Evalyn's Last Latch

Alison says, "I often say that I wish someone had told me how hard breastfeeding was. The truth is, they did. I didn't listen when I was pregnant with my first child. I thought, "how hard can it be?". "

"Not only was I completely unprepared for the soreness and sensitivity, I had absolutely no idea that my milk would not immediately come in (3 days??!?!). No one told me about the amazing way that Baby and Mama work together to not only bring in the milk, but then regulate the amount and determine exactly how much to produce. The very first day, I learned about the secret stash of formula at the nurse's station. When my baby would NOT stop crying and I had no idea how to get him to latch, I requested the formula. It wasn't until a day or two later that I met with a lactation consultant, who helped get my baby to successfully latch."

"I only remember one or two successful latches before the engorgement set in. Talk about pain! That was when I tried pumping for the first time. Mind you, I was still in the hospital, recovering from a C-section, and totally sleep-deprived. Once we returned home, he was unable to latch again, so I decided to exclusively pump and bottle feed. After about a week, exhaustion set in. My baby was constantly hungry and pumping was just not enough. I threw in the towel and switched to formula. While it has its own limitations and inconveniences (so many bottles, ice packs, warming, cooling...oy!), it worked for us at the time."

"Thinking back on that time, I can still feel the absolute exhaustion of those first few months, even years. It's been a long road. As I sit here nursing my third baby to sleep, I can't believe the amount of work that went into making this seem so effortless. I think of all of the books I read to prepare for breastfeeding my second child. I researched, talked to friends, read books and attended classes, yet round two was still a struggle. We made it 10 months before the pain of an incorrect latch caused us both to throw in the towel."

"I'm so glad to be able to end my breastfeeding journey on a positive note. A peaceful birth, healthy baby and a good latch have made all the difference for us."

Alison, thank you so much for sharing your story. If you or someone you know would like to share, please fill out the contact form on the home page to set up a FREE Last Latch session.