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Uncategorized | April 15, 2015

The Breastfeeding Diaries: Heather from Mommy by the Sea

Hi! I’m Heather and I blog over at Mommy by the Sea, where I write about things like books, food, fashion, baby gear and adventures with my family.  We’ve had a bit of a whirlwind family, meeting my husband, marrying him 14 months later and welcoming a baby girl 10 months later.  After a little break, we added our little man to the mix and are so happy with where our lives have taken us.
Breastfeeding as been a big part of my world since June of 2011 when I had my daughter. Unlike many of the moms who have guest posted here, I wasn’t sure I wanted to breastfeed.  I knew I’d be going back to work and was nervous about having to pump or transitioning between nipple and bottle.  Had my husband not lost his job 2 weeks before she was born, I may not have attempted nursing like I did. It was a financial necessity, we would not have been able to afford formula. 
The first days were hard. So hard. It hurt even though we had a good latch.  She latched 15 minutes after being delivered completely naturally. Giving birth med free was less painful than her latch. It was just sore and I’d ball my fists every time she would latch because she was just so strong already. My milk took 4 days to come in. I am convinced that I would have given up if I didn’t feel like I had to nurse to save money.
I believe this feeling of obligation contributed to my post-partum depression.  I didn’t see the beauty of what I was able to do; I only saw the shortcomings of our bank account and piled more pressure on myself to do well with breastfeeding. Returning to work as a busy restaurant manager was not easy and finding time to pump was near impossible, but I did it. And then all of a sudden, she turned a year old and we were done.  Ironically, my husband got a new job at the same time.
Shamefully, I was happy to be done.  It meant no more breast pumps and 20 minutes locked in the restaurant office while I ate my food over my expressing milk.  And while there was no actual correlation between breastfeeding and my husband’s employment, it just felt right that he was working again and I wasn’t nursing anymore. 
However, after we stopped nursing, I realized how much I missed those moments with my daughter. Our special one on one time.  The realization that her growth was a direct result from my amazing body. I cried because it was over. 
Fast forward 2 years and we decided to have another baby and decided that this was it. Two babies for our family and I knew I wanted to breastfeed this one. I wanted a completely med free birth and skin to skin and I wanted to breastfeed and just soak in every minute of my baby. Then we found out he was breech and I would have to have a c-section. I was devastated; it was like if I couldn’t have the birth I wanted, then nothing would work out.
Thankfully, little man arrived as expected, sticking his little breech feet out first and coming into the world ready to nurse.  He latched before the doctors had finished stitching me back up.  He nursed and it no longer hurt, it was my moment with my little guy.  My last first latch. My milk came in the first day and he had already started to put weight back on by the second day. We were designed to breastfeed together.
I was lucky enough to spend 4 months at home before returning to work and in that time I stockpiled milk in the freezer.  I wanted to give this little guy everything I could.  I was so diligent and enthusiastic that when I returned to work as a high school English teacher in September, I had 400 oz in my freezer.
I would nurse in the morning, pump 10-12 oz on my prep period, nurse when I got home at 3 and then continue nursing throughout the evening and night.  I was pumping more than he was consuming and soon had over 500 oz in my freezer. 
Knowing how hard it can be to breastfeed, I wanted to do good with my milk and underwent the process to become a human milk donor. The process of questionnaires and blood work was so worth it when I carried 300 oz to the NICU unit of my local collection site.  Not only was I going to help my little one thrive, but I’d be helping dozens of others. 
I helped my daughter learn about breastfeeding.  At only 3 years old, she will yell “Mommy, Baby Ty needs boobie milk!” or will walk around with a stuffed animal down her shirt, or will cry  a bit when she realizes that she doesn’t have boobie milk to feed her babies yet. Her comfort with nursing really helped me realize how comfortable I was this time around. I didn’t have to do it; I wanted to.
My little guy is nearing his first birthday in just 3 short weeks and it makes me sad.  This is it for my breastfeeding journey.  I stopped pumping 2 months ago but  nurse on demand in the evening and at night and still I know that the time is quickly running out on his first year.  
I know that once again when we are done nursing I will cry.
The first time I cried because I had missed the value of my breastfeeding experience, and now I will cry because I will miss my breastfeeding experience.  I will miss the snuggles and the content milk comas.  I will miss the look of pure joy when dropping off milk donations. I will miss those moments but I know the relationship I have with my children through this special bond will last forever.
Thank you so much for letting me share my story!

Be sure to catch up with the rest of the Breastfeeding Diaries at the top of my navigation bar.


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Comments

  1. bev says

    April 16, 2015 at 12:35 am

    Such a nice story of two very different experiences with breastfeeding.Kudos to you for being a milk donor!

    • Heather G says

      April 16, 2015 at 1:16 am

      Thank you! It was such an amazing experience!

