My name is Tasha and I'm 29 years old. I have a 6 month old that had a rough start with our breastfeeding journey.
When he was born until 2 months old, every single time he'd nurse, he'd cry. He'd cry for hours on end. We finally visited a lactation consultant because I was worried it was my milk supply. Grayson was diagnosed with a lip & tongue tie that we got revised at 2 months. He already had such a hard time efficiently transferring milk that the revision didn't help us with nursing.
I decided I still wanted to give Grayson the best start by giving him breastmilk, so I started pumping anywhere from 10-12 times a day. At this point, my supply dropped dramatically and I had to rely on donor milk for 2 months to get us by. I was determined to get my supply up and make it work. I started power pumping twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. I started taking Fenugreek and supplements from Euphoric Herbals. I was drinking lactation tea and eating lactation bars & cookies all day long. We pushed through and within 2 months of his revision & my supply dropping, I was finally pumping enough milk to feed Grayson all by myself. Now we're at month 6, I feed Grayson and have over 300 oz of milk in my freezer after donating 200oz to a mom in need- just like I once was. Grayson still nurses 3-4 times a day, but it's mainly for comfort when he's upset, or going to sleep.
I battled so hard to make breastfeeding work and I made it- you can, too! Breastfeeding takes hard work, dedication and determination. It can be hard to manage but you have to push through those hard times. The best advice I was ever given, was to not give up on my worst day- and that's something I clung to. If you have low supply issues, you can do things to help.
If you've tried everything and not gotten to where you want to be, there are mamas out there willing to donate to you and your little one. Don't give up. There were so many tears and frustration in the beginning of my journey but now we're going strong and I'm so glad I stuck it out. It is worth it. It's worth giving Grayson the best start in life that he can have. I will always remember the dedication I had to making this work, and how amazing it felt when we made it through the tough times. Breastmilk is the greatest gift you can give your baby. Make a goal, stick to it, get help if you need it and remember: it gets so much easier. You'll be so happy you stuck with it.
Natasha Martin