Bridging the Breastfeeding Gap - Our Stories
"I personally come from a breastfeeding family. My mom breastfed every single one of her children, me included. My sisters all breastfed their babies and so there was never a question of if I would breastfeed..."
"After having an unplanned c-section, I had my son successfully latched right away so I was very optimistic leaving the hospital. After arriving home, my milk was delayed coming in because of the c-section and pain medication I was taking. Couple that with my son taking a liking to dozing off while breastfeeding, he was not getting back to his birth weight as quick as our pediatrician was hoping. I connected with the Lactation Consultant at the pediatrician's office and she was helpful in making sure latch was correct, giving me tips on how to keep him awake while feeding, and texting me words of encouragement along the way. My son made his way back to his birth weight shortly after and that felt like a huge accomplishment! It's amazing what our bodies can do. I wanted to breastfeed my son for the health benefits, but also to strengthen our connection. I can't say it was always easy. It was stressful wondering if he was getting enough food while I was navigating major physical and emotional changes, but I am glad I connected with the Lactation Consultant and continued to breastfeed for as a long as I could. My goal from the very beginning was to give it my best shot and make the best decisions for my baby and me. I did that and am very proud!" Hanna
"Breastfeeding is the bond of love that makes our children healthy, strong and happy” Kenia Halabi
"I breastfed my first for 21 months, staying home with him until six months and working 12 hr days three days a week after that. My husband brought him
up to visit and nurse on work days. With my second I was determined to make it to 2 years, but I was working at a different hospital and went back to
work at 7 weeks after delivery working 12 hour days sometimes four days a week. There was a pumping room but only big enough for one mom at a time
and it was often occupied and I often couldn't take breaks to pump when I needed to so my supply dropped. I latched her as much as possible at home
and on days off but by three months we were supplementing and by seven she didn't want the breast at all and by then I couldn't get more than an ounce
total when pumping. I had no support other than my husband. I gave up." Anonymous
"I knew from being breastfed as a child that I wanted to breastfeed my children. My medical provider provided me with so much information that sparked
my interest that I became obsessed with everything breast! Lol. I had no doubts that this is exactly what I wanted to do and to realize that it’s more of a
mental thing than anything else. New moms, do t be nervous, do your research and don’t pressure yourself. What helped me the most during my 15
months of breastfeeding was the support from my family/friends, my spouse and that feeling of accomplishment, dedication and hard work of being
persistent. The best part of It would have to be me having that feeling of “my baby literally cannot live without me”. The hardest part of breatsfeeding to
me would have to be holding my heavy child in my arms, and of course staying on track with a healthy, milk producing diet." Tam
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"Hello my name is Makayla I am 25 and a mother of a 4 year old and a 2 year old, soon to be 3 in October. I knew from the moment I became pregnant with my first son at age 20 I wanted to breastfeed. I had a lot of people tell me not to be too set on it. That anything can happen. I honestly laughed at them thinking “how hard could it be?” I had a normal pregnancy and labor and gave birth to my son at Beaumont. To my surprise he had an unexpected complication. He was born with 2 collapsed lungs. Because of this he spent a week in the nicu and his first feedings were through a bottle. I was devastated, and to make things worse he then refused to latch no matter what I did. I tried repeatedly. I cried often I felt like a failure. I pumped for the first 6 weeks of his life and one night I was so tired and defeated I said enough is enough. I had to stop for my own sanity. I cried feeling like a failure again, but looking back now I know it was the right choice for me. With my second son I gave birth in a small hospital in lapeer county. This hospital is way outdated. I asked if they had a breastfeeding consultant and they laughed. They immediately were trying to get me to give my son (who had no complications) a bottle just because he was cold. He was cold because they didn’t give us any time for skin to skin as they should. I kept refusing as I knew what introducing a bottle too early did to my first born. Mentally my anxiety was terrible at this time and breastfeeding was not easy. My nipples hurt so bad. I was SO exhausted when he would spend hours and hours a night cluster feeding but I didn’t want to give up. At one point I almost gave up but then I said “one more day” and kept saying “one more day” and then it seemed to suddenly become easier one day. After a while it was so natural and easy and pain free. He is almost 3 and now I’m actually having trouble getting him to stop breastfeeding. But this mamma is done lol. My best advice I can give is don’t give up I promise you it will get easier. But at the end of the day if something happens and you really can’t breastfeed like you had hoped don’t be too hard on yourself. One day you will see the bigger picture that it wasn’t worth crying over. All you can do is try your best." Makayla Colgan
