I wrote this blog at MomsRising.org in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week this week. -Elisa
Even though my mother raised four children at a time when formula was considered superior to breastfeeding – hence why we were all bottle-fed – I always knew I would breastfeed my children.
I remember taking early childhood development courses as part of my work in AmeriCorps in the late ’90s, and it made sense to me that breasts were for nursing babies. I knew there were antibodies in breast milk that were not replicated in formula.
Fast-forward 5 years when I became a mother at the age of 26. Breastfeeding was not intuitive for me. At. All. While I have heard of plenty of stories by women who had no trouble breastfeeding, I found myself awkwardly positioning my newborn son’s head to the breast, and constantly ringing the nurses to help me. They would grab my nipple – areola and all – and stuff the whole thing into the baby’s mouth. Ouch!
Two weeks later at home, I had chafed nipples and even then I worried whether my son was receiving enough nutrition. At his weigh-in, the pediatrician assured me my chunky boy was getting more than enough to eat. I am grateful that I had the time to overcome this learning curve, which is why paid family leave is so important for new mothers.
Once I got the hang of nursing – about a month to two months later – I breastfed like a pro everywhere. I could nurse standing up. I even nursed while using the bathroom and talking on the phone at the same time! Breastfeeding was so convenient that I did so for nine months.
I know that various organizations from the American Academy of Pediatrics to the World Health Organization have set benchmarks for nursing. But as I always tell new mothers, I took it one day at a time. I lived in the moment and enjoyed my baby.
This approach allowed me to nurse my second child, a daughter, for an entire year in spite of the rocky start (again). I had cracked bleeding nipples, and even a few bouts of mastitis – a painful breast infection that comes with a fever – that sent me to the doctor for antibiotics. I paid a lactation consultant $90 to see what I was doing “wrong.” She said that my nursing technique was fine, so I took my antibiotics, went back to work and successfully pumped, giving my daughter a year’s worth of breast milk.
I don’t regret nursing my children and actually enjoyed some of the more quiet and tender moments. It sure was convenient, especially during middle of the night feedings. But I can see how it would be nearly impossible without support at home and the workplace.
