In this bonus episode, we hear from three mothers of newborns on their experiences with breastfeeding. If you’re expecting, some things you’ll hear them say may surprise you. And if you’ve gone through this process, you’ll likely be nodding your head in agreement. These moms have some really great insight into how to deal with the emotional toil that can come with breastfeeding. I hope it gives you courage, perseverance, and a little ego boost, which we all need at a time like this.
Amy Swift
Amy spent her first month of motherhood struggling to breastfeed her daughter Julie. She talks about how the struggle interfered with their bond during that first month and what she had to do to give herself permission to try something else. She also talks about how expectation of what postpartum will be like can cloud one’s judgement and what it was that allowed her to move on.
Van Miravalli
Van was really surprised at how difficult breastfeeding was for her and her baby, Dorothy. She has learned a lot from friends about how to achieve success in breastfeeding, but she still marvels at how mothers and babies have been able to survive throughout history with limited technology and alternatives available to them. She also talks about learning to accept disappointment with needing to rely on something outside herself.
Angel Rabus
I talked with Angel while her second son, Caius, was a newborn. She breastfed both her sons and talks a lot about the difficulties with the first one, Orrin. Sometimes the process you have to go through to make breastfeeding work feels like spinning plates and she gives a couple of examples of this.
Mother's Project 