"I had no idea how difficult my breastfeeding journey would be, especially considering it is something that is so natural. It is what our bodies and babies are designed to do. In the hospital I was taught it should be all business and not supposed to be a bonding moment full of caresses. I was in extreme pain and they handled me incredibly roughly trying to get me to express colostrum. Instead of sending a patient specialist to take the time to get baby to latch, I was told baby is not eating give her formula. I carried on trying to feed her at home. Pumping and spoon feeding her. Switching to bottle eventually. I was an emotional mess with no sleep and feeling like a terrible mother and hating the whole experience. My husband's coworker on a whim asked how it was going and mentioned that she went to a support group at a local hospital. So I dragged myself out of the house one Tuesday morning. I walked in and felt lost and terrified and horrible unkempt. However the mom's all welcomed me right away. The lactation consultant spent time with me one on one. And I continued to go for 3 months. Not only to get baby latching on her own, but to have a safe place to talk and ask questions. I still had a hard time. I never knew I never if baby was getting enough. She was colicky and sleep never improved. I was drained but we carried on. That group and those ladies transformed and saved my breastfeeding journey. We are approaching 15 months of breastfeeding and I absolutely love it now. It is not all business to me. It is a moment to pause and connect with my daughter. It helps her relax and feel safe. Now I do my best to educate and support others. I donated some breast milk just yesterday." Anonymous
My breast feeding story is the story of not breast feeding. When I was pregnant with my son I took all the birthing classes, breast feeding classes, etc. I was ready for a beautiful natural birth and to be able to supply my baby with all the nutrition he could need. Things did not go as planned after being induced and attempting to go into labor for 72 hours I had to give birth via c section. The next few days weren't great. My son latched right away he got the colostrum but my body didn't produce anything else for him. He cried for the whole 2 days we were in the hospital. I was in so much pain and breast feeding made it 10x worse. When we got home from the hospital he cried non stop. He had to get checked daily because his jaundice levels were dangerously high. At one point they had to take blood from his arms because his heels were so poked up. He didn't poop or pee for 3 days. But "breast is best" finally I caved and gave my baby formula and he was so calm and relaxed after that. I wish I would have done it sooner! My mom and my sister were unable to breast feed as well. I haven't been checked but it turns out my mom only has one gland to produce milk out of. The other one is missing! I highly suspect my sister and I inherited that from her. I understand that "breast is best" but I want the moms who either can't supply their babies with breast milk or can't handle the stress mentally and physically that it is OK if it doesn't work out! No matter what happens "Fed is best!" We are all amazing mother's no matter how we choose to feed our children! ❤ Please don't take it out on yourself or feel like a failure. Remember "Fed is best" Rebecca
"Happy Breastfeeding Week! Breastfeeding is one of the most beautiful experience I have ever encountered. It is sacrificial yet rewarding to know I am
doing and giving my baby the best! I I have been on this journey now for 10 month with my daughter and the best part for me is the power I've received.
Honestly, I didn't think I would last this long because breastfeeding is hard. However, I realize it’s about taking it one day at time. My only goal was to get
through the day and I cry every time I think about how long it’s been. I believe breastfeeding has giving me the power to finish anything I put my mind
too! All things are possible. I’ve had good, bad, frustrating and tired days but it is the power that works in me to keep going and push forward. My
daughter struggled earlier on with gaining weight and the doctors wanted me to supplement but I wouldn’t because I believed in the power of my body
and what it could do. I even experience a supply dip but I kept going and overcame that obstacles as well. I count every moment as pure joy and I am
proud to be a black breastfeeding mama!!" Tekeyah Gaines
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"My medical department didn’t really discuss breastfeeding with me at all. When I went to his first doctors appointment it was kind of disheartening how they tried to push formula or supplements on me, I kindly declined as my son had no issues with nursing and was gaining weight fine. Knowledge I would suggest is when creating a pumping schedule try to stick to it to empty your breast as much as possible. I started with a pumping schedule I couldn’t keep up with once I went back to work full time once my son was 6 weeks and as a result I ended up with mastitis which was a very challenging time because my ducts ended up having to be cut in one breast. However, there was still light at the end of the tunnel since I still managed to successfully continued to breastfeed until my son was roughly 18 months. I decided to breastfeed as something to try because it wasn’t something that was common among young mothers, I continued to breastfeed because I was meeting all my short term goals and to prove my family wrong that I could do anything I put my mind to. What helped me most and the best part of my journey was seeing how bonded me and my child were opposed to others, his temperament was different then other children his age. I am now expecting my second child and I do intend to breastfeed exclusively again." Anonymous
