Honest Feeding Stories: Emily

With Honest Feeding Stories, you'll hear from parents like you about one of the most intimate and important experiences of family life. Happiness and heartbreak, serenity and struggle, joy and tears -- it's all here in their own words. Presented with our support and without judgment, these stories remind us that the choices we make to nourish our children are truly unique.

It was amazing. As I held our new daughter, Olivia, immediately after giving birth, she scooted, nudged, and cuddled her way to my breast and latched within 10-15 minutes. Is it always so easy, beautiful and perfect? Not even close. Breastfeeding is also hard, time-consuming, humbling, humorous..I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but I’ve been through it.

To illustrate:

Let’s start with about 2-3 days after giving birth when my breasts became incredibly engorged as my milk was coming in. Sure, my husband really enjoyed my new profile; meanwhile, I was in so much pain that I thought I needed to go to the hospital. I thought Google was a big help in recommending cold cabbage to relieve the pain (note the sarcasm, if it’s not evident enough), but it didn’t take long before my husband found himself in the produce aisle of the grocery store.

Then there was the time that I took Olivia for a walk right after feeding her, because I figured we had time to spare before she got hungry again. (Honestly, I probably needed the walk more than she did.) Fifteen minutes after walking out the door, Olivia started screaming bloody murder. Being a first-time mom going one month strong into the experience, I panicked. With no swaddle, scarf, or nursing cover, I had to "go commando" and breastfeed right there on the sidewalk.

And just in case no one tells you—it’s not only your child you’ve got to think about when you’re feeding! Once, I was shopping at the grocery store when I heard another baby start to cry about 2 aisles away. I immediately sprung a leak through my bra and shirt. As I rushed out of the store, leaving my groceries behind, I could just hear the announcement: “Cleanup on aisle 3…”

Of course, it’s all worth it: Nothing feels greater to me than seeing my daughter unlatch, turn her head, look me straight in the eye and smile ear to ear before going straight back to feeding. It’s as if she just wanted to say, “Thank you, mom. I love you.”

-Emily, Los Angeles, California