After three months of tireless effort, I quit The Pump Co. My best friend is on her eighth month breastfeeding her second child. Both journeys are marked by different challenges and lots of love.
Thank you for sharing your breastfeeding story! It’s amazing that it is so hard for so many moms. So many of my mom friends had trouble too. I only knew one mom that had no issues. Why does Mother Nature make it so hard!? I only made it about 7 months and my goal was at least a year. Looking back I probably should have stopped earlier because it was so hard on my mental health. I pumped all day and night and was exhausted. I did triple feeding for many months (breastfeeding, pumping and bottle feeding) and later learned that it is only recommended to do that for a short period because it is so hard on the mom. I agree that we should not tell another mom how to feed their baby. I had people tell me they thought I should stop breastfeeding and it was so hard to hear their opinions. I would love to submit my story. How long is it open for?
I’m just now seeing your comment! Send you another response on the Note — thank you for reading and for sharing this 🩵 Seven months is a LONG time, I hope you feel proud of yourself! The more we can read about these experiences, the more resources we can share and hopefully more we can feel less shocked by the difficulty. Triple feeding is NO JOKE. Happy you’re feeling better 🫶🏻
Thank you! I am feeling better and do feel proud. I should not say “only made it”. That is a long time! It felt like an eternity. My husband was off work for 6 months so that helped a lot but once he went back to work it became unmanageable.
So nice to read a piece on breastfeeding that goes into the specifics. I was shocked by how logistically difficult it was, but also by the life-altering amount of time it took — and how little comprehensive education there was — it’s a whole new skill set that even my prenatal and lactation classes didn’t fully cover.
Thank you for this kind comment! 🫶🏻 Yes to the TIME — it completely ate my entire day. I’m totally with you on all of this. Seems almost all of us are in the same boat — hopefully we’ll be able to use our experiences to provide more resources for the next new mothers 🙏🏼
This is brilliant so let me apologise right now for this being the bit that I can't get past, but HOW big were your boobs??? WOW. I suffer with oversupply too so can relate to all of your oversupply woes except this one, luckily my boobs stayed a relatively normal size 😅 how did you survive??
Omg it was honestly one of the worst parts. I couldn’t do anything! Nothing fit, I couldn’t even try to do any type of movement, they were gargantuan in the worst way 🤣 Kindred Bravely sports bras were my only semi-solution and that was still uncomfortable LOL
Yes!!! Once my milk dried up they have since deflated and are almost smaller than before 😵💫 hopefully if I get pregnant again they don’t do the same thing lol
Such validating experiences — thank you so much for sharing! I’m going on 11 months of exclusively breastfeeding with so many ups and downs along the way. I’m so in awe of women as I navigate all of this knowing countless others have shared in my struggles. Here’s to well fed babies and the moms who feed them (in any way they choose)!!
11 months!!! 👏🏼 INCREDIBLE. Thank you so much for reading — I hope your struggles have been minimized as much as possible as you continue breastfeeding 🫶🏻 And YES to happy, fed babies!
Thank you guys for this wonderful follow up article! Part one was a balm to my new mom soul and this one is no different.
My daughter will be one month old tomorrow and I got a notification this morning from the tracking app I use that I’ve breastfed for 156 hours since she was born 30 days ago! No wonder I’m so freaking tired.
My experience before we left the hospital with lactation consultants was so hit and miss. One lactation consultant stayed in my room for almost two hours while I was delirious with exhaustion and not able to take in the fire hose of information. I had no idea that my anatomy and my baby’s could be so in conflict with each other. I had to push really hard to get my daughter’s doctors to fix her “moderate” tongue tie even though I was bleeding from my nipples on day two of being a mom. Ultimately, the nursing mom’s support group I’ve been able to attend at the hospital has been the key to continuing my breast feeding journey, for now. It has been eye opening for me to understand how much privilege (in terms of time and access to resources) it can take to be able to stick it out when a breastfeeding person is facing functional challenges.
