Cheers to (.)(.)
August is National Breastfeeding Month!
It’s National Breastfeeding Month, which means moms everywhere are either filled with pride (and maybe some milk) at what their body has done, and some are feeling a mix of other things.
Whether or not you breastfed (BF) your kids isn’t the point of this awareness month. It’s to 1) celebrate the medical benefits and joys of BF, and 2) recognize there are other ways to provide nutrients to babies so you can make an informed decision for your family.
New to the whole feeding-a-baby thing? Some benefits of BF include:
Lower chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Lower chance of infections and childhood illnesses
Lower risk of certain diseases and cancers in moms
Stress reduction for moms through bonus oxytocin and prolactin
✨ The bond ✨
And many more.
“Breast is great” but not always “best”
BF has a complicated, interesting, and controversial history.
Most recently in polarizing sides is the “Breast is Best” public health campaign that ramped up about 30 years ago, encouraging moms to exclusively BF. The message was even written on formula cans — talk about a slap in the face.
Despite its benefits for most, pushing “Breast is Best” can be harmful to babies and moms who aren’t able to BF.
A better saying is (slowly) making its way into the maternity and public health space.
“FED IS BEST.”
A lot of parents use other methods to keep their baby fed and happy, including formula, exclusive pumping (EP), or a feeding tube.
I asked Twitter earlier this month about feeding methods. 43% of respondents used a mix of feeding for their kid(s), 37.8% of them breastfed, and about 16% used formula. They’re all amazing parents!
I love this photo by Felicia Saunders Photography of three moms using three different feeding methods. All have a visibly happy child and loving bond.
Ok. The rest of this post is about BF and nursing (for parents and anyone supporting parents).
I’m so thankful I was able to BF my son for 14 months. I pumped while working at an office. I BF through the pandemic. I went past a year, something I didn’t think I’d do.
So for this issue, I thought, “What are some things I wish I knew before embarking on my breastfeeding journey?” Here’s what I came up with.
BF is hard but (usually) rewarding
Latching, supply-demand gen (marketing joke lolz), leaking, cracking, bleeding… it’s a lot for a first-time mom to handle.
It gets better.
BF is one of those things you can read about, attend classes, and spew out tweets until you actually do it.
It took me a few weeks to get the hang of it. And once we did, it was sweet.
Anyone fancy a foot in the neck?
How partners can help nursing moms
I remember one of the hardest parts of being a new parent was the realization that the baby is 99% reliant on me, and my husband feeling like his big pecs weren’t good for anything, after all.
HERE ARE PRACTICAL WAYS PARTNERS/FAMILY/FRIENDS CAN HELP (this is in all caps and big so you have no excuse to miss it even if you skimmed this)
Hold the baby more when it’s not nursing time.
Keep a nursing spot cozy and stocked with snacks, water, and supplies. My husband always had two 24-oz. tumblers of my watered-down blue Gatorade waiting on my nightstand and at least 2 snacks (I lived on 2 am belVita Breakfast Biscuits).
Tell them how great of a job they’re doing and that you’re so impressed and amazed and starstruck by their beauty and nurturing amazingness and resilience and glow and ability to do something so amazing. (Grammarly is about to hate me).
Make the bed, even if they’ll nurse there again soon.
Let them shower. I had one morning shower and one night shower during the first few months and it was a night-and-day difference (literally).
More snacks and water.
Don’t make it awkward in public. Let them do what they’re comfy with. If they want a cover, help get it out and put it on (it’s tricky at first!).
You don’t have to feed your kid in the bathroom
There’s definitely still a stigma around breastfeeding in public, despite recent efforts to legalize and normalize it. A Karen or Grumpy Gary might give you a side-eye or ask you to cover up, but you don’t have to.
In fact, breastfeeding in public is legal in all 50 states — it’s your right. Florida was the first state to enact this law protecting BF moms. LET US HAVE THIS.
If someone is uncomfortable with you feeding your child around them, you can “use your voice even if it shakes,” as Lindsay White, breastfeeding advocate and owner of The Little Milk Bar, encourages moms.
Get the shirt from TLMB here.
Cover or no cover, it’s up to you. The Little Milk Bar brand helps moms feel comfortable with feeding in public, whether using shirt tricks or joining the #DropTheCover movement.
Some of my favorite nursing products
If you’re expecting, add these to your registry ASAP.
Comfy nursing bras and x3 of your faves
Sublime Hands-Free Pumping & Nursing Bra from Kindred Bravely (this was a lifesaver when I was pumping at the office!)
Nipple cream (any brand as long as it works for you)
Boppy pillow or similar
Stretchy nursing cover/car seat cover (these cheapy ones do the trick!)
Button-down shirts
Nursing camis
Bra pads (for all the early leakage)
Haakaa pump for catching letdown or treating clogged ducts (don’t waste that goodness!)
There’s a lot to say about feeding and breastfeeding. Whether or not you are a breastfeeding parent, you can support those who do by advocating for them in public — bring them water, offer your seat, fan a palm branch and feed them grapes.
I’d love to hear your experience with breastfeeding — did you love it? Hate it? Skip it? Have fave products? Let me know!
I was fortunate to be able to nurse my daughter for 14 months (with adaptations). The first few months on maternity leave were great for bonding, napping, etc. but they would not be made possible without my husband's support or our champion lactation consultant that suggested a nipple shield about 5 days in to our adventure. GAME CHANGER! After I returned to work full-time and my daughter started daycare, we slowly transitioned to exclusively pumping. A mixture of a growing baby and moving up in bottle-flow levels had her wanting her milk at a much faster pace! That being said, she was fed, growing and adorable. Another major influence in my BF journey was my workplace- mainly my boss at the time. As our office went through a remodel, she ensured that the "lactation room" was private, comfortable and clean. Although not a mom herself, she honestly cared and supported me SO MUCH through the endless pumping breaks. I feel it is so important to give her credit because without that type of attention and support, I doubt that my BF journey would have lasted much past 3 months... A safe space to pump at work and the time to do it should be required by law, IMO!