Share Your Story in the Beauty in Breastfeeding Project

Each Monday, we’re sharing stories of the personal breastfeeding journeys of mothers throughout the State of Utah in cooperation with the Beauty in Breastfeeding Project.  Read our earlier article to find out more about this initiative that celebrates breastfeeding mothers. To share your own story, visit www.beautyinbreastfeedingproject.com.

I, now, look forward to our feeding sessions as a time to take a break and reconnect with my son.

Our breastfeeding story started off pretty easy. He latched, ate for 45 minutes and that was that. It wasn’t until he became very lethargic that I realized I wasn’t producing any colostrum at the time so I began to pump and feed him about every two hours. Luckily for me, that worked like a charm. By day two my milk had come in and I felt like Pamela Anderson Lee. Ouch!

On day three I came down with a serious uterine infection which we can only guess was Endometritis. It set me back in my healing in every way possible. I couldn’t move without feeling knives in my uterus which meant it was difficult to care for myself let alone my son, Keylon. Breastfeeding quickly became painful because Keylon had a tongue-tie and a lip-tie. So for the first week of our lives together we had the odds stacked against us. I was sick and trying to heal, working through significant nipple pain to nourish my child, and utterly sleep deprived. It’s by far the most taxed my body has ever been.

From multiple trips to the ER and doctor visits for me to numerous trips to the lactation consultant and oral surgeon for Keylon we have slowly began to establish a regular, mostly pain free, loving breastfeeding relationship. I, now, look forward to our feeding sessions as a time to take a break and reconnect with my son. For all the people I doubted whom told me “it will get easier” they were right and sticking with breastfeeding even when I wanted to give up has been rewarding and I wouldn’t have it any other way.