Wordless Wednesday: Alyssa Milano, Lactivist

"Ah, the joy of suckling! She lovingly watched the fishlike motions of the toothless mouth and she imagined that with her milk there flowed into her little son her deepest thoughts, concepts, and dreams." ~Milan Kundera

A photo posted by Alyssa Milano (@milano_alyssa) on Oct 10, 2014 at 3:12pm PDT

Wires & probes & tubes OH MY! Nursing in the NICU

Nursing in NICU!!!

Becks was induced for labor as a preemie (37 weeks gestation but preemie developmentally). We knew the risks for him but my health was spiraling down & he had started to grow less each week. I had imagined the most beautiful delivery with perfect kangaroo time & immediate nursing. I even told visitors we would need a while together so he could nurse & learn to latch before he saw anyone. That was far from reality for us. 

After 10 hours of labor my little prince joined us in the world but without a cry. This my friends was the most terrifying moment in my lifetime...luckily just a second later he began to make the most pitiful little cry I ever heard but I loved the sound. His dad & I each got just a few minutes to hold him while they cleaned him. The doctors & nurses said he was struggling to catch his breath so to the NICU he went while I went to my own room to rest & heal; of course I required the nurse roll my hospital bed into the NICU so I could see him immediately!

The nurses helped me pump to get my flow going. I got a whopping 2mL ha! But for a first pump I was told it was great. As soon as I was able to stand alone I began my trips downstairs (NICU) (where I spent most of my time the next 6 days!). I am sure the nurses hated me because this is when I began the rules for my little one! YES they are cared for by a doctor but what you say goes so stand up for what you want for your child!

Rules

1.) NO BOTTLES, NO NIPPLES etc. If they had to give him my milk for me then it needed to be done with a syringe. I didn't want to ruin the moment of his first latch from the beginning.

2.) NO FORMULA! I would sacrifice sleep, seeing people, peeing, eating etc. to be down there at every feeding for as long as he required me to stay! 

The next morning lactation came to assist us & he did great! It look about 45 minutes to situate the wires & find our comfy spot but we figured it out! Super powerful suck & big latch! Since this moment he has wanted to be attached to mommy 24/7!! This was the second most inspirational moment in my life! Getting him out of the bassinet with all those wires every few hours was exhausting for him, the nurses, and me, but I know getting Mommy milk into him was the best thing to make him stronger!

I decided I was going to be by his side for every moment of his journey & with BF I had to be there every 3 hours. So with a 30 minute to 1 hour feeding time I had about 1.5 hours to take a shower, nap, eat, etc. I asked the nurse to get me a sleeping recliner beside his bed-space & this was my lifesaver! Many times after he would eat we would fall asleep doing kangaroo time together. I was helping him get stronger while also getting a little bit of sleep. This is a must for mothers who want to nurse in NICU! When visitors came to visit I did not let it change our routine... I was shirtless & boobs were at his easy access (mommy gone wild?? hehe). This was priority to me over people holding him although I loved their support & love!

Once I was discharged as a patient there was no way I was leaving my baby at the hospital alone & luckily the hospital let us "rent" a room kind of like a hotel so I could stay there with him. Although I think I only used it as a place to store my stuff & take a shower because my baby needed my boob! But if you can get a room do it; it's so much easier then traveling to your house or a hotel.

After a few days I was exhausted but God's gift of adrenaline kept me going! By day 4 I needed sleep & Dad wanted to feed him so I broke my no bottle rule. I pumped & Dad fed for a few times a day. I don't regret this because that sleep was refreshing and didn't affect his latch at all! Also I realized this day that since you can't have food in NICU I was only eating 1 time a day. DON'T do this as calories are crucial for good fatty milk!

The last night we were there I was able to stay in the NICU mothers sleep in room & have Becks with me. It was great practice for when we went home while still having the nursing staff & his monitors connected for my piece of mind! I was able to lay in the bed to feed him & I didn't even know this type of room existed until the doctor offered it!

Our 6 day breastfeeding in NICU journey was the absolute hardest thing I have ever done but with lots of special requests I was able to make it successfully. If you ever have to have this experience just know you can ask for anything to make nursing easier & most hospitals are very supportive of BF!

Here is what you need in the NICU bed-space:
WATER
cell phone/camera
nursing stool
breastpump
sleeping recliner
zipper jacket to wear in between feedings
someone to talk to
feeding/pee/poop log book

What to request:

• a room in hospital

• mothers sleep in room

• your meds & food be delivered to NICU by your nurse 

• schedule your personal check-ins with your nurse/doctor at the same time each day so you can be in your room for them  

•  more diapers (hide them to take home!)

