Roughly 60% of women stop breastfeeding earlier than they intend to. Here's how I kept going.
When I was pregnant, I thought breastfeeding would be the most intuitive thing imaginable. My body would just know what to do, right?
Seeing women breastfeed, I always thought it looked so beautiful and natural. I couldn't wait for that experience. But I had to wait a lot longer than I imagined when I was starting out.
In some ways, getting into nursing was just as hard for me as labor. Moving out resistance and into the flow. Plus, it hurt!
What kept me going when the going got excruciatingly uncomfortable?
For one, my midwife told me this:
Everything gets easier after the first 6 weeks. If you can hold out and breastfeed for 6 weeks you're golden.
At the time, 6 weeks of discomfort sounded like an eternity. Once again, kind of like labor.
…Oh, those first 6 weeks…
…The chips seemed stacked against me for breastfeeding…
He was in the NICU for 2 weeks so my earliest experience with breast milk was actually pumping (Much more to say on this in other posts). Which means he had bottles and a pacifier before the breast.
I have flat-ish nipples and he has a slight tongue tie.
Somehow I kept going, even though there were plenty of times I didn't think I could do it. But I felt it would be the best thing I could do for my baby, so I continued. Nursing hurt, and I kept going.
Birth taught me I could do anything, and I had to prove it to myself again. I cried, I prayed, I surrendered my former identity into the void. And little by little it got easier.
If you're a first time mama or looking for some breastfeeding help, there's one major thing I did to lighten the load. I hope it makes it easier for you too, mama!
By far the most impactful shift I made was getting into laid back breastfeeding (aka biological nurturing). If you're curious, this video breaks it down in detail.
When I discovered laid back breastfeeding, tears of relief poured out of my eyes. My shoulders could relax. I could finally rest.
Breastfeeding suddenly became comfortable.
It was actually miraculous. Similar to contractions... which I resisted and resisted… I finally surrendered into the intensity so that it could feel good.
Just like magic, week 6 rolled around and breastfeeding was already better. Actually it got better every week. Things getting easier will help you get through it too, love.
Now my son and I can breastfeed wherever and whenever. He can take a bottle or the breast. It's helped me know him and bond like none other. And I wake up thankful every day that I didn't give up. Because nursing is one of the deepest joys of womanhood. It's mind-bogglingly beautiful.
All my love,
Elyssa