Hey! I’m Lindsay (owner of The Little Milk Bar), mother of 2 (Allie 6 & Koda 1.5), I live in Salt Lake City, Utah and married to my college sweetheart Pete. I’m thrilled to be guest blogging for Wunderkindred and was super excited when Maggie reached out and asked me to share my breastfeeding journey with the Wunderkindred community.
In case you didn’t already know, I’m super passionate about sharing the good, the bad and the flat out ugly of breastfeeding. It’s so easy to see all these beautiful photos of mothers breastfeeding their gorgeous babies. And as much as breastfeeding can be beautiful and incredibly rewarding, it’s important to understand that it’s also incredibly HARD! And it doesn’t come easy to everyone. So today I’m sharing my breastfeeding story, in hopes that it helps even just one mama out there. To let you know that you’re not alone.
Let’s rewind to 6 years ago when I had my first baby, Allie. I was a brand new mom and from the moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. My goal was to make it to at least 12 months, I was determined… I got this!
On March 23rd, 2012 Allie was born. At the hospital all was well and breastfeeding was going great. Now it was time to go home. After a few days I started to worry and was up in tears almost every night during her feedings. It was super painful when she latched, she seemed hungry all the time and every time I tried to pump I only got a few drops. I saw all these photos online of the tons of milk other moms were able to pump and I started comparing myself to them. I immediately went to the doctor of all moms… Google. Dr. Google help me find a lactation consultant in my area. A few popped up on the first page and I made an appointment for a house call.
I told her my concerns… I didn’t think Allie was getting enough, I wasn’t pumping any extra milk, was my supply too low? etc. She told me to calm down and pulled out her baby scale. She sat with me for a few minutes and showed me how to make sure we get a good latch… the good ol’ squeeze your boob like a hamburger and stuff as much as you can in babies mouth’ talk. We weighed Allie before and after her feeding, she was 2 oz heavier after her feeding. YES! She’s getting enough.
She told me to stop comparing myself to other moms and stop looking at pictures of freezer stashes online. Every mothers breastfeeding journey is different and as long as baby is fed, I’m doing a good job! Calling a Lactation Consultant was the best decision I ever made. Sweet, first hurdle down (fist bump).
Now let’s fast forward to our first outing. I’ll never forget the first time we went out to eat as a family. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and Allie was screaming… she was hungry. I’ve never done this before, I’ve only ever fed at home… what do I do? I turned to my husband and asked “can I feed her here?”. I’ll never forget that feeling. The feeling of panic. I didn’t have any friends who were breastfeeding and was new to this whole breastfeeding world.
I thought to myself, ‘should I go to the bathroom and feed her?’. Instead I reached in my diaper bag, pulled out a nursing cover I had gotten at my baby shower and fed her right there in the restaurant. Allie kept pulling down the cover, it was super hot under there and she hated it. But after a few minutes we made it work. I was so worried someone was going to say something. But I looked around and everyone was carrying on with their meal. No one cared. I was stressed about nothing.
Long story short, I made it past my 12 month goal of breastfeeding (yay). Although I did spend countless hours feeding in bathroom stalls, parked cars and dressing rooms. I often missed out on the conversation because I’d leave the room to go to a private room and feed, because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? I’ll admit, I did NOT enjoy breastfeeding with my first. It was hard and I couldn’t wait to be done!
Let’s fast forward to my second baby, Koda. Koda was born on March 31st 2017. This time was going to be different. This time I knew what I was doing so it was going to be a breeze, right? Ha, nope. The good ol’ mom curveball. Nothing seems to go as planned.
We had an amazing birth with Koda (you can watch/read our birth story here). Again, breastfeeding at the hospital went great, I was a pro now (high-five). Then we went home. After about a week my nipples were still incredibly sore and every time Koda latched I curled my toes and held my breath because I was in so much pain… it was awful. What the heck, what am I doing wrong?
I called my doula and she came over immediately, gave me a breastfeeding lesson 101 all over again and handed me some nipple cream. Thank goodness I did because just 24 hours later… no pain! I quickly realized, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve breastfed. Every baby and every journey is different. And you can never ask for too much help. Again, first hurdle down… phew!
But this time I knew I wanted it to be different. I would be more confident with breastfeeding. I wasn’t going to hide in bathroom stalls or miss out on conversations with friends, I was going to own it! Instead of being alone all the time and miserable. This has made all the difference in the world. No more tears, no more missing out, no more hiding. It was just me going on with my life while being a breastfeeding mom.
I was out at a wedding. He got hungry so I sat down at our table in the corner of the room and fed him. A woman walked over to me and said, “do you really think you should be feeding him here? Maybe you should go to the bathroom dear”. As much as I wanted to say to this woman, I just smiled, turned away and continued nursing. It was THIS night that I got the idea for The Little Milk Bar. I made a vow that from here on forward, I would no longer feed him in yucky bathrooms, that I would confidently feed my baby wherever he got hungry and I would empower other moms to do the same. To let them know that it’s OKAY, and give them permission to feed their baby wherever they needed to.
