plus, once you get more involved in this crazy world of babywearing, you learn so much more. Then you get to know what these things are made of and the quality. You learn about different types of carries and you need different sizes to do each carry. It’s a slippery slope, friends.

4. Cloth diapering is gross.
   

   Well… it still is. Especially when they start eating solids and you’re spraying the poo out of them. But the pros outweigh the cons. Now that we have two babies, we are saving more money by cloth diapering than if we were buying disposables all of the time. When my husband and I were thinking of it, it was an instant “no.” Turns out, they’re not still the old school diapers! There are so many different types of diapers which makes things much easier, and they’re totally adorable! Along with my babywearing addiction, I started to have a cloth diapering one as well.

5. I won’t let my child have a meltdown in public.

   As much as I hate meltdowns, I kind of just let it happen. I used to think that I was going to put my foot down when my child screams at a restaurant. He will not be able to “act a fool” and make me look bad. The thing is, I don’t have the best temper and I need to stay calm when my son is having big emotions. If I am going to be angry at him (or her when the time comes) and yell, that just adds to the chaos. How can I expect my child to learn to be calm and reasonable if I am not? I never really heard of “gentle parenting” until I became a mom and it’s actually a good idea.

6. I won’t let my child be the boss of me.

   This is where gentle parenting comes in. A lot of people who don’t understand it, see it as a situation where the child is the boss of the parent. In reality, there’s no boss here. Just parent and child. Trust me, I have my days where I want to scream at my son when he’s throwing himself on the floor, also screaming. Or when he hands me the same book for the 10th time. We need to understand that our kids are developing their minds everyday and it takes a lot longer for them to process things than it does for us! We’re adults and have been doing this for a lot longer. So, I have learned to be patient and gentle…to the best of my ability.

7. I am not going to co-sleep with the baby.

   I’m going to crush the baby! My baby is going to be spoiled! No. My baby will not be spoiled but mama is going to feel amazing because she didn’t have to get out of the bed in the middle of the night. I’m a working mom so once I had gone back to work, just popping a boob out to nurse my son was a life saver. Who really wants to get out of bed in the middle of the night for a feeding? As for being spoiled, my son transitioned to his own bed, in his own room, just fine before his first birthday.

8. I am going to breastfeed until he gets teeth.

   The teeth came and I am still going. Then I said I would do it until his first birthday…he’s turning 2 next month. Turns out, breastfeeding has been such a wonderful journey with my son that I have carried through into pregnancy and post partum with my daughter. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be tandem nursing, but here I am. I grew my children and gave them life with my body and I am still nourishing them with my body. It’s definitely been a beautiful experience and I continue to keep doing this until THEY are ready to be done.

   

   via @lifewithabbyd on Instagram

9. I am going to wear a cover while breastfeeding.

   I don’t wear covers while nursing. It would attract more attention while we were out in public than if I were to whip a boob out. I still cover what I need to but you gotta do what you gotta do. I am feeding my baby and that’s all there is to it. But before I had my son, I wasn’t surrounded by women who breastfed let alone breastfed without a cover. Funny story: I was at a babywearing meeting 2 days before my son was born. It was getting hot in the room so, instead of putting her son down to turn on the fan, she got right up on the table. She stood up there, nursing her son, and turned the fan on. I sat there in awe because I didn’t know you could actually move while nursing a baby, or a toddler for that matter. As you can see, I was pretty much clueless. But I will never forget how I met one of my best friends.

10. Our kids won’t control what we do.

    This is a little different. They don’t control what we do, at all. My husband and I were newlyweds and we didn’t want to just give up our lifestyle. We liked to go out whenever and wherever we wanted. So, we said we wouldn’t let our kids change that. But it did change, and in the best way possible. We choose to stay home with the kids and have found more reasons to just be homebodies with them. We make it out of the house often and get the kids around others but we have made the home a place for all of us to enjoy together.

Found this photo on Facebook and thought it was hilarious, and perfect.

I can’t help but laugh when I look over this list; and I shake my head as I go over more examples in my head. Our former, judgy, childless selves probably look back on pre-motherhood often and just laugh. And that’s really all we can do at this point. It’s not until we are mothers and fathers that we realize that the things we said were ridiculous. So, to the mothers that I silently judged when I didn’t have children, I am so sorry.

