Sarah

*Note: Sarah’s little guy was too busy playing & exploring to nurse for his photo session. Sarah is 17 weeks pregnant.

How long have you been nursing? A combined three years. My son will mark two years in May and my daughter nursed off and on for 14 months.

What made you decide to breastfeed? Really it was never even a question. My mom breastfed my brothers. I saw her doing that from a young age and it never phased me. Then my younger cousins came along and they were all breastfed. It was just normal to me and I figured if my family could do it, then why shouldn’t I give it a shot!? I also loved the idea of having that special bond with my baby that no one else could have except for me It was very important to me that I gave my children the very best start in life with nutrition. 

What struggles did you have in the early days of nursing? I have a flat nipple and one that is slightly inverted. My daughter was also born early and small, so she had a small mouth that made it challenging for her to get a good latch. We also found out after meeting with an IBCLC that she had a tongue and lip tie. Nursing was so painful! I cracked and bled for about two weeks but I was determined not to give up. I had some incredible encouragement! Then when she was nine months old she started teething and I found out I was pregnant. My supply dipped and it was a struggle because I was very tender. I had a fantastic friend who was a WIC peer counselor that helped us fight through her nursing strike. I was able to push through that and she nursed until I got pregnant with my son when she was 14 months old. With my son I had very few struggles until I got pregnant with this baby. I have been so uncomfortable and nursing can be challenging some days, he however seems to have no intention of quitting.

What do you think we could do to encourage more people to nurse their babies? Simply just seeing a woman nursing her baby can open up their eyes to the beauty and normality of it all! Provide as much support as possible to your friends who are choosing to breastfeed their children and providing resources for those who do not have the support. Even in the WIC program the resources really aren’t there and it makes me sad to see so many moms become discouraged because they feel it is shameful, more difficult or less healthy than formula. Any time I see a nursing mother I am sure to offer her a smile of encouragement. One of the most boosting things for me was having a stranger tell me well done while I was nursing my son in public. It gave me confidence and it reminded me that there really are people who do care about people succeeding!

Where do you feel the most comfortable nursing? Pretty much anywhere! I haven’t found too many spaces that I am not comfortable nursing my child. If he gets hurt, I nurse him. If he just needs mama, I nurse him. I don’t care where I am.

Where do you feel the most uncomfortable nursing? Not many places. Usually just around extremely modest people. I hate using a cover! It’s so hot and my babies always heavily sweat, so it isn’t comfortable for them either.

As an advocate for breastfeeding, what would you like to tell people? Don’t give up! It really does get easier. Find people to support you and explore all of your options. Sometimes it is hard but eventually it passes and you find what works best for you and your baby. If you can find a great support system, struggles become so much easier. I also feel it is so important to encourage mothers when you see them breastfeeding. Something as simple as a smile can go a long way in making it become widely accepted and normal in the eyes of the public.

Ashley

How long have you been breastfeeding? I’ve been breastfeeding since my daughter was born. She will be 4 this July.

What made you decide to breastfeed? I’ve always done things that have been considered more “natural” so breastfeeding was an obvious choice it seemed to ME. I wasn’t breastfed and didn’t know anyone at the time except for one friend who breastfed but it just seemed right for us. Not to mention the health benefits, convenience and the fact that its free!

As an advocate for breastfeeding, what would you like to tell people? This is a tough one. Because I feel like there is SO much to say! Find someone who has breastfed or a lactation consultant when you are starting out-even if its going well because at some point you’ll have questions and having a knowledgeable person can make or break your breastfeeding journey if you come across an issue. Also, people who breastfeed are just trying to feed their kids the same as those who use a bottle. Its upsetting ad stressful as a breastfeeding mom, ESPECIALLY a new mother, to anguish over finding a “safe” place to feed her infant for fear of being approached by a complete stranger who is offended by the three inches of her breast she spotted.

