My Feeding Journey: Nikki Stephens
Education and support can help moms navigate the breastfeeding journey—even the second time around.
By
I’ve had two incredibly unique breastfeeding experiences with my kids. With Zaylen, my oldest, I felt thrown to the wolves. I received very little information from the people and doctors around me, I was living in a city with no friends or family and no support system, and I was told repetitively that breastfeeding was our only option. There were “breastfeeding is the only safe option for your baby” videos that played on a loop during the entire hospital stay after delivery, but no one came around to actually help us figure it out.
Once we got home, and it was just the two of us day in and day out, we only lasted two weeks at the breast before I started bottle feeding him pumped breast milk. I then pumped round the clock for 10 months straight to give him this liquid gold; I felt it was my only option.
It was one of the hardest experiences of my life, and I wanted to stop almost every day. I didn’t even know “exclusive pumping” was a thing, and I faced a lot of questions about my feeding choices throughout the whole first year of my son’s life.
But things were very different with my youngest, Zenia. The hospital offered free lactation consultants who we had on speed dial, free weekly breastfeeding clinics after discharge and packets of information, and family supporting us. I had done a lot of research after my first experience in hopes of a better outcome, but the hospital also gave me plenty of opportunities to learn had I not. These resources were vital to our success. I felt prepared and even when it was new and hard and painful, I felt encouraged and motivated to keep going.
This bond has been truly beautiful for us, and while breastfeeding may be something she and I share exclusively, it was made possible by a lot of people around us. I’m so grateful for them and for the experience this time around.
Mommy My Way is a blog for moms who want and believe they can have a life they’re proud of. Blogger Nikki Stephens inspires moms in the form of a beautiful home, upscale DIY decor and family travel ideas. She offers tools to get through challenges they inevitably face, like pumping at work, sleep training and letters of solidarity through the chaos. Nikki is a single mom with a 5-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. Together they live in Sarasota, Florida. Follow Nikki on Instagram.
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