Uncategorized | February 19, 2014

The Breastfeeding Diaries: Heather from Live Love Laugh

My name is Heather and I blog over at Live Love Laugh. I currently have a 4 month old baby girl (Riley) who is exclusively breastfed. Riley is a happy girl and loves nursing. She will also take a bottle of breast milk. Even though Riley is my second child this is my first time breastfeeding. Her Brother (3.5 yo) was a preemie and didn’t take to the breast because he was in the NICU and has always had feeding issues. I pumped for 5.5 months so he could have breast milk in a bottle, supplimented with preemie formula for extra calories. I was happy that I pumped with him so he could have breast milk but pumping day after day was exhausting and I ended up hating it.

This is my experience with nursing. I fully support a moms right to nurse or use formula and do what they feel is right for there family. I really wanted to nurse after not being able to nurse my oldest. I believe it’s the best thing for baby to have breast milk and I wanted that bond with her.

Riley eats every two hours during the day, almost like clockwork. She sleeps 8-9 hours at night, nurses, then goes back down for another 2-3 hours. After her morning nursing I pump to get all the milk out, I’m quite full in the morning. I have been able to freeze a large stash of milk for bottles. My supply has been excellent. I am fortunate to be a SAHM so I can nurse her all day, most days. We waited until one month old to introduce a bottle and I’m happy she does well with that so I am able to be gone for more than 2 hours if needed.

The bond that nursing has created is amazing. It’s only something I can provide to my daughter and the time we get together is so special to me. Even in the beginning with the late night/early am feedings it was nice to be just her and I in the quiet house, it helped me fall more in love with her.

I was surprised at how natural breastfeeding was. I was nervous at first that it would be weird but it feels so natural. Even nursing in public (with a cover) was easy for me!I never grew up around women who nursed and was never exposed to it as being ‘normal’ but I really support the normalize breastfeeding movement. I want to be able to nurse her anywhere (with cover) and make it normal for us.
Although I found breastfeeding this time to be easier, it was difficult in the beginning because she wouldn’t latch. She ended up dropping her 10% body weight before we left the hospital and they were about to add formula to her diet. I worked with a lactation consultant, stating using a nipple shield, and she caught on at 5 days old. She then gained over a pound in 2 days. We never had to give her formula. We are still using the nipple shield which is hard, I always have to make sure they are with me and clean otherwise she won’t eat. 

I wish that more women would talk about the struggles of nursing, and the joys. I didn’t expect the beginning to be so hard. I am lucky that I have a very supportive husband and I had great help in the hospital, and after. I can see how women throw in the towel, it’s hard. I am really glad I stuck with it and now have a  successful nursing relationship with Riley. It was hard to admit that I have no clue what I’m doing and I needed help but I’m so glad I did. Nursing may be ‘instinct’ but it’s something new and you have to learn. My advise for new moms is to keep at it and ask for help. And keep asking for help. Have a support team. My husband is very supportive and helps in any way he can. He supports my nursing and has been my cheerleader along the way.

Want to share your breastfeeding story? I would love to have you! I am currently booked out until October 2014….but don’t let that scare you! You can still reserve your spot now! And if you are currently pregnant and think you might try breastfeeding let me know….I feature ALL types of stories, breastfeeding or not, so we can even reserve a spot for you! Email me at thegirlintheredshoes @ gmail. And be sure to check out the rest of the Breastfeeding Diaries series at the top of my navigation bar. 


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Comments

  1. "B" says

    February 19, 2014 at 1:42 pm

    I am so surprised to hear how many people the nipple shields helps. I had never heard or seen one before I had my daughter. She was the same way, could not latch on without it. Eventually, around 6 months we were able to drop the shield and she is still nursing at 21 months old. (She'll wean eventually, right?)

  2. Heather (Live.Love.Laugh.) says

    February 19, 2014 at 2:16 pm

    Thanks for including me in the bf-ing diaries. Riley has since stopped using the shield, on the right side. Why only the right?!? LOL Not sure but it's a step forward!! She started solids and loves food but is still nursing strong!

  3. Classy Fab Sarah says

    February 19, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    So happy to read Heather's story on here!! Love her blog!

  4. Ali says

    February 19, 2014 at 4:11 pm

    Riley is adorable! I'm glad that breastfeeding has gone so well for you!

  5. Zoe {The Latina Lens} says

    February 19, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    Yeah! I love a breastfeeding story with a happy ending!

  6. Ashley P says

    February 19, 2014 at 11:55 pm

    If I ever get pregnant (darn infertility) I plan to breast feed. It's totally something I missed out on with my daughter (she's adopted) but we were still able to create a bond. What is a nipple shield?

    You can find me blogging about "Life on the Parsons Farm" : atparsons.blogspot.com

  7. {Jessica} says

    February 22, 2014 at 12:19 am

    I had no idea what a nipple shield was before I had my son and we had some issues with breastfeeding. He is now 9 months old and we STILL use the shield! It's the only way we are able to breastfeed, so I figure if that's the way it has to be then it's better than not being able to breastfeed! A lot of moms are not even sure what the shields are, and it makes me sad because I think they can be very helpful to new moms who have trouble getting their babies to latch or who experience a lot of pain while breastfeeding. Thank you for sharing your story!:)

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