“i always knew i wanted to breastfeed, but as a new mom i was never educated about what all comes with it, what to expect, or challenges that could arise. so when i had kai i nursed him, and it hurt!  but i thought that was normal.”

world breastfeeding week and we celebrate all month!

 it’s world breastfeeding week and i wanted to share alli’s story. you know how i love a story! we met for the first time about a year ago during this same week to take some photos of her nursing her first baby. it was such a sweet time together. she is an amazing person. here is her story along with the struggles and joys. she is real in her words and she loves to encourage others.

“that night the nurses would wake me up every 2 hours to nurse him but each time he just wanted to sleep. by the time our discharge day came it hurt so bad to nurse him, i couldn’t express anything and he was getting so hungry, i broke down crying.

 the lactation consultants were less than helpful, they just showed me how to use my pump and 1 or 2 positioning techniques. and i finally had to beg them to let me give him some formula because he was so hungry. and they did so grudgingly and left, and didn’t come back. and after four days my milk finally came in!

our challenges didn’t stop there, it still hurt to nurse and i discovered by my own research that he had a tongue tie, and when i brought it up to our pediatrician she said it would stretch out.

a few weeks later he started to get colicky. tummy was full of air and would scream and scream. after some x-rays and talking with his pediatrician we decided he must not be able to tolerate dairy, so if i wanted to keep breastfeeding i would have to cut dairy out of my diet completely until he was at least 6 months old. so i did, determined to feed him the best thing i could and after a few weeks he got better.

with consistency and dedication i have been able to feed my child ( who is much larger, 27 lbs, and eats more than average for his age) plus i have been able to donate 1300 ozs to local mamas and i have about 600 oz in my freezer now

i self taught myself most everything, and i’m sure if i wasn’t as stubborn as i am, i would have likely given up at some point. which is what so many mamas do, because of the lack of support and education during that time! it hasn’t been easy but we are going strong at 10 months and i fully plan to keep going as long as he wants!”

would you want to share your breastfeeding stories? i would love to hear them. want to meet up and i bring my camera? email me: hello@grammiedoula.com

more about grammie doula:

want to know more about my breastfeeding journey? read it here. are you interested in saving some breastmilk for jewelry? here is more information.

i offer in-person and virtual postpartum doula support in sw virginia and my clients call me “grammie doula”.  i have 25 years as a labor and delivery nurse and then 10 years as a birth photographer.

i am a mom to 3 grown children, 6 grandchildren and a baby in heaven. i live in a cabin in the woods with my gray-bearded husband and two pets that prefer his company over mine!   laura