“I had a very easy pregnancy and labor. I think I took for granted that I would easily be able to breastfeed. I did all the research, and had all the bottles and pump. I was ready to go. My daughter was born 9 days early. I had a perfect unmedicated delivery, just as we had hoped. Then, my milk didn’t come in. My daughter lost almost two pounds in her first week. My husband and I had been so diligent and woke up every two hours every night that first week to nurse, because the Dr. was already concerned with her weight. I never thought 1 week PP I would be breaking down in the Dr’s. office because I couldn’t feed my baby. The Dr. wanted us to supplement with formula. That just wasn’t in my plan and I’m quite the planner. So, I had a friend who graciously offered to come daily to nurse my daughter. She took time from her two boys and husband for more than a month.”
“This allowed me to begin the journey of acquiring donor milk. My daughter has had 13 donors. I am so blessed to be able to call these women my friends. They have spent countless hours of their own lives in order to nourish my child. There are no words. My daughter will easily make it over a year on breast milk with the help of these awesome women.”
“I was still able to get my daughter to latch for 4 months and those are some of the most specials moments of my life. I had countless LC visits, saw an endocrinologist, used a hospital pump for power pumping, used a SNS, and stopped eating every single thing that may cause low supply even including mint toothpaste. Like I said, I’m a planner and this just wasn’t my plan. I am proud to say I breastfed my daughter and even prouder to say I had the help I have and that I never gave up.”
“The saying ‘it takes a village’ has such an important meaning to our family. Without my friends and the support that we have had and continue to have, we wouldn’t have made it.”
