Having some babies, along with moving a few times (me) and shooting a feature film (Kathryn), has kept us busy! However, we are back at it now and looking to connect with nursing moms who want to share their stories. And, remember, we aren’t looking to highlight “perfect” breastfeeding stories (is there such a thing??). We want to hear from you about your struggles and successes. We’d also love to hear from some non-breastfeeding family members (partners, dads, siblings, grandparents) about how breastfeeding affected you and your families.

My own goal over the next few weeks is to post my own breastfeeding story—well, the first part anyway—in which I will let you all know about breastfeeding my daughter for 4.5 years! I look forward to sharing it with you and to hearing from you about your breastfeeding stories.

Happy nursing!

Martha

p.s. Please feel free to tell friends and family members about this project and suggest they get in touch!

I wanted to give my daughter the best start in life and provide her with nature’s perfect food!  I also wanted to experience what I imagined to be quite a powerful relationship between mother and child.  And, truthfully, I was kind of lazy and cheap and couldn’t fathom making a bottle in the middle of the night or buying formula regularly!!

Unfortunately, my first few weeks and months of breastfeeding were very tiring, frustrating and emotionally draining.  My daughter was tongue tied and consequently, despite a good latch, she wasn’t able to transfer milk efficiently.  In her first week of life, she lost weight, which to a new mom in the throes of learning to breastfeed is the worst news.  I thought: “What do you mean she’s losing weight?!!  I’m feeding her around the clock?!!”  I felt like a failure.  I also felt like a failure when my midwives recommended supplementing her with formula via a tube attached at my breast.  I felt like they were suggesting I feed her poison.  But faced with the alternative option of my daughter continuing to lose weight, I agreed to nurse her with a tube attached to my breast so she could also receive formula at the same time as my breast milk.  After tube feeding lessons, at my midwives office, I was sent home with a package of tubes and assorted other tube feeding equipment as well as an appointment at the Newman clinic booked for 2 days later.  At this appointment, Brooklyn’s tongue tie was clipped and this was supposed to improve her ability to latch and transfer milk.  The plan was that over time she would get more and more milk from, thereby increased my milk production and eventually I would not need to supplement via a tube.  Sadly, this isn’t the way things worked out.  Brooklyn’s tongue was so severe that it had to be clipped 3 times over the course of 3 weeks, and even after this, she was still slightly tongue tied.  Her intake of supplement had not decreased and my milk supply had not increased. At this point, I was pumping multiple times a day, taking herbal supplements as well as a high dose of domperidone to try to increase my milk supply.  We also took Brooklyn for several sessions of Cranial Sacral therapy to try and loosen her jaw to help her transfer milk better.  Nothing helped.

It was becoming clear that I wasn’t ever going to be able to exclusively breastfed my daughter.  This thought would bring tears to my eyes and flush my cheeks red with shame.  I wanted so badly to one of those moms I would see at mom’s group, easily nursing their baby.  Instead I was grappling with a tube taped to my breast every feeding, tears streaming down my face.  After 8 weeks of tube feeding hell, I reached my breaking point.  I had to face facts.  I wasn’t going to be able to exclusively breastfeed.  I was either going to make peace with the fact I was going to tube feed for as long as I nursed Brooklyn (my original plan had been to nurse her to when she was at least one, if not longer) or to move on, and offer a bottle.  I finally gave up on tube feeding and began offering Brooklyn a bottle after each nursing session.  I moved on to combo feeding….each feeding, she’d nurse on both sides, getting whatever she could and then I would offer her a bottle of formula.

I learned with the help of my midwife, my doula and the lactation consultants at the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic in Toronto.  I also learned by doing….practice makes perfect!  As time went on, I also learned from watching other mums I met at mum’s groups.   All was very supportive and helpful during my challenging times.  The only thing that could have been better was the ‘bedside manner’ at the Newman Clinic.  I felt pretty horrible about myself and my mothering after my first visit.  My daughter was one week old, so I was in the throes of postpartum with my first child and she was losing weight due to a tongue tie, and they made me feel pretty bad about how I had been feeding her up until point.

