One Year of Breastfeeding: My Journey, My Gratitude

Breastfeeding ✨

Every mother’s journey looks different, but I wanted to share mine.

This month marks one full year of breastfeeding, with June 24th being that milestone. Going into this journey, my goal was simple. I wanted to make it to one year. Looking back now, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the support that carried me through it.

I could not have done this alone.

I am endlessly thankful for my friends and family who stood by me every step of the way. For my husband, who woke up with me in the middle of the night and comforted me while I cried. For the friends who encouraged me to push through those first excruciating fourteen days, who told me I was doing a good job, and who even examined my latch over FaceTime and made me laugh when I needed it most.

I am grateful for the friends who reminded me that it was okay to supplement with formula when I traveled, and that flexibility does not equal failure.

Thank you all 🥹❤️

What Helped Me Along the Way

I wanted to share a few things that truly helped me during this first year.

Check for lip or tongue ties early.

Having your baby evaluated early on can make a significant difference in comfort and success.

Push through the first fourteen days if you can.

For me, those early days were intense. It felt like a baby dinosaur was latching onto my breast. It took my breath away, made me feel nauseous, and felt overwhelming until the oxytocin kicked in. It does pass. Silverette cups and Earth Mama nipple butter were lifesavers during that time.

Protect your mental health.

Breastfeeding alone is a full-time job, and pumping is an entirely different animal. While breastfeeding made me feel deeply connected and like I was nourishing my baby, pumping made me feel like a machine. For my mental health, I chose to primarily breastfeed and not pump extra.

Give yourself permission to be flexible.

The first trip I took away from Blakely, I worked so hard to pump that it made me want to quit breastfeeding altogether. Even though I continued nursing full time, I allowed myself to supplement with formula when I traveled. I used Holle’s goat milk formula, and releasing that pressure made all the difference.

The Beauty of Breast Milk

I find this absolutely fascinating.

At each feeding, your baby receives anywhere from 10,000 to 1,000,000 immune cells through breast milk. Every single drop contains over 1,000,000 white blood cells, which help fight infection.

Just one teaspoon of breast milk can contain up to 3,000,000 germ-killing cells.

Breast milk also contains hundreds to thousands of distinct bioactive molecules that protect against infection and inflammation. It even plays a role in establishing your baby’s gut microbiome through healthy bacterial colonization.

A Journey Worth Honoring

Breastfeeding has been beautiful. It has been exhausting. It has been incredibly rewarding.

It is okay to feel all of those things at once.

If you are in the middle of it right now, know this. You are doing great, mama. 🤍