"I have been breast-feeding my six-year-old and my one-year-old since the days they were born. I always dreamed of tandem breast-feeding before I had children. The best part about breastfeeding is the lifelong health benefits of breastmilk are the best gift I can give my children. I always knew breastmilk was the best food to nourish my children. My mom breastfed me and her mom breastfed her. The bond we share as a result of breastfeeding is also very important. The hardest part about breastfeeding was the beginning challenges of lip and tongue tie revisions, my milk taking 5 days to come in, oversupply, mastitis, and thrush. My commitment to breastfeeding no matter what helped me the most in my breastfeeding journey. My best advice to new moms is to push through any challenges in the beginning and it will get easier and be well worth it. Get lactation support if you need it. I received great community support from Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition. A pediatrician once told me that my son’s difficulty listening to me was because he was still being breast-fed at age 3. (At age 5 he was diagnosed with ADHD and I’m certain his behavior at the appointment with the pediatrician had more to do with his condition.) My hope it that more pediatricians and other medical and non-medical professionals working with moms and children will be increasingly supported in continuing their education of normalizing breastfeeding." Sarah Anthony
"I wanted to breastfeed my son as soon as I knew I was pregnant. I knew it was what was best for our family. I successfully pumped (as he could not latch, yay for flat nipples) until he was 4 weeks old. I got severely sick and hospitalized for a week with several illnesses and had to stop breastfeeding. However, my best friend also had a baby and became my wet nurse. I had enough breastmilk milk for him for the whole year (at least a bottle a day supplemented with formula), we were truly blessed. I would like to break the stigma of a wet nurse. I feel my son has remained healthy due to breastfeeding, he has not had any serious illnesses. I am forever grateful to my best friend for helping me during a rough time and help do what I felt right for my son. It truly takes a village." Teri
"I spent 13 months breastfeeding! It was a tiring but forever rewarding experience! My first 30 hours after giving birth I was met with 3 lactation
consultants. One was extremely helpful and patient. The other two did not ease my concerns at all. I left hopeful but I was soon met with the reality that
this would not be as easy as media had made it seem. I met with my midwife for a 6 week check, by then I was feeling defeated and I was dealing with
extreme postpartum baby blues. I didn’t know it then though. Or rather didn’t want to accept that this baby I wanted so badly had somehow come into my
life and made me feel sad, angry and useless. Before I left that midwife appointment my midwife gave me about a page of tips and tricks to try! I left
determined to meet my goal of successfully breastfeeding! If I could share one thing with moms it would be to remember the that the pump does not and
will never compare to the suction of your baby! So if you only ever pump 3 ounces at a time! YOU ROCK! My daughter would make me feel relief after
just 5 minutes on the breast while it took the pump minimum 15 minutes to feel slight relief after being painfully full. What helped me the most in my
breastfeeding journey is having people encourage me instead of giving advice all the time. The hardest part of breastfeeding, was nursing in public and
cluster feeding. Cluster feeding was simply exhausting to me. Especially once I got back to work it made me even more sad that I could not pump as
much as I wanted. Breastfeeding in public meant most times I had to wear something breastfeeding friendly which wasn’t always what I wanted to wear!
The absolute best part of breastfeeding was knowing I was giving my daughter exactly what she needed at all times and the bond we created!" Roslyn Williams
"I knew I wanted to breastfeed and with both of my children it was a struggle. With my son, in 2013, I had to beg the hospital for a lactation consultant, his
pediatrician discouraged breastfeeding because he was small and not gaining weight as quickly as they anticipated. I was recovering from a c-section,
taking him to the doctor for weekly weight checks, in grad school and working. It was such a stressful and frustrating situation. Lactation consultant
Jennifer Day and my doula Sara-Marie Kuntz were such an amazing support for me during that time. They sent me resources and were a judgment free
space where I could vent and share my struggle, emotions, and fears. I stopped breastfeeding when he was 4months because my supply wasn’t meeting
his feeding demands and I was supplementing more and more. I wish I could have breastfed longer but I’m glad I kept at it as long as I did. When I had
my daughter this year the hospital was very supportive of breastfeeding. A lactation consultant came to my room every day that I was in the hospital. My
daughter was also small and we had to do weight checks but the pediatrician is very supportive of breast feeding and referred me to a lactation
consultant that I saw weekly and I met with Jennifer Day virtually. Again my doula, Elon Geffard this time, and Jennifer Day were so helpful with making
me feel supported and giving me suggestions to increase my milk supply. I went from only pumping an ounce to pumping 4 ounces! I literally cried! I still
supplement when needed because she is a very hungry baby :) but we’re going on 6months now and I don’t plan on stopping breastfeeding until she is
ready. Breastfeeding is hard, it’s work, and sometimes I felt frustrated with my body not producing milk at the same volume as other people.
Breastfeeding comes easy for some people but it didn’t for me and I was down on myself for not having a good milk supply. I feel like parents just need to
feel supported no matter what their feeding choices are and know that they are not alone. It was monumental to have someone like Jennifer, Elon, and
Sara-Marie affirm how I felt and provide meaningful advice and guidance." Sheyonna Watson
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