What struggles did you have in the early days of breastfeeding?  The struggles I encountered early on with breastfeeding were only with my daughter and fortunately not both of my children. The lactation consultant at the hospital where she was born didn’t work weekends and my daughter was born on a Saturday. I was 24 and knew NOTHING about breastfeeding. I was armed with a fierce determination to breastfeed though and I know that’s what got me through the engorgement, sore nipples and supply issues. She wouldn’t latch because I was so engorged and her latch hurt. I eventually called the hospital lactation consultant and had a visit with her where she helped me correct my latch and supply issue.

What do you think we could do to encourage more women to nurse their babies?  Make breastfeeding more mainstream! I understand mothers have to use formula for various reasons and obviously That’s OK. But somewhere along the lines in our oversexed american culture it became almost taboo and inappropriate to breastfeed in public. Meaning less women see it being done, children certainly aren’t seeing it if their parents aren’t and its almost hush hush and people don’t know where to ask questions or get CORRECT helpful breastfeeding help from.

Why do you think society fears something that has been around since the beginning of time? I’m confused by this as well. And I honestly don’t know because I never feared it. That probably makes me somewhat naive to not be able to understand that side fully but I just don’t to be honest. I believe that (most)fears stem from ignorance. So, that is probably no different in this case. I’m sure I will have some people tell me that they don’t agree with my comments in this project or my pictures even, and that’s OK. Its all part of helping to normalize breastfeeding and educate people.

At what age do you think women should stop nursing? Women should stop breastfeeding when they and their child are ready. That varies for each family. According to the World Health Organization the average weaning age is closer to 4.5 YEARS OLD and in our country the weaning age is somewhere between 3-6 months. That’s a HUGE gap. So, I say wean when you are ready.

Would you ever consider milk sharing? Donating, receiving, wet nursing? I would definitely consider milk sharing. In fact, I have. Its something I’d do again in a heartbeat. Babies gotta eat! I had a nice sized freezer stash that I was working in for a donation but it got unplugged. That was a sad day.

What is it like to tandem nurse? Tandem nursing is so many things. My tandem breastfeeding is coming to an end but it has helped in aiding my children to bond-especially post partum. It can also be exhausting and definitely not for everyone. But I am glad that I was able to nourish my daughter for this long in so many ways.

Nicole

*A note about Nicole’s session- Nicole is about 18 weeks pregnant right now, and sometimes babies won’t want to nurse as often because of changes in their mom’s milk during pregnancy. Sweet little Oliver did not want to nurse for a photo; he was much more interested in playing with his friends instead! I felt it was important to share Nicole with ya’ll for a few reasons, one being that you don’t usually need to wean if you get pregnant. Secondly, sometimes your nursling will wean because of how a mom’s milk might change in pregnancy (taste or supply differences). Both of these things are normal.

How long have you been breastfeeding? Oliver was born January 12, 2013 and I’ve been breastfeeding ever since. I also pumped for a local mom for 3 months during this time and pumped for milk bank donations for about 9 months.

What made you decide to breastfeed? I thought it was “normal” to breastfeed. I was almost 9 when my sister was born and I remember seeing my mom breastfeed her. I also have some wonderful friends who breastfed their kids before I had my own, so I never thought it was something odd. My two best friends are full­term breastfeeders and have been so supportive and helpful. Originally, I planned to breastfeed for 3 months. Then I decided I would breastfeed absolutely no longer than one year. But these awesome women really inspired me to look into benefits of full­term breastfeeding. Once I talked to my husband, he was supportive and we decided to let Oliver wean on his own.

