Meet Stephanie!
Her family is culturally diverse and sounds like so much fun to be connected to two different countries like her children are.
Here are her thoughts on breastfeeding:
Q. Tell us about your personal breastfeeding experience with your children.
A. I was not raised in a breastfeeding family. My mother and aunts formula fed for various reasons so I wasn’t exposed to nursing until my teenage years. From my first memory of watching a mother at church nurse her baby I just knew I was going to give it a try myself. I figured that’s what my breasts were for so that’s what I’d use them for. When I became pregnant with my firstborn I made it a topic of research and even took a class offered my our hospital. I registered for a breast pump and waited for my son to be born. He was born sucking is lower lip which promptly turned my nipples into a mess. I called the lactation consultant and we worked on his latch. Once we worked out the latch we were home free. He was big eater nursing up to 12-14 times a day for the first 3 months. Things continued smoothly until I became pregnant again when he was 8 months old. I was very sick with morning sickness and dehydrated. My milk supply started dropping and with it my son’s weight. He ended up losing 2+ pounds and his pediatrician sent him to children’s hospital for tests. He was put on a strict diet of at least 20 ounces of formula per day as well as whatever he could get from me. Soon he weaned himself to the formula only (10.5 months). I was sad because I wanted him to make it to one year at least. Our second child was born. She was a lazy eater eating maybe 8 times a day. For me it seemed like it wasn’t enough after her brother’s voracious appetite! She was growing and healthy and we continued nursing until she self-weaned at 13.5 months. I was pregnant again and once again my milk was gone and she was bored. Now I am nursing our third child, another son. He was born with a perfect latch but he wouldn’t latch on until one and half hours after birth. He simply wasn’t interested but once he started eating he was good to go and hasn’t stopped eating since. At 3 months old he is a healthy little boy.
Q. What is your view of breastfeeding in public, and why?
A. I nurse in public and am always glad when I see other mothers doing the same. People need to realize that breastfeeding is the NORMAL way to feed a baby. I personally do not use a cover but if a mother feels more comfortable nursing that way then more power to her. She nursing her baby and that is more important to me than the politics of covering or not.
Q. What is your view of sustained breastfeeding, and why?
A. I think that sustained breastfeeding is an excellent choice for some families. But for me I choose not too. Not that I’ve had to choose because I’ve always been pregnant before I was ready to actually wean my children. I think that I’d want to start weaning my child around 15 months because I feel uncomfortable with the thought of ME nursing an older toddler. Now, I am not uncomfortable with others nursing their toddler it is just not for me. It is my hang up.
Q. What is your view of adoptive breastfeeding, and why?
A. I have very little knowledge of adoptive breastfeeding. Right now I’d say that if was to adopt a child while still nursing a biological child I’d certainly offer the breast to my adopted child. It would help with bonding.
Q. Is there anything you find unique about your breastfeeding story with your children?
A. I think that I am just an average mom. The only things that are unique about me are: the fact that I am a super producer as I am able to pump 4-5 ounces on one side and I was the first mom to breastfeed in my circles. Sad but true.
Q. Is there anything you wish you did differently?
A. I wish I had waited to introduce solids to my first born until 6 months. I started cereal at 3.5 months.
Q. Is there anything you would like to add?
A. The first weeks can be rough but with support you CAN make it. Contact a lactation consultant, call your mom or girl friends who have experience, and keep at it. You won’t regret it. Breast truly is best.
