Helping hands

When I first started nursing my oldest daughter, as I referenced before, we had some issues at the start. I was frustrated and she was hungry. So, I did the only thing I could think of: I cried. Then I got help. I Googled and Googled and read and read, but what I really needed was someone to show me what the heck I was doing wrong. My mother couldn't. I wasn't a breastfed baby. And the Internet offers conflicting advice, shocking, I know. So, I pulled out the paper work I was given at the hospital and found the number for the lactation consultant and called.

At first, I heard "oh those boob nazis" and "they are mean," but those people were wrong. I went there, tear-stained face, no-sleep, baby just four days old and I said "please help." And they did. They found the nipple shield solution that worked perfectly for us. The followed up with us for weeks afterward until I felt comfortable in what I was doing. They didn't judge. They didn't dictate, which is more than I can say for a nurse in the hospital who made me feel as though this natural thing was going wrong and it was ALL MY FAULT!

With my second daughter, I asked for the lactation consultant firs tthing in the morning. Like I mentioned but haven't written yet, we had some issues that time to. I recognized it early on, while we were still in the hospital. Every time a nurse would ask how it was going with nursing, I said "well, we are closer but I think we need the lactation consultant." The nurse would try to help. Some did help, some made me cry, but I always said "can you just have the lactation consultant come by? I have a few questions and I want to make sure she's got a good latch." The lactation consultant came, saw, and helped me conquor. She sat with me and watched some "Jon and Kate Plus 8" with me while we worked on my baby's latch. She checked on me a few times before I left. She followed up with me and said she felt confident I would do fine.

The thing is, I'm not perfect. I'm not the ultimate nursing mommy. I'm just one nursing mommy. A regular, every nursing mom who wants you to know that it's okay to ask for help. It's okay not to love it. It's okay not to be fanatical about it. And you can make it to your goal. And we, your other nursing mommy friends, will be here to cheer you on.