So my early days and months of breastfeeding weren’t pretty.  They were an emotional rollercoaster of guilt, sadness and envy.  But, I do know that I can honestly say I did everything in my power to *try* and give my daughter the best start in life.  I tried my absolutely best and that’s all that matters.  She got some breastmilk, and some is better than nothing!  I hope and pray that the breastfeeding gods smile on me when child number two comes along!  I dream of having oversupply issues!

It was hard to breastfeed in public at first. Feeding with a tube is somewhat cumbersome and makes it hard to feed when you aren’t at home.  Therefore it was hard to leave home.   However, once I switched to combo feeding (nursing followed by a bottle) I was sometimes embarassed to feed in public.  I felt so much shame pulling out a bottle in front of other moms who were all nursing.

Most of the negativity I experienced was self imposed.  I felt so much guilt and shame when I couldn’t exclusively breastfed.

My husband, family and friends were just so thrilled to see my daughter growing and thriving that they couldn’t really understand my guilt and shame.   I had weaned Brooklyn by the time I went back to work.

Brooklyn never picked up on the milk sign when she was nursing…she signs for milk now, but she means real milk.  She does occasionally bury her face in my breast as if she is going to nurse, which I find really cute.

I had thought I would probably experience some trouble at the beginning….sore, cracked nipples, leaking etc.  But nothing like the troubles I had.  I didn’t think I would struggle so much.  I didn’t expect to not have enough milk.  I didn’t think I would feel such a sense of failure when giving my daughter formula. I didn’t even know what tube feeding was!

If I were to do things differently, I would have my midwive check for a tongue tie as soon as Brooklyn was born, so her tie could have been clipped right in the hospital.  I would also change my attitude and put less pressure/guilt on myself for not being able to exclusively breastfed.  I would also nurse even more on demand in the early days than I did.  I often wonder if my milk supply didn’t go up because I didn’t feed her enough in the early days.

Seek out all the support you can when you first start nursing.  But if after all that support, you still can’t nurse exclusively or at all, be gentle on yourself.  You are trying your best and that’s all your children ask for.

My first daughter was a breeze, I think she just taught me!  It really seemed so natural to give birth and put her right to my breast.  Although it came easy, I did seek reassurance from the local breast feeding clinic which was great for weigh-ins and support.   Even if you know everything is good, it’s nice to hear someone tell you what a good job you’re doing and how cute your baby is!

The reassurance I received from the nursing clinic was paramount. My second child was hellish, although I had a 17-month old running around so that didn’t help.  I found it harder but once we sorted out the issues, mine and his, got over some nasty mastitis, I couldn’t get him off.  He was the longest to nurse out of 4 kids.  All of the others were really good, aside from the initial sore nipples, I have no complaints about nursing.

My father passed away earlier in the year, and I had to be many places where i couldnt take a small baby, even before he died I couldnt take Angus with me to the hospital because of the possibility that he may contract any number of illnesses.  At one point I literally had to leave him with a friend and a bottle, all I could tell her was good luck.  I felt awful for both of them!  After all of this, he turned easily to the bottle and has weaned away from the breast maybe 50/50 at 10months.

I think the older generation assumes that we should be more modest.  my mother-in-law always asks me if i would be more comfortable in another room (it’s really funny). They forget that we are bombarded with body images, it doesnt bother me at all to nurse in front of other people….but it may bother them.

I returned to work after my first child when she was 4months. This was hard. I was often pumping in my car, or late at night which led to earlier weaning then I would have liked. I also was pregnant by the time she was 9 months and became very ill with the second pregnancy.  I have not returned to work on a full-time basis since then and have had 2 more children (4 total).  Staying at home with 4 under 5 is difficult, and nursing is often done at strange times and even stranger positions but I feel that it is worth it and can be done.

If you are lucky enough to have the full year off, that is a great start and anyone should be proud that they could nurse for that amount of time, or longer.  My babies have all been sleepy eaters, except #4. He likes to pull off the breast and smack his lips at me….lucky, he’s cute.  My older 2 are very well informed and have alot of breastfeeding moms around them, we don’t mince words they know where babies come from how they are fed, so it is all very common-place for them.  My 2 year-old often tries to get in on the action for the attention and cuddling part but hasn’t nursed since 13 months so doesnt really know what to do! the baby is very attached and is often pulling and tugging at my clothes, he has a low pitched hum that tells me he’s ready to eat!