What struggles did you have in the early days of breastfeeding? Oliver was jaundiced and wanted to sleep ALL the time. I had to wake him up every 2 hours with diaper changes and wiggle his toes while he was latched to get him to nurse at all. I thought my nipples would fall off at one point because it was so painful. I used lanolin and hot/cold pads… nothing helped! My mom encouraged me to keep it up and my husband always got me anything I needed to help me get a little comfortable. After a couple weeks, we got the hang of it and the jaundice was gone, so things got much easier. I want to add that there are later struggles too. After breastfeeding for 2 years, I found out I was pregnant! We are excited to add another bundle of joy to our little family, but pregnancy has really changed breastfeeding all over again. My nipples are sore constantly. Around 10 weeks, I cried every time he latched because it hurt so bad. I thought about forcibly weaning, but after looking at the benefits of breastfeeding over age 2, I didn’t want to deny him the health boost. It’s also a bond that I don’t want to force him to give up. Many medical professionals say you have to stop breastfeeding or risk a miscarriage, but that isn’t true in all cases. I’m so glad we found a local midwife who is supportive of our choice to continue breastfeeding. I’m about 18 weeks along right now, so I have no idea what to expect for the next 20-­24 weeks, but I’m glad to be surrounded by amazing women who will support me through any rough spots.

What do you think we could do to encourage more women to nurse their babies? Educate! I was shocked at how little education I received while pregnant. The doctor just asked if I wanted to breastfeed or formula feed so they would have formula available once I finished giving birth. There was no discussion about benefits or downfalls of either. Once Oliver was born, all the nurses left and just handed me a newborn. I had no idea what to do. He had the misfortune of being born on a Saturday and the Lactation Consultant in that hospital only works Monday through Friday. Our first pediatrician told me my milk wasn’t enough for him and told me that she needed to measure my pumped milk to make sure it was enough. What a nightmare! I also think paid maternity leave for 6-­12 months would be incredible. Many moms say they don’t have time to establish a good milk supply before going back to work. Pumping without a good established supply can be very hard to keep up for any length of time. Many of us can’t afford maternity leave, even when it’s offered because we rely on every penny we make to pay bills. I have coworkers who only took off 3 days to have a baby, even though we are offered any amount of time we want off.

Where do you feel the most comfortable nursing? Now, anywhere. At first, I only nursed at home and tried to use a cover whenever people were visiting. In most cases, I ended up going to my bedroom to nurse because he hated me using a cover.

Where do you feel the most uncomfortable nursing? I don’t really feel too uncomfortable anywhere anymore. Early on, I didn’t leave the house because I was scared to nurse around people. Influence from awesome friends and great online resources has boosted my confidence. When my baby is hungry, he gets food.

What do you think it is about breastfeeding that makes people uncomfortable? Many people claim it’s due to breasts being sexual. I think exposing the reality of motherhood natural use for breasts will help break that thought process.

How long do you plan to nurse your baby? As long as he wants to. He has started to wean now that I am pregnant, but still nurses a couple times a day. If he decides to nurse again once this baby is born, he will be invited to do so.

How do you deal with the breastfeeding haters? I ignore them usually. On particularly feisty days, I post a lot of breastfeeding articles and pictures to irritate them. I figure if they are still on my friends list, it can’t be that bad. And maybe they can learn something in their irritation!

Jessica

 

How long have you been breastfeeding? I have been breastfeeding for 6 years straight as of this month. I tandem nursed my older daughter with my youngest for 18 months. She weaned 3 months before she turned 4. Wren is 3 and a half now.

What made you decide to breastfeed? I don’t think there was ever another option in my mind. It was never really a choice. I always just knew when I had children that I would breastfeed. I was breastfed until I was 4 and it always seemed the normal thing to do. It is what we were made to do. There is really nothing like it. It works wonders for everything. Not just feeding your children but also calming and comforting them. 

Why do you think our society fears something that has been around since the beginning of time? I really don’t know. It is funny to me that we can watch African women on the discovery channel with their breasts bared and no one even notices. When you bare an American woman’s breasts all of a sudden it is sexual and needs to be private. I have tried to make breastfeeding so normal to my kids that they don’t even notice it anymore. We can change the stigma surrounding nursing for our children’s generation if we let all the children see that nursing is no big deal and not something to cover up.