And to those reading this who don’t yet have kids, just wait.

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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Abigail Dougherty

A 27 year old from Wisconsin but currently stationed in California with a happy marriage and two rainbow babies. Abigail is currently in the Navy and is also a certified personal trainer. I am a kinesiology major who plans to use her knowledge to help her do more in the fitness industry. She’s a breastfeeding, cloth diapering, essential oil using, gym freak, babywearing, kind of mom. Abigail loves empowering and encouraging women to be who they are and to take pride in that.

The post To The Moms I Judged Before Becoming A Mom appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

So, I’ve compiled a list of resolutions that I’m taking into the new year…and they’re all about my mothering skills. Hey, it’s been rough with a new baby at home and a toddler who likes to scream at me! After I’ve laid down to bed at night, I have time to go over my day in my head and decide if that’s how it should’ve gone.

This also means, you get a sneak peek into my life as mom. Oh boy.

My New Year’s, Mom Resolutions

1. I’m going to be more patient.

I’m not going to throw the book after my son hands it to me to read to him for the 7th time in a row. I should be grateful that he wants to spend time with me. We get cuddles and it’s a wonderful way for me to teach him that isn’t forced. He wants to learn!

2. I’ll let the dishes wait.

I feel like I talk about the dishes- a lot. Well, we go through a lot of them in my house. I need to learn to not be so crazy about cleaning them. Yes, they need to be washed…but my children are more important! If anyone comes over, and my house is a mess, they should understand. If not… Toodles!

3. I’ll take them out more.

This resolution terrifies me. The other day I left the house with both of them by myself, for the first time. I thought I was going to have an anxiety attack. Every few minutes I braced myself, waiting for the moment to strike when my son leaps out of the cart, screaming. After which  people would stare and judge me, while thinking about “what horrible mother” I am. It never happened. But he did get upset, my daughter had to nurse, it was naptime, and I was hungry. I survived. I think next time we go out,  I’ll take them to the park, or go on a long walk. I don’t think we’re quite ready to tackle actual responsibilities like grocery shopping.

4. I’ll stop being anxious.

This isn’t necessarily a resolution for mothering- but more for myself. I want to keep my sanity, to be a better mother. For example, going back to what I talked about in number 3; It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of me when I am out with my kids. If they really think I’m a horrible mom, then that’s fine. You should see how amazing I am at 7am when I’d been up all night and still haven’t had my coffee! We all have our moments and I just need to learn to be okay with that!

5. I will take more time for myself.

This is a big one. I workout all the time…ALL the time. When I had my first, that changed for awhile, until I figured out a way to workout with him. After that, all became right in my world again, fitness wise. But since having my daughter, it’s been SO hard to work out at much as I normally would. The thing is- for a few weeks, I have let myself be okay with sitting around and not doing much. Fitness is a passion of mine and it makes me very happy. It keeps me SANE. There are things we can do as mothers which help us be better mothers.

Sometimes that thing is as simple as taking an hour to go to the gym. Or instead, hang out in the garage and get in a lift session. For me, it’s so therapeutic- and if I am having a bad day, it will help me blow off some steam. In turn, I am a much calmer parent and much more patient with my kids.

Come on, I am not the only one that needs to be more calm!

These are my five main motherhood resolutions which will help me and my children have a smoother transition into the new year!  Are there any parenting new year’s resolutions that you can come up with?

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Abigail Dougherty

A 27 year old from Wisconsin but currently stationed in California with a happy marriage and two rainbow babies. Abigail is currently in the Navy and is also a certified personal trainer. I am a kinesiology major who plans to use her knowledge to help her do more in the fitness industry. She’s a breastfeeding, cloth diapering, essential oil using, gym freak, babywearing, kind of mom. Abigail loves empowering and encouraging women to be who they are and to take pride in that.

The post My New Year’s Mama Resolutions appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

I have an almost 2-year old and a 5 week old. Currently, I am on maternity leave. At first, I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll use this time to get used to the stay-at-home-mom life and prepare for the future.”

