Our Breastfeeding Journey

13 months. That's how long I was able to breastfeed Nolan, even with 4 of those months being pregnant. If you ask me, that's some sort of accomplishment!

When I was pregnant and people would ask if I was going to breastfeed, I would reply "I'm going to try!" You see, I knew that it wouldn't be easy. I knew there would be days that I would want to throw in the towel. But, I also knew that breast milk is nature's best milk for baby... and I knew that I wanted to give my baby the absolute best start I could. I was also realistic in that it's not for everyone. But I knew I wanted to try. And I knew I was bull-headed and would give it my absolute best.

For the most part, we had a really easy time. I never developed mastitis, clogged ducts, or even thrush (though at one point I was certain I had all three, lol). I never had to go back to work, so I didn't have to worry about pumping enough to sustain his appetite while I was away. In fact, he's maybe had 5 bottles his entire life. I did have an oversupply at one point along with a forceful letdown, but we worked through it. Overall, we were pretty lucky!

I requested immediate skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding after his birth but sadly, it didn't happen. I had some complications that they were required to deal with which sent him to the nursery while they fussed over me. And then once he was in the nursery and had his bath, he had a hard time keeping up his body temperature. And then once I finally got him (some 4+ hours later!) everyone wanted their chance to hold him. So, our first breastfeeding attempt was probably around 5-6 hours after he was born. He did great! I remember telling people that he was an eating champ.

The first month or so was definitely the worst. He was born with a small fluid-filled cyst under his tongue which hindered his ability to get a good latch. It hurt me but he gained like a champ and was thriving and to me, that was enough to push through. Eventually we got the hang of it. I even learned to nurse in public/with people around and do it discreetly. I quit hiding in my room every 2 hours to feed him (though that was a nice excuse at the beginning to get some snuggle time) and we learned to nurse laying down so that I could get more rest at night. He was growing and I, single-handedly, was doing that. If you ask me, that's pretty incredible.

I never had a "goal" in mind. I just knew I really didn't want to have to buy formula. Have you checked out those prices? Wow-wee! At first I said "until maternity leave is over" (which was going to be 2 months, before we moved back to Ohio). Then, I said "until he is 6 months." That turned into 9 months, which turned into one year, which turned into self-weaning.

Truth be told, I'm pretty sure he'd still be nursing if I wasn't pregnant. When you are pregnant, the hormones change the flavor of the milk and it's hard to keep up with milk production in general. When I found out I was expecting I really really hoped to make it to one year, and although we had cut back to 2-3 times a day by that point, we made it.

We nursed for the last time on his 13 month birthday. I knew it was coming, and I was okay with it by that point. We had slowly been taking out one session per day at a time and we were down to mornings only. I knew he wasn't getting much anymore and he seemed okay with it, so that made me okay with it. I do feel like I "gypped" him a little bit by being pregnant and maybe not letting him fully wean himself, but it is what it is. I am so incredibly proud to have breastfed for 13 months and to have provided Nolan with all of the wonderful benefits of breastfeeding. :)

I am a huge proponent of nursing. I encourage all pregnant moms to "give it a try." I know it's not for everyone, but I can personally think of 3 friends that I encouraged along the way who wouldn't have otherwise kept at it... and who love it as much as I did. If you are currently thinking about breastfeeding, give it a try! It is a wonderful bond between momma and baby and if you can just get through those first couple of rough weeks, I promise it gets easier. Check out kellymom.com for more information. It helped me more times than I can count!

My friend Lindsey (who is also a BFing momma) was kind enough to snap some pictures during a recent family photo shoot when I had to stop to feed the babe. Although I don't intend to frame these, put them on FB, or really do anything with them... it's awesome to be able to have these to remind myself of the wonderful journey we had together. I will absolutely breastfeed in the future, and I encourage all of you to do it as well! :)