I didn’t really have any personal expectations, I really just see the physiolgy of the experience at a greater level. My baby needs to eat, plus develop a healthy system by suckling often, and be nurtured. My body needs to preform it’s natural function in order to process an array of post-partum hormones. So, you really need each other in order to succeed.

I would really encourage new moms to do what feels “right” and put forth the effort it takes in the first few months (it really is work) but it gets to be so easy, it’s unfortunate that so many moms throw in the towel before they get there.

I had a midwife for both my pregnancies and they helped in the beginning but the lactation consultants I have seen (in two different cities) have really been the reason I have been sucessful.    I don’t know how anyone with a regular doctor and that has problems does it.  I barely made it and I had midwives with both babies, and great lacation consultants.  I have home visits at 1, 3, 5 days and 24 hr phone support from the midwives.  It would be nice if the lactation consultants in newmarket(at the tannery) were available more than just Fridays, cause a week is a long time when you are having problems!  I also have an awesome mother-in-law, who looked after my first when I was having trouble breastfeeding #2, otherwise I would have had to keep him in daycare, which isn’t really economically feasible when on maternity leave.  I also have the best husband in the world who really gives me all the support emotionally and otherwise, to make breastfeeding work through lots of problems.   When I was in the hospital (in Brampton) with Jack, the support from the nurses was quite poor, they would come in, latch him on and leave almost immediately, then he would come off and it would take ages to get someone else to help me.  Luckily, I was able to leave in less than 24 hrs since I had a midwife, so I had more support with them and they referred me right away to the lactation consultant.

With Jack the thing that really stuck with me was my midwife saying “this is your job now”. I really hadn’t thought of it that way but I think it is a good analogy to put in at least as much effort (and I know I put in a LOT more) as we do into our jobs, then we might be more sucessful.    With Madeline, my midwife pointed out that any breastmilk she got was good, so I just took it one feed at a time, and just did the most work (trying to get her to latch) during the day, and just gave her pumped milk at night, when I was tired and stressed and alone. Eventually, I was able to feed her lying down (which I wasn’t able to with our first) and this helped her to latch at night.   The first few weeks (both times!) were emotional, draining, the hardest work I have EVER done.

I had inverted nipples with Jack, which wasn’t diagnosed for over a week, and then he had lost weight and it took him a good three weeks to get back to his birth weight. And HE had mastitis and had to go on two courses of antibiotics.  At that time it was no artificial nipples, no soothers, bottles etc but that nursing aid just didn’t work for us.  Finally the nipple shield saved us!  He was a very sleepy baby, and I can remember having to wake him for every feed, change his diaper when I switched sides and finally in time for the best christmas present ever, I was “allowed” to let him sleep if he didn’t wake to feed, since he had regained his birth weight!With Madeline, I didn’t even ask about breastfeeding clinics in our area, since I figured 10 months of nursing Jack must have solved all my problems.  WRONG!! Same problem, different baby. At least this time I had a nipple shield to try right away.  Had great support from my midwives and the lactation consultant in our area.  This time, maybe things have changed, or maybe when you already have one running around, it was: use whatever you need…….bottles, soother etc.  I did A LOT of pumping (after every feed in the beginning) with Madeline but it was the support of my mother in law (to look after Jack) and my husband (that believed it would work out and picked up the slack when I was confined to the couch either feeding or pumping).  I am happy to say, we reached the magical 4 weeks, and she got bigger and stronger and I don’t have to pump at all now (unless I need extra milk).

I have inverted nipples.  With Jack (our first) I used a nipple shield and slowly, as he got stronger and bigger and was able to suck better, I didn’t have to use it anymore.  With Madeline, I tried to use the nipple shield, but it didn’t help as much.  Turns out that she had a poor suck as well and reflux.  So I pumped a lot (I got a double pump when I realized we were having problems and I was going to have to pump a lot) and got a straight ( as opposed to an orthodontic or “breastfeeding” nipple) and fed her on her left side (to help with the reflux).  I would try to latch her, but I’d pump and give her the milk if that didn’t work.  It took about 4 weeks and she got bigger and stronger and slowly we had to give less bottles and I had to pump less.  The hardest was at night, for some reason she just couldn’t latch. So I had to pump before bed and after every feeding at night so I’d have something to feed her at the next feeding.  She was also sleeping from 7pm til 12am and then up at 3 and then 5. Finally I tried side lying position, and she was able to latch this way, and I got some rest.  It’s amazing how much more rested you feel just by lying down!