I made plans to clean out the garage and organize things to have a garage sale. learning how to sew, finally starting on the scrapbooks and baby books, and I planned on completely rearranging and decorating the master bedroom. I figured, once I became a SAHM, after my contract in the military was up, I’d have so much time to do things.

What the heck was I thinking?!

I barely have time to do laundry! I’m not even joking. Last week, it took me 3 days to finish laundry. Wash, dry, sort, fold…not to mention putting clothes away. Soon a whole week will go by before my laundry gets put away!

From the moment my kids and I get up for the day- to when my husband comes home from work…nothing gets done. Nothing that has to do with housework or taking care of mom, that is.

I spend half the day soothing one crying baby, or another. If I am not dealing with crying children, I am protecting the newborn from the flying objects my almost 2 year old is throwing. Turns out, he’s got a good arm.

Besides that, I’m nursing, changing, rocking, snuggling, and protecting said newborn. Or I am playing, reading, teaching, changing, chasing, tickling, hugging, feeding, or laying my son to sleep.

When does a mom get some time? During naps?

I saw this photo on Facebook and thought,

Holy crap. This is my life.”

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It’s true! Naptime, bedtime, doesn’t matter. Do we stay awake to get things? OR we stay awake to catch up on this week’s episode of Grey’s….or to watch all 6 hours of the new Gilmore Girls. Then when one kid wakes up, you have pause your free-time, and you’re back to being mom. Hey, I’m not complaining- but I’m definitely learning more and more about how to manage my time…and how bad at it I am.

Then dad comes home.

Don’t get too excited. He’s worked all day and he’s tired too. And if you’re ANYTHING like ME, you’ll  feel bad for asking him to do things for you or to help you. So you just take on everything yourself. Lucky for me, my husband is more of the cook around here and he helps with that…and he does dishes too. And he’s hot. Sorry ladies, he’s all mine.

What boggles my mind the most though, is when my husband stays alone with the kids.

For instance, the other day I went to the gym for the first time since having my daughter. He seemed fine when I got back! He didn’t seem frazzled nor . Maybe because I was only gone only a little over an hour- or maybe he’s really that good! Newborn was asleep, toddler was playing well by himself, house wasn’t a COMPLETE disaster, and my husband is watching TV. What?!

Then you have other days where it’s hard enough to pick up the toys. Or the days where your kids are clingy and only want mommy. Okay. The newborn can’t help that. But with both kids attached to you, suddenly that a bottle of moscato sounds reaaaaalllly good at 1 PM… Thank goodness then your husband comes home to rescue you. So you leave for a while to get a coffee and do some grocery shopping, or even just go on a walk. And then you come home.

“Hey honey, how was it with the kids?”

“Great! the dishes are done, I did a couple of loads of laundry, our son is napping, the toys are cleaned up and I’m just relaxing. Oh, and dinner is in the oven. I could do this all day.”

Shut the front door. Anyone else feel like this?!

Sure, I know what you’re all thinking.

‘Gee, this mom is complaining a lot about not having time for things but here she is writing a blog entry instead of doing the laundry that takes her 3 days to finish.’

Joke’s on you. This post took me 5 evenings to write at 10pm or so every night…while nursing my newborn to sleep! So, ha!

The point of this is…someday I’m going to figure it out. And then life is going to throw me another curveball and I’m going to go crazy again. I’m not sure how a lot of other moms do this but more power to them. They have perfectly clean houses (and kids), they workout all the time (I envy you, I love the gym), cook for their husbands, and have their hair and makeup done. Go you! You glamorous and amazing being! I will be in your shoes one day!

But until that day comes, I’ll be the mom with the sweatpants, the “mom bun,” and the two babies in diapers only because…I still haven’t finished the laundry.

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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Abigail Dougherty

A 27 year old from Wisconsin but currently stationed in California with a happy marriage and two rainbow babies. Abigail is currently in the Navy and is also a certified personal trainer. I am a kinesiology major who plans to use her knowledge to help her do more in the fitness industry. She’s a breastfeeding, cloth diapering, essential oil using, gym freak, babywearing, kind of mom. Abigail loves empowering and encouraging women to be who they are and to take pride in that.

The post How Does a Mom Get Anything Done? appeared first on Breastfeeding World.