Thank you for this sweet message and for sharing a little more about your own story! 156 hours is amazing, I hope you’re super proud of yourself! 💥 I’m glad you’ve been able to find some reprieve with the nursing group despite the overwhelm after birth — it seems most of the best advice comes from other moms who have tried everything under the sun. All my BF friends have said it gets easier every month, so hopefully that rings true to you as well 🙏🏼
Thank you for sharing your breastfeeding story! It’s amazing that it is so hard for so many moms. So many of my mom friends had trouble too. I only knew one mom that had no issues. Why does Mother Nature make it so hard!? I only made it about 7 months and my goal was at least a year. Looking back I probably should have stopped earlier because it was so hard on my mental health. I pumped all day and night and was exhausted. I did triple feeding for many months (breastfeeding, pumping and bottle feeding) and later learned that it is only recommended to do that for a short period because it is so hard on the mom. I agree that we should not tell another mom how to feed their baby. I had people tell me they thought I should stop breastfeeding and it was so hard to hear their opinions. I would love to submit my story. How long is it open for?
I’m just now seeing your comment! Send you another response on the Note — thank you for reading and for sharing this 🩵 Seven months is a LONG time, I hope you feel proud of yourself! The more we can read about these experiences, the more resources we can share and hopefully more we can feel less shocked by the difficulty. Triple feeding is NO JOKE. Happy you’re feeling better 🫶🏻
Thank you! I am feeling better and do feel proud. I should not say “only made it”. That is a long time! It felt like an eternity. My husband was off work for 6 months so that helped a lot but once he went back to work it became unmanageable.
So nice to read a piece on breastfeeding that goes into the specifics. I was shocked by how logistically difficult it was, but also by the life-altering amount of time it took — and how little comprehensive education there was — it’s a whole new skill set that even my prenatal and lactation classes didn’t fully cover.
Thank you for this kind comment! 🫶🏻 Yes to the TIME — it completely ate my entire day. I’m totally with you on all of this. Seems almost all of us are in the same boat — hopefully we’ll be able to use our experiences to provide more resources for the next new mothers 🙏🏼
This is brilliant so let me apologise right now for this being the bit that I can't get past, but HOW big were your boobs??? WOW. I suffer with oversupply too so can relate to all of your oversupply woes except this one, luckily my boobs stayed a relatively normal size 😅 how did you survive??
Omg it was honestly one of the worst parts. I couldn’t do anything! Nothing fit, I couldn’t even try to do any type of movement, they were gargantuan in the worst way 🤣 Kindred Bravely sports bras were my only semi-solution and that was still uncomfortable LOL
Did they ever go back to their normal size? I’m so sorry this happened to you 🤣
Yes!!! Once my milk dried up they have since deflated and are almost smaller than before 😵💫 hopefully if I get pregnant again they don’t do the same thing lol
Such validating experiences — thank you so much for sharing! I’m going on 11 months of exclusively breastfeeding with so many ups and downs along the way. I’m so in awe of women as I navigate all of this knowing countless others have shared in my struggles. Here’s to well fed babies and the moms who feed them (in any way they choose)!!
11 months!!! 👏🏼 INCREDIBLE. Thank you so much for reading — I hope your struggles have been minimized as much as possible as you continue breastfeeding 🫶🏻 And YES to happy, fed babies!
Thank you guys for this wonderful follow up article! Part one was a balm to my new mom soul and this one is no different.
My daughter will be one month old tomorrow and I got a notification this morning from the tracking app I use that I’ve breastfed for 156 hours since she was born 30 days ago! No wonder I’m so freaking tired.
My experience before we left the hospital with lactation consultants was so hit and miss. One lactation consultant stayed in my room for almost two hours while I was delirious with exhaustion and not able to take in the fire hose of information. I had no idea that my anatomy and my baby’s could be so in conflict with each other. I had to push really hard to get my daughter’s doctors to fix her “moderate” tongue tie even though I was bleeding from my nipples on day two of being a mom. Ultimately, the nursing mom’s support group I’ve been able to attend at the hospital has been the key to continuing my breast feeding journey, for now. It has been eye opening for me to understand how much privilege (in terms of time and access to resources) it can take to be able to stick it out when a breastfeeding person is facing functional challenges.
Thank you for this sweet message and for sharing a little more about your own story! 156 hours is amazing, I hope you’re super proud of yourself! 💥 I’m glad you’ve been able to find some reprieve with the nursing group despite the overwhelm after birth — it seems most of the best advice comes from other moms who have tried everything under the sun. All my BF friends have said it gets easier every month, so hopefully that rings true to you as well 🙏🏼