How did your delivery & hospital stay affect your breastfeeding relationship? 
What made it easier for you?
What rules did you have set that you decided to break?

Wordless Wednesday: Pink Nursing at Work

Someone reported your picture for...

...containing nudity or pornography.

 This is the notification I got from Facebook 1 hour after I posted this picture on my personal and private page.

Someone I know, someone who knows me, looked at this picture and didn't see a special moment. They looked at it and saw nudity or porn.
I was shocked at first, then I was mad. I wanted to tell whoever hit report that they should have hit un-friend if that's how they felt. I wanted to tell the person how much this picture meant to me. I wanted them to know my struggles with breastfeeding. I wanted them to share my accomplishment for making the goal I had set for myself. I wanted to tell them the internal debate I had about whether to post this picture in the first place.
When I booked my daughters pictures for her first birthday I thought about the kind of pictures I wanted. Of course we needed smash cake ones, and ones of her in her birthday dress. When my husband mentioned that he wanted pictures with her I realized that so did I. I had cried a lot in the days leading to her birthday, we survived a year with 2 kids, we watched the most beautiful baby become a little girl, and I made my goal of no formula. I did it! Through slow weight gain,a case of yeast, mastitis twice, I had nourished her mainly with my milk. Just like any accomplishment I wanted a picture to capture it.

When I got the disc with all the birthday pictures,and I saw the look in my girls eyes as she nursed my heart felt happy. Then I debated with myself. Do I put this picture on my Facebook page? I started slow, first my breastfeeding support group, then my local mom group. In the back of my head all I could think was "Do it! This is huge part of who you are, this is how you feed your baby. If this was a bottle in her mouth instead of a breast no one would bat an eye." I took the plunge and posted it along with the rest of her birthday pictures. I'm not sure what I expected, but I can tell you having a friend of family member report it wasn't it.

The upside (and thank goodness for great friends) is the response I got when I called the person out.

To the small minded family or friend who reported my breastfeeding picture. I have breasts. I use my breasts to feed my child. I'm proud of my accomplishment in using my breasts to nurse her this long which was neither easy or without personal sacrifice. A nursing mother is not obscene or immoral in any way. I'm not going to hide because breasts make you uncomfortable. Feel free to remove yourself from my friends list because I don't have time for your b.s.

Before I knew it so many of my friends stood by me. My mom friends, male friends, child free friends, formula feeding friends. They ALL made me cry again and they showed their love and support for me. Because of that I will never be afraid to show who I am , a proud breastfeeding mommy!

Wordless Wednesday: Breastfeeding Mothers Deserve Support

Adventures in Breastfeeding!

Photo by Aria Images Photography

What happens when you put a bunch of breastfeeding women together in an online support community?  You get stories of tears, triumphs, and tatas of course!  

Recently a member of our community joked about the perfect blog name. Someone else suggested that we start a group blog.  It occurred to us that collectively we have suffered through and overcome most obstacles associated with breastfeeding.  All of that knowledge was just begging to be shared. Where else can you find women who have battled chronic mastitis, tongue ties, supply dips, food allergies, and negative attitudes from others? Where else can you learn from a group of women with diverse experiences and opinions about breastfeeding and parenting in general?  Any mama from our fold will eagerly tell you her story with a smile on her face and a baby at her breast.  Our hope is that you will find at least one perspective that resonates with you and maybe even learn something new.

What you'll find on this blog:

• Personal stories - We're open about both our successes and our failures in breastfeeding, as well as all the struggles and victories along the way. We know that every mother has a unique story to tell!
• Information and support - It would be great if you could just pop your newborn onto the boob and be done with it, but for most women, it's not that easy. We'll share with you the tips and encouragement that have most helped us!
• Nursing lifestyle stuff - All about our favorite products, food, fashion, and entertainment related (or not!) to breastfeeding.

What you WON'T find on this blog:

• Shaming - We're in the business of support and encouragement, not judgement, shaming, or bullying. Do we think breast is best? Yes, of course (that's why we're here). Do we think you're a bad mom if you disagree? No.
• Lockstep opinion - Ask us any question, and you will probably get as many different answers as we have authors (or more, since opinions change over time). We may often passionately disagree, and we think that's healthy!
• Deadly seriousness - They're just boobs. Lighten up!

This is a community for you, our readers.  We want to extend the encouragement we have received from each other to all of you. After all, while breastfeeding is natural, it isn’t always easy, and women need all the support they can get.  Ask questions, share your struggles or successes, and laugh at some of our stories (we promise there will be plenty to laugh about!).  This is your invitation to join us on our adventures in breastfeeding.

And so you don't miss out on any of our stories, tips and support, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.