Tabitha's Breastfeeding Story

Someone recently posted a story about guilting moms when they are using formula rather than breastfeeding and how fed is best. Naturally, I was intrigued and shared my comments on the subject which started a phenomenal discussion. I’m such a birth and breastfeeding nerd that I really just enjoyed hearing the individual stories and was so grateful to those who shared with me. It helps me in my profession, but what I also realized is that I have never really shared the beginning of my breastfeeding journey much, you all have read about me just in the thick of it, when it is mostly happy and easy…and my never ending weaning journey.

I, like many other lactating people, thought breast/chestfeeding was going to be so easy, that it was natural. I had never really witnessed breastfeeding growing up, but I have this distinct memory of watching my aunt nurse one of her sons on the living room floor at my grandparents house one time, that’s it. Oh, and that woman feeding her baby at the Minnesota Twins game in front of

Then I’m in the hospital and just delivered it’s really kind of a blur and there is maybe 2 pictures from the whole ordeal. I had a great nurse who helped me get him latched, but the next nurse looked at me like I had leprosy when I asked for help and said, “oh, I don’t know how to do that” and left my room. I looked at my husband with a dropped jaw like what the heck just happened. The lactation consultant came in the next day and shoved my baby on my breast, not super helpful. Bottom line? I left the hospital with bleeding, scabbed, cracked, painful nipples. No one said a thing or helped improve my baby’s latch. Everyone just kept saying, “it shouldn’t hurt.”