Breastfeeding: There’s More Than Meets The Eye

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I never knew how much I would love breastfeeding or how passionate I would be about it until I experienced it with my second son, Charlie.

 You see, when I gave birth to my first son, Parker, he was not able to latch on to my breast properly. I wasn’t aware of nipple shields or the importance of support groups to help you with the struggles of breast-feeding. At times I even thought I was a failure since I couldn’t breastfeed my child. So for the first 5 months of my firstborn’s life I pumped day and night; it was honestly the worst. Here my son was sleeping through the night and I was up pumping and praying my supply wouldn’t run low.

But with Charlie my story is very different. Don’t get me wrong it certainly has not been a walk in the park; we’ve had to overcome a lot of obstacles to get to where we are now. We still have our ups and downs, but it’s been a beautiful journey and I hope that it continues for a long time. I wish I had all of the knowledge and support that I have now, back when I was trying to breastfeed Parker.

I never knew how difficult breastfeeding would be and therefore I was shocked when I had my first son. I was not prepared for the sore, cracked, bleeding nipples. I remember balling my eyes out as he would nurse because it hurt so badly. I was not prepared to have a baby that could not latch on. I thought every baby would be able to do it right away but I was wrong. Yes, breastfeeding is natural but it does not come naturally. It is a learned art for both mom and baby.

I never knew how much lactation consultants could help and that it’s okay to reach out for help. In fact, I encourage you to reach out and talk to someone, remember isolation is not the answer. I met with three different lactation consultants before I got Charlie to latch on properly.

I never knew how much of a lifesaver a nipple shield could be. It is the only way I could get Charlie to latch on and without it I think our breastfeeding journey would have come to an early end like it did with my first.

I never realized that an army of support is needed and how much encouragement a breastfeeding support group would offer. To be honest when the hospital told me about their breastfeeding support group after I gave birth to my first baby, I thought it was a little ridiculous; I had no idea why that was needed. But with Charlie, I went to a breastfeeding support group the first week we were home from the hospital and I LOVED going. Motherhood can be insolating and lonely sometimes. Seeing how far other moms have made it in their breastfeeding journey gave me hope that I will have a long breastfeeding journey as well. No matter what time I am up feeding my babe I know that there are other mama’s up all around the world feeding their little ones too and engaging in conversation.

I never knew the bond that breastfeeding could give you and your baby. Now this isn’t to say that I don’t have a strong bond with my first baby, because we are extremely close and he is a mama’s boy all the way. But Charlie and I have a different kind of bond because I am breastfeeding him.

I never knew how relaxing breastfeeding could be. The hormone oxytocin is released when you breastfeed which is similar to a few glasses of wine.

I never knew how much breastfeeding could aide in your postpartum recovering. It forced me to sit down, relax and just enjoy my baby instead of pushing myself to do more than I should have.

And finally, I never knew how much talking about your experiences helps you. I have created some of the best friendships from the support groups I have attended. There is something about meeting someone in the exact same walk of life as you are, and forging together in this journey of Motherhood. If there is anything I can advise you on, it would be to talk. Understand that some people will give you their opinion when you don’t want it, but talk to your support group. If you don’t have a support group, find one. When our first son was born, it was just my husband and I, and we felt alone. Now we have support from not just family but a close nit group of friends we can lean on for anything. 

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Megan Milakovic
Megan was born and raised in New Jersey, graduated from Liberty University in Virginia and has been living in South Florida for the past 4 years with her husband. She is a stay at home mom of two boys, who are three and under. She spends her days chasing after her crazy energetic boys and lets not forget the endless piles of laundry! She started her blog when her first born was a year old in hopes that her stories would help other moms realize that they are not alone in “The World of Motherhood”. When she isn’t busy mommying, she works her two at-home businesses. She has a passion for educating families on ways to encourage their children to read. When her kids go to bed she hosts Facebook parties and helps families fill their home library with the best children’s book available, Usborne Books! She is also an Ambassador for Plexus Worldwide, a health and wellness company; Megan is using her health promotions degree to share with others how healthy living is of the utmost importance in raising a family these days.