What do you think it is about breastfeeding that makes people uncomfortable? Boobs, boobs, and boobs. We have sexualized boobs so much in our country that people feel like they are seeing something pornographic if they get even the slightest glimpse of nipple or sideboob.

Would you ever consider milk sharing? Donating, receiving, wet nursing? Definitely!!!. I have nursed at least 5 other children for friends. After my first birth I had so much milk that I had to pump everyday before I nursed so I didn’t drown my daughter. I donated that milk to a close friend of mine on a regular basis. If I had ever had difficulty nursing I would have definitely sought out donor milk. I think milk sharing is a great thing. And when you are a nursing mom who needs a break and your kid refuses a bottle it is great to have another nursing mom friend who can take over so you can get a couple hours of peace.

What do you think we could do to encourage more women to nurse their babies? I think just nursing our babies proudly and confidently. I also think education about birth practices would help for women that really want to breastfeed. Being a doula I really see the difference support and correct nursing information makes. In the homebirth community there is almost a 100% nursing success rate. My mom worked as a wic peer counselor and the rate of nursing success was extremely low even for moms who really wanted to. Different hospitals have different nursing rates. This shows me it is not our bodies that don’t work, like many women are led to believe. There are common nursing no nos and incorrect info out there that is sabotaging nursing relationships. Just telling a mom who wants to nurse that she can call anytime for support or advice can make all the difference in the world in those difficult first weeks.

At what age do you think women should stop breastfeeding their babies? There is no time limit on nursing. Children will naturally stop when they are ready. There is nothing wrong with nursing through the toddler years and beyond. Breasts do not all of sudden become weird to a child that has known and seen them everyday of his/her life.

How do you deal with the breastfeeding haters? In my 6 years of nursing I have never had a single person be rude to me while I am nursing. I never use a cover either. I have had several come up to me and compliment me for nursing my babies. As far as negative conversations, I just ignore them. Getting drawn in doesn’t change minds and it sinks you down to the level of the haters. Our quiet confidence is all we need to show them.

How long do you plan to nurse your child? As long as she needs to. She is almost done now I think. She has only nursed once in the past 2 weeks and it was when she got hurt. Children won’t nurse forever. If they know it is open and available when and if they want it they gradually just stop wanting it

.

Valerie

How long have you been breastfeeding? I’ve breastfeed my first till she was almost two. My second has been nursing for nine months and going strong!

What made you decide to breastfeed? I never gave formula an option. It was just a no- brainer. That’s what God intended our breasts to be used for so why not try? It’s free, good for your baby and you have an awesome bond with your little one.

How long do you plan to nurse your baby? As long as she wants. I’m hoping she will nurse for at least two years if not longer.

Would you ever consider milk sharing? Donating, receiving, wet nursing? Yes! I’ve donated to a friend. If I could pump more I would love to donate to many babies! If I was unable to breastfeed I would accept donated milk/ a wet nurse. I also have acted as a wet nurse.

At what age do you think women should stop breastfeeding their babies? I don’t believe there is certain age.

Why do you think our society fears something that has been around since the beginning of time? Society has made breasts sexual objects and not what God made them for. Breastfeeding is natural, breasts are made to feed our babies. Women today are afraid of being judged to nurse their babies in public.

How do you deal with the breastfeeding haters? Its very frustrating. I’ve never been confronted about it, but if I were I would want to educate them. People see it how society makes it. I want to open their eyes to the beauty of it. We aren’t here to flaunt our breasts, we are here to educate and feed our hungry little ones!

What struggles did you have when you first started nursing? Luckily both my babies are been great nursers and I’ve never had supply issues. It was hard being a teen mom with my first and being accepted out in public nursing my baby. I was only 17 when I had Lillian, I got lots of support from family but it’s still hard to get past the nasty looks. I can see why people give up nursing so soon. Nobody wants to feel judged. That’s why I have become so in love with breastfeeding and wanting to get the word out. I want to see our children’s generation nursing more without been judged!

