World Breastfeeding Week

While World Breastfeeding Week is coming to an end, I feel compelled to share my breastfeeding story.  Breastfeeding is something very near and dear to my heart.  When I got pregnant with my daughter, I didn't know much about breastfeeding, but I already knew how much I wanted to do it.  The more I researched, the more I loved it.  I took a breastfeeding class at 8 months pregnant and even thought about becoming a lactation consultant before even having my child.  One of my biggest fears was knowing how much I wanted to breastfeed my daughter, but not being able to.  After Alicia was born, nursing her was not easy.  She didn't have a good latch and it was very painful.  I cried through so many of her first feedings.  My husband was such an amazing supporter of me wanting to breastfeed despite the pain I was in.  He would sit with us to help me relax and to help her get her latch right when I was too tense to even move because it hurt so bad.  I'm so grateful for that time we had together.  Her pediatrician assured me that the pain normally disappears by the time babies are 2 weeks old.  When that 2 week mark hit, it was GLORIOUS!  It didn't hurt anymore!  She latched correctly ever time!  Pain resurfaced when she started teething, but a wonderful breastfeeding mama of 3  (Lacy!!!!) taught me how to fix it and I never had an issue again.

I absolutely loved breastfeeding.  I got to spend countless hours holding my sweet baby girl feeding her until she fell asleep.  I then got to hold and cuddle her for as long as I wanted afterwards.  I can still see her tiny little face looking up at me while I nursed her.  Everyone warned me that newborn stage would go so fast so I truly tried to appreciate every single moment with her---no matter how sleep deprived I was.  When she got a little bigger, she started smiling at me while nursing and it was so sweet!  She eventually started playing with my hair and putting her hands all over my face.  Long before she could ever walk or talk, I could ask her where my eyes were and she could tell me as well as every other part on my face.  I cherished our time together.  It was just us girls.  

I never had an issue feeding her when she was hungry.  I nursed on demand and no matter where we were, I always had milk warm and ready for her.  I didn't carry around bottles and I loved the freedom that came with nursing.  Whether she was hungry, upset, or just wanting to be close to me, nursing always made her happy and I loved that I was able to provide that comfort to her.  I wasn't an exhibitionist nurser who nursed in public to promote the cause of normalizing breast feeding.  I simply fed my child when she was hungry no matter where we were.  She nursed at my niece's softball games, at restaurants, in the car, in oh so many Target changing rooms, in friend's homes...it didn't matter where we were.  My favorite place to nurse her was in her nursery.  We painted her room light pink, fuchsia, and teal with white furniture and a chandelier.  Her room was was pretty and calming, but most of all, I LOVED my nursing chair.  When I was pregnant, I insisted I have a chair comfortable enough to sleep in.  BEST DECISION EVER.  

When I attended the prenatal breastfeeding class, the instructor asked me how long I planned to breastfeed for.  I hadn't really thought about it until then.  Being pregnant for 9 months seemed like a long time so I said 9 months.  She then encouraged me to aim for 1 year if I was going to go for 9 months.  Done!  Two weeks turned into 9 months and 9 months quickly turned into 1 year.  It flew by!  Alicia still nursed several times throughout the day and many people started asking when I was going to quit breastfeeding her.  I had no intention of quitting just because she had her first birthday and I hated that people thought I should stop, but that didn't change the way I felt about feeding my baby girl.  She still loved breastfeeding very much so I wasn't about to take that away from her.  I was so glad that there was plenty of published literature out there to promote the benefits of breastfeeding.  The World Health Organization promotes breastfeeding until age 2 so I always had that in my back pocket when someone questioned me.  I had no intention of making it until Alicia turned 2, but she had very different plans for me :)  I never disliked breastfeeding and even after her first birthday, I never felt inconvenienced by it.  I breastfed my daughter for 2 years and 3 months in 5 different countries (stats I'm proud of).  I never planned to, it just happened.  Everything about my life with Alicia has been go with the flow and I wouldn't have had it any other way.  She still randomly asks to nurse ("eat eat" to her) and I feel bad when I have to tell her that I don't have any more milk.  I actually say my boobs don't work anymore.  She understands when things are broken.  

All of this is to say that breastfeeding is beautiful no matter how long you do it for.  It provides the perfect amount of milk and nutrients from mother to daughter and is the most amazing bonding experience.  Never again will I get to hold her so close to me for so long.  Never again will she fit in my arms like that.  Never again will her entire body fit on my chest as she sleeps.  Two years might seem like a long time, but I promise every single day flew by.  Becoming a mommy has been so much more than I ever dreamed it would be and I'm so glad God chose me to be Alicia's mommy and blessed me with the ability to provide nourishment for my baby girl.  

I took pictures of my daughter nursing ALL THE TIME.  I even had a nursing photography session done when she was 6 months old.  I'm so in love with the pictures.  While they aren't something I'd share online for the world to see, they are something so personal and special to me that I can keep forever and show those I'm closest to.  I'd love to photograph more nursing babies so that I can give this amazing gift to other moms who simply adore feeding their children and want to keep the memory alive.  Please contact me if this is something you'd be interested in.  While I LOVE sharing pictures to inspire more sessions, not everyone wants to share their pictures online and I completely understand that.  These sessions can be just for you or for you (and hopefully me!) to share to show the beauty in breastfeeding.  

While I no longer take breastfeeding selfies, I still capture every other part of our lives as we travel with new selfies :)  Thank you to my mother-in-law for taking this picture for us!