My Nursing Journey with Motherhood Maternity

August 28, 2019

Since it’s Breastfeeding Awareness Month this August, I wanted to share my breastfeeding experience and journey thus far with you!

I’ve also teamed up with Motherhood Maternity to discuss my breastfeeding experience, as well as talk about some of their amazing nursing products. These are products expecting moms and new moms will need as they embark on their own breastfeeding journey during motherhood.

My breastfeeding experience this time around is so different than with Kennedy. It was a shock at how hard breastfeeding really is when I was dealing with my nursing struggles with her. She was in the NICU for two weeks and as a result, I would bring her my pumped milk. I also tried SO hard to get her to nurse. She had trouble latching and she just was not having it. After a couple weeks of trying and meeting with a Lactation Consultant, I decided it would be best to just pump and give her my milk from a bottle. I exclusively pumped for 3 months. Since I pumped, I loved having a comfy nursing bra to wear day and night. I kept trying to get Kennedy to nurse though, and after three months she finally started to latch and nurse!!! I continued that until she was six months old. It was such an amazing bonding time for us, and I felt like all the hard work in those early months had paid off.

One of the things I made sure to do this time around with Dane was to be prepared! I watched a breastfeeding video course, stocked up on breast pads, got my pump ready, got some nursing clothes for when I was out and about, and stocked up on several nursing bras! I was lucky that the first time I held Dane he latched. I was so incredibly happy that he latched right away and was such a great little eater. It made me feel so happy knowing I wasn’t going to have that struggle this time around.  I loved the bonding we got through nursing because it really was such a magical feeling. I have been able to nurse my sweet little boy for 3 months! 

I ended up getting really sick a couple weeks ago and found out I had a burst appendix. It required emergency surgery to remove it. During that week I was so sick, weak, and in so much pain that I couldn’t nurse Dane, let alone get up to pump every few hours. Luckily, my husband was able to help bottle feed him during that time. After my surgery, the doctors told me I had to pump and dump for two weeks because of all the medication I was on. Those two weeks were so emotional for me because once I was able to start pumping again, my milk had basically dried up. I wasn’t producing very much milk at all anymore and I was devastated. I was also so sad knowing that our last moments nursing together had come and gone- I would never get those magical moments back with Dane. But I’ve come to accept that this is just the breastfeeding journey for me, and not everyone’s journey is the same. Breastfeeding my baby for three months was so amazing and I’m so grateful I was able to do it for that long. Since my experience with Dane was so amazing, I wanted to share some tips that really helped make this experience so much different than the first time around!

I started wearing my nursing bras in the third trimester of my pregnancy to accomodate my growing cup size. The Motherhood Maternity Seamless Maternity & Nursing bra is wireless which makes wearing it super comfy, and it stretches from pregnancy through nursing. After wearing these bras, I never want to wear another type of bra again! I recommend getting four of them. one to wear everyday, one to sleep in, a sport nursing bra to workout in, and one clean one ready in your drawer if the others get dirty. It’s so nice to have multiple ones handy, especially because you use them and wear them day and night! It’s so nice to just unclasp it and nurse your baby easily, without taking off your whole bra. The great thing about getting your nursing bras at Motherhood Maternity is they offer customers the opportunity to purchase three nursing bras and the fourth bra is FREE. In addition, they provide complimentary bra fittings in all of their retail stores by their trained customer associates to make the maternity bra shopping experience easy and convenient. The straps are comfortable and adjustable, which makes for the growth of your breasts. Also, the pad inserts can be removed for washing too! Finally, I love how this bra has multiple colors and sizes to choose from.

Embarking on the breastfeeding journey with your baby is magical, but also will come with some challenges. I recommend being prepared for this journey you two will embark on to set yourself up for success and make mama life a little easier! But also remember, no matter how you feed your baby, breastfed, formula fed, or a mix of both- you’re doing an amazing job!!! I’ve done it ALL with both of my babies and no matter what, they are still the happiest little kids ever!