With Jack I breastfed in public right from the beginning.  I went to my work christmas party when he was only 2 weeks old.  I was nervous about it, and I always had to have a pillow with me because I don’t find the cross cradle hold that confortable since I have large breasts.  And I always wore a cover.  But Madeline is a different story. Ever since she was born it has been really hot, so I said screw the cover, it just makes me hotter and draws more attention. Plus Jack loves to look under it! Hey, whatcha doing under there? haha.

I think with the second I just have more confidence, and I don’t have time to worry about what other people see or think, I have two kids to look after now! I do still carry a pillow (the bean from jolly jumper) but I find I hardly use it, I am just able to get more confortable faster.

I haven’t experienced anyone saying anything to me. All of my friends have been very supportive.  In fact my one friend still has her breastfeeding pillow and I use it whenever I am over there!  Honestly, when I am feeding Madeline I am watching what she is doing, or what Jack is doing, I am pretty oblivous to anything going on around me, so someone would have to come right up to me and ask me to move or something for me to even notice!

I actually stopped breastfeeding Jack before returning to work because I knew I could go right to cows milk and not have to do formula at all.  I also nursed him to sleep, so I wanted to stop that, so that my husband could share bedtime.  Now that we have another child, I think I will nurse her (or try to) a little longer.  I think the health benefits for when the start daycare are huge and since this may or maynot be our last, I might feel a little more nostalgic about it.

I love when Madeline is just falling asleep and she has the nipple in her mouth but still manages to smile that sleepy, milky smile. Madeline has started to touch/hold my breast and shirt when she nurses. Jack wants to know what she is doing, so I told him she is helping to push the milk out.  This seems to satisfy him.

I was a little disappointed when, initially, Jack didn’t try to nurse his doll (her name is Madeline as well!) He gave her a bottle! I think because I did have to pump and give Madeline bottles a lot in the beginning, he is used to feeding his baby this way.  But he has started to nurse her now.

I didn’t imagine that I would have so much difficulty in the beginning, but I’m glad I perservered because I just can’t imagine having to heat up formula in the middle of the night! It is hard to be the only one that can feed the baby sometimes, but that is why a good pump comes in handy.

I don’t know how the guys do it, I really think, although pregnancy, labour and breastfeeding are hard at times, they are also so transformative, rewarding and special, I can’t imagine not being able to experience them.

I think I did everything I could, but I’d try to get more support in place for the second time around.  I really thought it was just the baby that needed to learn, but since I still had the same problems as the first time, I needed help too.

Support, support, support.  Not just the lactation clinic but from your family, make sure they are on the same page as you (as to how important it is to you).   I think it is really hard to be the main source of food for the baby for the first 6 months and not be able to be away from the baby for very long.  Although you can work around this by pumping.  Right now, I am the only one to be able to put Madeline to bed.  Which isn’t too big a deal, since my husband is putting our older child to bed, but I can see how this is big change for some people especially if it is your first baby.

Once I’ve been able to get over the breastfeeding hurdles of the first few months, I really can’t imagine feeding any other way. It’s cheap, always with me, always the right temperature, and I never have to worry about expiry dates, or how clean the water is.  And it’s comforting for them,  I’ve always breastfed to sleep and after vaccines.

I think for a lot of women, breastfeeding in public, especially as the baby gets bigger, can be harder.  I feel like the more we see it in public and normalize it, the easier it will be for other moms to think, “I can do it too”.  Since I’m now going out a lot to keep my toddler busy, I can see there will be a lot more opportunities for this.

We are very excited and hope to have plenty of new and informative (and entertaining) breastfeeding stories for all of you to read in the New Year.

