Breastfeeding Stories - Kelsey
This is Kelsey with her little girl Mary-Ann. These are her words.
I’m Kelsey, and my little 11 month old girl is Mary-Anne. She is a pure delight and being her momma is the joy of my life. We have had some challenges with breastfeeding, but I am so proud of our perseverance and the unique way we have navigated our relationship. On day 5 we realised that there were some issues with feeding because her weight dropped and she stopped pooping. Luckily we knew who to contact and we got some help. I discovered that I have low supply and that supplementation was necessary. This was discouraging news, but I knew that Mary-Anne was really attached to the breast and I wanted to do everything I could to make it work for her. We got set up with a homemade SNS (supplemental nursing system). It’s basically a tube that goes from a bottle into baby’s mouth at the breast. It really changed the game for us, it saved me time and stimulated my supply. I followed the advice my IBCLC gave me and got support from a WhatsApp group, zoom meetings, friends, and some good Instagram accounts. Eventually once we started on solids, the supplementation gradually reduced until it was just once a day before bed. We feed on demand through the day and night now, and it’s working great for us. Mary-Anne loves the comfort and security and extra nutrition the boob gives her, and I love being able to soothe her, help her to sleep, and bring her back to connection when she’s disregulated. Breastfeeding has been so worthwhile for us. I’m so thankful for the solutions and support we got to help us on the journey.
If you run into issues with low supply it is totally worth getting help.
-know what a problem looks like, for example, painful latch or poor weight gain and nappy output. Trust your instincts and get help sooner rather than later, don’t let anyone gaslight you into thinking there’s not a problem if there is.
-have a network of support, your local cuidu counsellors, an IBCLC, friends. Have their phone numbers on hand.
-be open to creative solutions that might be out of your comfort zone at first. The SNS was so weird at first, but it saved our breastfeeding relationship, and so did formula. It kept Mary-Anne fed. Any human milk is beneficial and it’s ok to combi feed if that’s what you want or need to do. It’s still breastfeeding and don’t let anyone tell you different!
-talk about your experience. It’s so helpful to share what you’re going through, and you never know who has been there and can give you advice, or who you might inspire. Also, breastfeeding grief is so real and you deserve support as you navigate those feelings.
-become an expert by using the resources available. I never quite put my finger on why I have low supply. It could have to do with my thyroid or other hormones, I might have insufficient glandular tissue, or Mary-Anne might have an oral restriction (although we did have a tongue tie revision at 6 weeks). It might be a combination of many factors. Investigate yourself and your baby and don’t be afraid to badger your doctor, seriously.
