I love the title of More than Milk and it really resonates with what breastfeeding is to me. It’s about more than just nourishment of the body.

I wanted to be a part of this project to show mothering through breastfeeding. There are so many different ways to parent and breastfeeding can be an excellent way to build a relationship and bond with your child. I love the title of More than Milk and it really resonates with what breastfeeding is to me. It’s about more than just nourishment of the body. I want to help showcase another side of breastfeeding.

My daughter was born a little bit after 7:30 am making me a mother early in the morning. I struggled latching her that day and during the night a kind nurse sat with us for an hour and helped really get her latched. We had our first successful feed in the quiet wee hours of the morning thanks to a nipple shield. We used the nipple shield for a few months and I was gradually able to transition to just breast. As I started nursing, it was based on her cues and I just thought of it as providing nourishment. Over time I came to understand that nursing isn’t just about nourishment but also the relationship between her and myself. I mother through breastfeeding. I’ve found breastfeeding is the way we connect, the way we calm, the way we fix boo-boos, the way we get ready for the day. Nursing a toddler is a bit different from a newborn (there seems to be a lot more movement and toes involved), but each have their own sweetness and difficulties. I often joke to my husband that I won’t know how to fix things without nursing.
I’ve been so lucky to find a community of people who support breastfeeding. From the very beginning at the hospital where the nurse sat with me for an hour and helped me to finally latch and feed to the lactation consultants and other mothers who support nursing. The only negativity I’ve received has been from some family who don’t believe a child should be nursed after the age of one. They’ve made comments about being one of the people who nurse till the child goes off to college. Luckily, my biggest supporter is my husband. He doesn’t see breastfeeding as just nourishment. As a new mother, I had no idea the demand that nursing would place on everything. My supportive husband was always there when I needed him. When I worried about supply and ordered Milkin’ Cookies at 3am there was no judgement; just support (FYI, they are pretty delicious). When she wouldn’t sleep at night unless attached to my breast, he allowed us to start bed-sharing so everyone could sleep better. When I spoke to him about my decision to not night-wean, he was supportive, even though he still gets awakened at night now and then.

If you believe that breastfeeding is beautiful and More Than Milk share this post! Let’s encourage one another on this beautiful journey.

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