M & K xo

Other than the no-milk, super-scary first week with my son, my breastfeeding moments in the first weeks and months of both my children’s lives stand out as some of the most wonderful and intimate times with them. Their little naked bodies curled up against mine for warmth and love, falling asleep because they were so calmed by nursing. In a way, thinking about breastfeeding them then is one of the only ways I can remember how tiny they really were.

My son self-weaned at 14 months and I went back to work at 15 months, so no problem there. My daughter, on the other hand, was 13 months when I returned to work and is an ardent nurser, showing no signs of stopping even now at nearly 23 months old! Fortunately, I am able to work three days a week – two of those from home – so there’s only one day a week that her nursing needs aren’t met all day. She normally nurses two or three times a day now, and the day I’m at work, she gets one or two sessions. But she enjoys whole cow’s milk, goat’s milk or Baboo most days anyway and never seems too bothered. My best tip is that you have to know what’s going to make you both the happiest – I knew that I didn’t want to HAVE to stop nursing just because of work, so if my employer hadn’t so generously agreed to my shortened and primarily work-from-home arrangement, I can honestly say I would have given going back a second thought. I’m so lucky that I didn’t have to make that decision.        

My son bit me. Once, so hard that he drew blood. It was a short phase, but a painful one and if he’d gone on much longer, I probably would have stopped. But he did and we went on to have a wonderful nursing relationship for many months after.  My second is hilarious when it comes to her “milkies.” She has called it “me-me” since she was nine months old and though I thought it would evolve as her language skills improved, it’s still “me-me” to this day. She communicates very clearly when she wants to nurse, pulling my shirt up or down, undoing zippers, pointing her finger at or banging on my chest with her fist – all the while with a look on her face that demands: “Give it to me now, lady!”

Looking back, if I was to do things differently, I wouldn’t focus so much on trying to get my son NOT to fall asleep while nursing. I was so worried he would become too attached to the boob-sleep combo, but I let this go when I had my daughter and she’s been just fine at going to sleep without it, too. I feel like I missed out on that extra level of closeness with my first that I’ve experienced the second time around.

My advice? Relax. Drink lots of water. Get as much sleep as you can. Eat well. All of these things help you produce more milk, and that’s often half the battle.  Don’t give up! It takes some women six weeks to really get the hang of nursing. Get help; it’s not as “natural” as you might think and almost every mother I know needed help from a professional at first.  If you get help but it’s not actually helping, seek out someone new. Not all LCs are created equally. Keep going until you find someone who’s determined to help you make it work.  Know that not every woman on the planet is physically capable of breastfeeding – but this is rarer than you might believe, so be sure to get an expert opinion if you think you fall into this camp.

Every week gets easier. Every month gets laughably easier. By the year mark, you won’t even remember what all the fuss was about.  Yeah, that’s more than one piece of advice – but I couldn’t help myself.

We lived in a big city when we were a family of three, and I never noticed anyone even looking at me while breastfeeding. However, now that we live in a much smaller town, I definitely get noticed when nursing at the mall or the community centre. Nothing negative but people tend to stare too long or too much. Fortunately, I’m not fussed by what others think of me but I do wish we had a more European sensibility when it comes to nursing in public.

There isn’t enough good help outside of major urban centres. All of my Toronto friends breastfeed much, much longer than my suburban friends. Not enough information is available from the mainstream; there’s too much of the extremist POV (like La Leche League), which turns potential breastfeeders off.  There’s also not enough quality information in doctor’s offices during prenatal visits. If every mom-to-be knew how important breastfeeding is (and not in a talk-at-you but in a talk-with-you sort of way), and was armed with all of the information, I think more women would perservere.

I had no idea, however, what breastfeeding would mean to me after my daughter was born. It was about so much more than food. And suddenly I deeply regretted the shock and negativity I had previously felt when I heard about friends who breastfed way into toddlerhood or the thoughts of how I would wean at 9 months to make it ‘easier on me to go back to work.’ As my daughter passed 9 months, 12 months, 18 months, I began to settle into the comfort of breastfeeding for both of us after my 10 hour work day and how it helped her regroup during times of major developments and her brutal teething experiences. Now breastfeeding a toddler is my normal.