 

Beth

How long have you been breastfeeding? I have been breastfeeding for over 12 weeks.

What struggles did you have in the early days of breastfeeding? My biggest struggle was dealing with the pain of sore, cracked nipples. I cringed every time she latched on, but I knew the pain was temporary so I persevered. I was determined to breastfeed because I knew it was the best source of nutrition for my baby. After several saline rinses, a tub of nipple butter and a couple of weeks of going bra free, my nipples finally healed and nursing turned into the beautiful experience I dreamed it would be.

Where do you feel the most comfortable nursing? Honestly, anywhere. But I’m most comfortable at home.

Where do you feel the most uncomfortable nursing? Definitely in public. Although I’m confident with nursing, in public, it’s hard NOT to feel like someone is judging you.

Why do you think our society fears something that has been around since the beginning of time? Our society is quite the hypocrite. People have no problem viewing photos of women showing off their cleavage in lingerie yet they shame women who show off their cleavage when nursing. They’re basically saying it’s okay for women to use their breasts for sexual appeal but it’s not okay for women to use their breasts as God intended as a food source for their offspring. What’s the difference? The female breasts have been so over sexualized that the natural, beautiful and ancient act of caring for a baby has become taboo. As a result, women who DO want to breastfeed fear being shamed by the public and often hide to nurse or stop nursing all together. I think this new revolution of confident, crunchy mammas is going to quickly change society’s perception of breastfeeding and the fear that once existed will slowly dissipate.

What do you think we could do to encourage more women to nurse their babies? The best thing we can do is educate and lead by example. Educate women on the benefits of breastfeeding; support them during their first few weeks, because we all know it can be tough; and most importantly be an example. During those first few weeks, the one thing a new nursing momma needs most is support and encouragement. It’s really easy to worry about proper latching and milk supply when you’re first starting out. Once the worries are over and nursing becomes comfortable, build her confidence to nurse in public and show her how to be an example to other nursing mommas. Prove to her as well as to society that nursing in public can be done modestly, even without a cover.

How long do you plan to nurse your baby? As long as my baby wants! I strongly support the idea of natural weaning. I’m hoping she’ll nurse for at least a year if not more.

How do you deal with the breastfeeding haters? Haha! Well, I usually ignore them if they’re staring, or, when I’m feeling amused, I’ll pull out the knitted boob hat. I haven’t had anyone verbally express their disapproval of breastfeeding. Most people I’ve spoken to support it, but a few of them aren’t so fond of cover free nursing. To those people, I kindly express my own opinion and leave it at that.

Ashley

How long have you been breastfeeding? 6 days

What made you decide to breastfeed?  I know it is what’s best for my baby.  It will provide her with all of her nutritional needs and antibodies to keep her healthy.  It is good for the mom too and is another way to bond with baby. Plus it’s free!  

How long do you plan to nurse your baby? As long as she wants to! I’d like to shoot for at least a year.

What do you think it is about breastfeeding that makes people uncomfortable? Some people think that exposing your breasts in public is inappropriate. They associate breasts with everything except what they were made for. Some moms may not feel comfortable exposing themselves or may feel insecure. Sometimes people are looked down upon for breastfeeding for so long. People are uncomfortable seeing older babies feeding.  We need to remember the recommended time is at least a year. 

As an advocate for breastfeeding, what would you like to tell people? For all the moms, if you are able to breastfeed, do it!  If you truly are not able to, we are blessed to have other options available. But if you can, why not? Breastfeeding is completely natural and no one should ever feel bad for doing it. 

The Breastfeeding Project

I started this project out of support for every breastfeeding momma I know. The mommas who commit to feed and comfort their babies with their bodies, the mommas who endure the harsh comments & rude stares, the mommas who are educated & confident of their choice to give their babies the best nutrition. The Breastfeeding Project intends to show people the normalcy & beauty of the bond between a nursing momma & baby.