World Breastfeeding Week

Me and Henry, 1 month old

Throughout my pregnancy, there were many choices that Wesley and I really had to think about.

Breastfeeding was not one of them.

It was something that we both feel very strongly about and something I have known for several years that I needed to do for my children.

We were fortunate to have a lot of resources available to us in our community, and we were able to take a good breastfeeding class whenever I was around 35 weeks pregnant.

Wes and James, breastfeeding class faces.

After Henry arrived, breastfeeding was not exactly as I had imagined, despite my immediate love for it. We had some small issues with his latch in the beginning and had to work at his sucking reflex, then later had to work through some problems with overactive letdown, but nothing major. I felt prepared for these type of problems and had an excellent lactation consultant, so with some manuvering, a lot of love and a little effort these problems were overcome.



Henry, after making a good effort to latch on to Wes.

The problems that really threw me the most started with simply feeling a lack of support for breastfeeding anywhere but in my own home, and grew into feelings of shame and insecurity that eventually turned into body issues and questions of self worth. It was a crazy time for me. I wish I had been as informed about sources of emotional support as I was about technical support.

I am, in general, not a truly modest person. While I was pregnant I assumed I would have no problem breastfeeding wherever I needed to, and up until Henry was almost three months old that was the case. We started adventuring out more then since we were more comforable in our routine, and that's when I really started feeling like I was embarassing people I love and doing something lewd and unseemly. Offhand comments and averted eyes were getting under my skin and staying there, and if I didn't have such a supportive husband and KNOW without question I was doing the best thing for my son I'm not sure I would have kept at it. I struggled for months until I got my confidence back.

Natural Born Chillers.

So to sum up the point I am making...

No matter how we choose to feed our kiddos, they deserve the right to be fed, without crappy comments or raised eyebrows, as needed--not just in the car or under a blanket.

Please help raise awareness and support breastfeeding mamas. It is such a wonderful and rewarding experience. And because, bottle or breast, it really is just babies eating and mothers doing the very best they can for their little ones.