I have had no issues working and breastfeeding. I went back to work when my daughter was 12 months old and my husband is home with her full time. I weaned her off her midday feedings before I went back, but once we were used to me being gone all day Monday-Friday, I went back to nursing on demand and I have never had to pump and I have no problem with milk supply. She pretty much attacks me when I walk in the house at the end of the day, but she barely asks for milk all day with my husband. I recommend mothers don’t stress about it and just allow the milk supply and nursing schedule to work itself out when they go back to work.

My midwife helped my daughter latch on when she was 10 minutes old and she taught me a few different holds over the first week. I received a lot of support from my midwives and from friends, informally. My midwives provided suggestions for roadblocks I met along the way. For instance, my letdown was very strong and I was taught to breastfeeding lying back to start and slowly sit up so gravity worked against the let down. My GP wasn’t supportive of my bed sharing but other than that, she was very encouraging of my breastfeeding, especially during vaccinations and other procedures.

The first week was excruciating and brutally exhausting. My daughter bruised my nipple with a bad latch the first day and I would dread having to switch to the left side and nursed only on the right until I was so swollen on the left I had to nurse that side too. I tried many different holds, but nothing helped. I thought I wasn’t going to make it through, but finally two weeks in my midwife prescribe Dr. Newman’s nipple cream and working two days the pain was gone and nursing became a totally different experience. Except for the cluster feeding! No one prepared me for that and I remember googling ’6 day old baby nursing for 8 hours straight’ and seeing millions of hits come online with new mothers across the world asking the same question on chat boards. One answer inspired me to stick with it even though I was beginning to doubt nursing: just hold on through these first few weeks and you will have it so much easier on the other side. So I did and once I could nurse my daughter in the carrier, around 4 months, my whole life changed. I could go anywhere and nurse and walk and talk and she would be content.

The biggest challenge is that I thought my daughter would be losing interest in breastfeeding by now – 20 months – because I have seen friends whose children self weaned by now or only nurse before bed or in the morning. I think because I work full time, my daughter is more demanding of milk when I am around. When I am feeling drained after a long work day and longer night with frequent nursing, I remind myself how quickly this is all going by and that if I meet her needs now, she will be more independent in the future!

Yes, I breastfeed in all public places all the time. Other than my dad chiming in every few months that I should think about weaning or my friends (without kids) telling me about a YouTube video of a mom breastfeeding a 7-year old at and asking if I’m going to do that too, I haven’t had much negativity. In fact, I breastfeed, often without much coverage, in all public places imaginable and I have never received anything but smiles from people.

As I stated in the beginning, breastfeeding has been nothing like I imagined. I had no idea the instinctual drive I would feel toward comforting my daughter, the ease at which I would get accustomed to baring my breast in public and the magic ability of breastfeeding to regroup a hungry, tired or maniacal baby and toddler. Still no bottles, still nurse on demand.

I’d give new moms the same advice I read on a message board that first week, if you can hang on through the day long marathons of that first few weeks and months, it will be so so so much easier in the long run.

A recurring theme in the breastfeeding stories we receive here at Mama’s Milk Project, is that women’s breastfeeding experiences often end up being very different from their initial expectations and that these experiences profoundly affect how women view themselves and their bodies. 

In honour of World Breastfeeding Week 2012, Mama’s Milk Project is sharing some of these stories. Please get in touch with us to share your own!

Breastfeeding has been way more amazing than I imagined.  It’s been a really special part of my bonding experience with Gabriel.  It’s also been cool to have totally brand new physical sensations (like let-down) at age 35.  It’s also been a fun way to watch him grow – from a nearly totally passive newborn, to a bright and active 7-month old. Now he likes to “help”  My milk came in late and slow, and the midwives were concerned about Gabriel’s weight loss and borderline dehydration.  For weeks I had to co-feed formula through a tube (lactation aid) taped to my breast.  Gabriel was getting all the milk I could make as well as the formula coming through a tube alongside my nipple.  I was also pumping for an extra ten minutes on each side to try to get my supply up.  Herbs and acupuncture also helped.  Because of the lactation aid, breastfeeding was a two-person ordeal for some time and I needed (and got) a lot of help. It was stressful and exhausting.  I’m so glad we made it through.  Things are going so well now that it’s actually hard to remember how hard that time was.

