31 Days of Breastfeeding Journeys | Day 31 | World Breastfeeding Week 2016
"I think most women assume that breastfeeding is going to be this natural thing, the baby comes out and knows what to do just by nature. I never dreamed that it would be such a learning experience. Of all the things I worried about leading up to the days when my sweet Gloria would be born, breastfeeding was the least of my worries. Needless to say, it did not come as easy for us as I assumed it would. We struggled, and cried, and sought help.
I'm tearing up just thinking about those early days in our breastfeeding journey. The woman at Upper Chesapeake are wonderful, I can't sing their praises enough. They never gave up on us and if it wasn't for their guidance, we never would have made it. I'm so grateful to them. Initially we struggled with a bad combo of my flat nipples and Gloria's tongue tie. We got her tongue clipped while still in the hospital and we were issued a nipple shield to help get around my flat nipple issue. As if learning to breast feed wasn't challenging enough, lets through a nipple shield into the mix. I kid, that nipple shield gave us the start that we needed.
Attending what I like to call, "Boob Group," at Upper Chesapeake two days a week and sometimes extra meetings when we would hit a snag, was the next leg in our journey. Not only did they help me with all of our breastfeeding issues, they also gave me guidance with other new mom problems, like the discovery of Gloria's soy/diary protein aversion, and pointing me in the right direction to get us help. While we were home without face to face assistance we had the help of several on-line support groups. The best thing about these groups is that no matter what time of day or night you are having an issue, there is someone else also up feeding their baby and able to give you feedback and call you down from the ledge. We really do seem to have this whole community.
By three months we were finally able to wean off the nipple shield, an unbelievable triumph. We struggled for so long that I can't even remember when the shoe dropped, but one day it just clicked. Breastfeeding was no longer a challenge and became time that we could enjoy together, bonding. I was recently talking to one of the Lactation Consultants who helped me the most through the chaos, as in the process we've become friends. She told me that I was one of the toughest cases that she's come across, but she and I are just hard headed enough that we were going to make it happen, and we did. I love Jodi to pieces, she has been such a wonderful friend, I don't know what I would do without her.
Now the hurdle that lies ahead is with the expectancy of our second child. Right now we're trying to get through breast sensitivity while 22.5 month old Gloria still nurses 1-4 times a day. My long term concern is when the new baby is born and I have to learn how to juggle them both in a tandem feed. Though just as we did in the beginning, we'll get through it with the help of all the supports available to us." ~Krissy
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