One of the most difficult aspects of motherhood I have had to face is the challenge of breastfeeding. Even before Isabella was born I knew that I wanted to be her sole source of nutrition for as long as I could. The way I see it, God created women’s bodies to birth children and to nourish them in every way but sadly, our dreams don’t always come true. Within one month of her birth, Isabella had already lost an entire pound and her weight wasn’t coming back up. I was devastated. I felt like a failure. She cried ALL THE TIME. I tried everything-skin to skin, checking her latch, seeing all kind of specialists, trying all kinds of lactation recipes, nothing worked. Turns out I had “Insufficient glandular tissue.” Eventually I came to terms with it and introduced organic formula-the way she drank it you would’ve thought she was stranded on an island with no water. What a relief! I had spent all this time worried that I was failing as a mother when what I needed to do was worry about my child’s needs. After that, Isabella was a completely different baby. She was happy, she slept through the night and she was growing!
It’s now been 7 months and we are still breastfeeding but also proudly supplementing with donor milk when it’s available, organic formula and just recently we started solids. I’ve noticed that on days where I actually eat, and eat healthy I have an extra boost in supply and she nurses longer and is actually satisfied.
Whoever says breastfeeding is easy, has clearly never done it. You can read all the books, blogs and pins but the best thing you can do is listen to your baby and your mama instinct. There were times when it was painful and I wanted to give up but I’m thankful that I have had the right support and encouragement from those around me and I’m thankful for the many sleepless nights of snuggles and bonding that have allowed me to enjoy my precious baby girl so much more. Happy world breastfeeding week!
diannachie 
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