–Rebekah

I had no idea, however, what breastfeeding would mean to me after my daughter was born. It was about so much more than food. And suddenly I deeply regretted the shock and negativity I had previously felt when I heard about friends who breastfed way into toddlerhood or the thoughts of how I would wean at 9 months to make it ‘easier on me to go back to work.’

–Jess

I never realized that breastfeeding would change me the way that it has.  I have become very passionate about breastfeeding and I try to inform as many people about it as I can. The bond that I have experienced with my children through breastfeeding has been amazing.

–Lisa

I only ever thought I would breastfeed for the first three months.  And I hated the idea of breastfeeding in public.  Now I can’t believe I ever thought either of those things.  I just had no experience with people who breastfed.

–Jessica

It was such a fun interview! Kathryn and I had a great time chatting with Ann, who also breastfed all four of her children, about our hopes for the Mama’s Milk project and breastfeeding in general.

The piece about Mama’s Milk Project is out today and you can read it here:

Mama’s Milk Project A Website That Celebrates Breastfeeding 

–Jessica

My first daughter very clearly said, “nurse” starting at about 10 months.  She also signed the sign for milk to say she wanted to nurse.  I vividly remember her holding my face in her hands when she was about 22 months and saying, “mama, listen with ears, I WANT TO NURSE”.  My second daughter is 22 months now and does the sign for milk to say she wants to nurse.  And she says “durse”.  Sometimes she just says “mama” when she wants to nurse.

–Kim

My son is 34mths old when he was younger he would simply ask for milk. Now he differentiates between my milk and cow’s milk by asking for Mommy Milk. My daughter is only 6mths old, she has only just started this, if I am holding her and she wants to nurse she turns into me and starts rubbing her face into my chest. I know this is similar to a newborn’s rooting. When my son was small he started playing with my other breast while he was nursing, but when I was pregnant with my daughter I couldn’t handle him touching my breasts, so he started to just hold the one he was nursing from. Now he also likes to play with his sister’s hair while they’re both nursing to sleep at night.

–Lisa

I talk to both my children about it, mostly because I am still breastfeeding my daughter. My son has seen photos of him nursing when he was three, and   that is completely normal to him. They like seeing other babies nursing as well. I will ask my daughter what it tastes like to her and she’ll describe the taste to me (tastes like pasta, tastes like milk, honey, etc). Both of them called it “nurshing” for nursing.

–Julie

I taught my daughter the sign language for milk. So when I ask if she wants milk and I do the sign for it, she will say yes and do the sign language for it as well.

–Debra

They talk about their “milkies” and frequently point out crying babies that apparently need their milkies or any nursing mammal. They see it as the normal way to feed a baby. They like to squeeze my breast when they nurse or smack my breast lightly like they are playing with it. One of my daughters enjoys hugging my breast and kissing it and tell me she loves my “milkies”.

–Marion

My baby is 15 months. He signs “more” while saying “mama” when he wants milk. Just recently he’s started to pop off when he’s done one side and then sign more for me to switch him to the other side. I love it!

–Anna

Whenever is around feeding time, I put him sitting on my lap and he promptly starts waving his arms towards my breasts while babbling always in the same tone and the same “words”. It is funny how almost every time after he is full; he starts babbling the same sounds in slow motion. It sounds like he is meditating after satisfaction, saying a mantra. The tone of his voice and the sound are always the same and exclusively done at this particular time, when he finishes feeding.

–Paula M.

My older child ‘helps’ me clean my breast shields, asks about the pump and likes to lie on the bed and talk to us when we are feeding. She also ‘breastfeeds’ her dolls regularly. My son communicates he is hungry by licking his lips, looking at my chest and should he get to the point of fussing before I can attend to him, his cry sounds like ‘nahlaahh’ exactly the same as his sister’s. So our family calls breastfeeding ‘nalaahhs’. He likes to check in with me while he is feeding so he looks up regularly (presumably to ensure no one else has stepped in?) with milk dripping off his face and gives me his gaping grin. It is messy but very endearing.

–Holly