31 Days of Breastfeeding Journeys | Day 22 | World Breastfeeding Week 2016
"Ever since I can remember, I've longed to become a mother- to have the experience of my body carrying a baby, the experience of my body feeding that baby. Striving to let go of expectations in order to fully experience what is, I told myself (and others, when they asked) that I "wasn't going to be crazy" about trying to make breastfeeding work if it wasn't...secretly hoping and maybe believing that it would magically click as it had seemed to for all the other women in my family.
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Well...it didn't. Baby boy arrived early and we struggled with tongue and lip ties, inefficient suck, and barely adequate milk supply. While giving birth had brought me a newfound awe of my body, the struggles of breastfeeding brought frustration, anger, and pain- both physical and emotional. And indeed, I found myself willing to try anything in the hopes of making breastfeeding work.
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Several lactation consultants, days (weeks!) of nothing but nursing, occupational therapy, tongue exercises, pumping...and more pumping, support groups, and more-supplements-than-I've-ever-taken-in-my-life later, I'm infinitely grateful to hear the suck-pause-swallow, his little hand clasping my shirt, belly across my skin, eyes locked on mine. Each day he gets a little bigger...heavier (bittersweet!) and I'm finally who I've always longed to be, soaking it in." ~Jules
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