Because of this new confidence, I’ve enjoyed every minute of my breastfeeding journey with Koda. We’re 18 months going strong and plan to breastfeed until he’s ready to be done. (Hopefully within the next few months because mama’s ready to have her body back haha)
They say the more you see of something the more normal it becomes. So I’ve made it my personal mission to show breastfeeding in all kinds of light… to discuss the good AND the bad… and to highlight all breastfeeding stories, whether they last 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years.
So if you’re currently struggling with breastfeeding or know someone who is, my Instagram might be a great support system for you.
But if you take anything away from this post, I hope it’s this:
- Your breastfeeding journey is yours and yours alone. Don’t compare yourself to any other mama out there. Every baby is different.
- Breastfeeding is HARD! You’re not the only one struggling. You’re not the only one up in the middle of the night in tears. You’re not the only one worrying that your milk supply is “too low” or that your baby isn’t getting enough.
- It’s 100% legal to feed your baby whenever and wherever you need to. With or without a cover. You do whatever makes you feel most comfortable 🙂
- Whether you breastfeed for 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years. You did what was best for you and your baby. You worked incredibly hard and are a #MilkMaker for life!
- It’s okay to ask for help. If you’re struggling, have questions or just aren’t sure about something… call a lactation consultant (they’re amazing), many insurance plans cover it.
If you’re breastfeeding (or plan to breastfeed), I thought I’d put together a list of my favorite must-have items to get you through this new journey. Good luck mama, you got this!
Top 11 Products for Breastfeeding Moms
#1 Nipple Cream
#2 Nursing Bras
#6 Vitamins
#7 Comfy Robe
#9 Water Bottle
#10 Nursing Tanks
#11 Milk Collector
Why:
#1 Nipple Cream – Oh man do those nipples hurt. Those first few days or even weeks can be brutal. Soothe your sore nipples with a good nipple cream that’s safe for you AND your baby.
#2 Nursing Bras – Nursing Bras are a MUST. You need to be able to feed baby whenever and wherever you need to and as easy as it is to just walk around braless at home, at some point you’re going to have to leave the house mama… in comes the handy dandy nursing bra. You don’t need anything fancy, just something that easily unsnaps, flips down and allows your baby to latch on to your breast without anything getting in the way.
#3 Reusable Nursing Pads – The boob leak is real mamas. As much as we love that liquid gold, leaking through your shirt while at the grocery store checking out… isn’t ideal haha. Slipping nursing pads between your breast and bra will save you lots of embarrassing moments AND soaked through shirts. Just buy a few pairs, wash and reuse 🙂
#4 Boobs Baby Blanket – Whether you’re on your third baby or breastfeeding your baby for the first time, feeding outside of the home for the first to times can be scary. Keep your Boobs blanket with you everywhere you go to give you the confidence you need and to simply serve as a reminder that ‘you got this mama’. Use it as a nursing cover until you feel more comfortable to #dropthecover.
#5 Hands Free Pump – Breastfeeding is a hard task all on its own. Throw in the extra pumping session you need for your freezer stash so you can have date night, girls night out or when preparing to go back to work. A hands free pump is a MUST and allows you to continue on with your day without being tied down to one spot (by the plug).
#6 Vitamins – Ensure that you’re giving all the nutrients your baby needs by continuing to take your prenatal or a one a day vitamin while breastfeeding. Sure, eating healthy will do the trick but a good vitamin is a good backup.
#7 Comfy Robe – Those first few weeks (or months) consist a lot of eating, breastfeeding, sleeping (or lack thereof) and figuring out your new routine. I lived in my robe for the first few months. It made it super easy to feed baby whenever he needed, let me sleep (when I could) and answer the door when I needed.
#8 Nursing Pillow – Three words… save your back! You’ll spend hundreds of hours feeding your baby, the last thing you want to do is spend those hours hunched over. Grab a good nursing pillow (or stack a few pillows up), lay your baby on top and nurse away comfortably.
#9 Water Bottle – So many mothers experience lots of thirst while breastfeeding. This is because so many of your liquids are being passed over to baby. It’s important to keep hydrated (drink to thirst). Keep a water bottle with you all the time. I like the Hydroflasks because they keep my water super cold, even for those unexpected middle of the night feedings).
#10 Nursing Tanks – These things are a lifesaver. I don’t know about you but I don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on an all new ‘nurse friendly’ wardrobe. Instead just snatch a few nursing tanks, wear them under your favorite shirts and when baby’s hungry, just pull up your shirt, pull down the nursing tank and latch your little one. Your under shirt covers everything from the boob down so you can feed your baby comfortable without worrying if you’re exposing too much.
#11 Milk Collector – This is probably one of my favorite tips to give new moms. Tons of breastmilk gets wasted during every feeding. Once your baby is latched and feeding, you’ll notice your other boob leaks during letdowns too. Don’t let that milk go to waste, just pop the Haaka on your free breast and it’ll collect all that extra milk. Throw it in a storage bag and put it towards your freezer stash.
What are your must haves while breastfeeding? I’d love to add to the list, comment below with your faves.
Lindsay White is a wife and mother of two as well as the creator of Little Milk Bar. Her mission is to empower mothers everywhere to feed their baby when and where they’re hungry, with or without a cover… and wherever they feel comfortable.
