When I sat on my living room floor and did the google search that led me to Laid Back Lactation all those months ago, it was because I felt like there was no one in my small world that understood what I was feeling. I can’t express how differently I feel now that I’m on the other side of this experience.
Yes, breastfeeding is 99.9% about two people: you and your baby. But what I have learned these past 5 months is that who makes up your .1% makes all the difference. How thankful I am to have found the very best in all of these amazing mothers who have shared their journeys with me.
I am beyond thankful for the community that Allyson, Elizabeth, and Jen have created through this group. I am beyond thankful for the knowledge they share, and the space they hold to allow us to share. And most important, I am beyond thankful for the simple emotional support they, and the community at large, supply. There are tears, there are laughs, there are smiles, and there are rants. No topic is off limits, and everyone—no matter their journey—is welcome.
Nursing became our bonding time. It became the thing that made my child content—even if it did not last long. It was my one success story. The one thing I felt like I was doing right. And I was NOT going to give it up.
I only pump 4 times a day now that I'm back at work and I feel like a pro. I'm super proud that I've fed my tiny humans with my own body and even more proud of myself for sticking it out. I've done it all at this point-nursed, tandem nursed, pumped, bottle fed, used formula—and I have two chunky happy babies to show for it
"Now my baby is 4 months old and I find myself being the one to reassure new moms that it may really suck right now but it gets better and they don’t have to do it alone."
