Thursday, August 1, 2013

To All the Breastfeeding Mamas

To all the breastfeeding mamas,

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, I want to thank you. 

Thank you for breastfeeding your child. Thank you for making that choice, on the day your child was born, to give it a go. Thank you for deciding to breastfeed  without knowing how well you would do, or how well your baby would do. To each and every one of you who decided that you would at least give it a try, I want you to know that I appreciate you. 

To the mamas who dealt with the pain, the irritation, the soreness. The toe-curling agony that sometimes happens in the early days of not-so-good latches. Thank you. For those of you who battled thrush and mastitis and plugged ducts, thank you for persevering. Breastfeeding wasn't supposed to be painful, was it? But sometimes it is. And we push through that because we have to. Our babies need us to. 

To the mamas who pumped and bottled your milk in the first hours and days and maybe even weeks because your baby was in the NICU and unable to lay on your chest and nurse, thank you so much. If your child could thank you, he or she would. Because you made all the difference in your baby's growth and development. You made your child strong. Your child thrived because of you. 

To the moms with a baby who didnt latch right away, thank you for your willingness to keep trying. Thank you for holding your baby and offering your breast so many times a day. More times than you could have imagined. Thank you for being persistent. Your baby was a late bloomer and just needed an extra nudge in the right direction. You did it. You kept trying and finally, your baby latched. Thank you for being persistent. It made all the difference in the world. 

To the mothers who had a rough start wih breastfeeding, thank you. Maybe you were misinformed or not informed enough. Maybe a nurse slipped your child some formula or your doctor made you feel like it was necessary to supplement. Thank you for working so hard to establish your supply and stop feeding your child formula. Thank you for trusting that you could do it without supplementing. 

To the mamas who do now, or have had to use a nipple shield to feed your baby, thank you. Your breasts were supposed to be able to do this on their own, weren't they? You weren't planning to have to carry around and clean and position the shield on your breasts every time you wanted to nurse because of flat or inverted nipples. But you did. Instead of blaming yourself, you tried breastfeeding with a shield. And you fed your baby. Maybe you were able to wean from the shield; maybe not. It doesn't matter really...you overcame an obstacle so that you could breastfeed your child. Thank you. 

To the mamas who haven't had much support from family and friends. I support you. Thank you for making a choice for yourself and your baby even if it wasn't the popular choice, because it truly was the best choice. Thank you for breastfeeding your child despite what others said. I know it isn't always easy to breastfeed and there are times when it would mean so much to hear someone tell you they understand, and they are proud of you. Let me say it now. I understand, and I am proud of you. 

To any mother who was nervous or scared or uneasy about breastfeeding. To those moms who weren't sure if you could do it. Thank you so much for deciding to try. Thank you for trusting your body. And your baby. And for making it work. 

To the mamas that have been on the receiving end of a hateful comment or a nasty look. For those of you who have endured stares from rude strangers at the mall or the park. To anyone who has felt uncomfortable or uneasy while breastfeeding in public...thank you. I am so appreciative of every mother who nurses in a public place. The more it is seen, the closer we are to it being accepted as the normal way to feed a baby. Keep feeding your baby. And be proud. You're helping to normalize it. 

To the mamas who have decided to allow your child to wean when ready, thank you.  Full-term breastfeeding is so selfless. It's an amazing expression of love for your child. Pure, unconditional love. Thank you for sticking with it during the good times and the tough times because you knew it was important to your child. Thank you for persisting even when you felt touched out and like your breasts were no longer your own. Thank you for letting your child lead the way. 

To all of the mothers, past and present who have chosen to give their child the gift of a breastfeeding relationship, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I am so proud of you. I am thankful to have the opportunity to breastfeed my own child. It is, quite honestly, the most important thing I have ever chosen to do. And I am so fortunate to be a part of such a wonderful group of women across the world who all have this one thing in common. 

Breastfeeding has allowed me not only to feel close to my baby, but to so many other women across this earth. I appreciate you all. Thank you for choosing to breastfeed.