Written by Sierra Phillips
My Personal Journey with Breastfeeding
I’m an experienced nanny, the oldest daughter, and a qualified elementary education teacher with lots of experience with babies and young children. I felt ready to take on being a parent. What I didn’t have much experience with was breastfeeding.
I was allergic to my own mother’s breastmilk (yes, that’s really a thing). I was the oldest, but all my siblings and cousins are close enough in age to me that I don’t remember them as babies. All the babies I do remember were formula-fed. All the babies I nannied and babysat were also formula-fed. So when it came time to actually breastfeed my own baby, it was like flipping on a flashlight in the dark. I was just expected to find the switch with no idea what to look for.
Lucky for me, I had a great medical team—midwives and nurses—who walked me through it. I was surprised at the instinctive response my body and baby had to breastfeeding. It was wild. Like a part of me that had been dormant suddenly woke up and knew exactly what to do.
Another lifesaver for when you don’t have an army of moms around is to build an online community of women who are breastfeeding. Watch them feed! I didn’t even know it was possible to breastfeed while babywearing until I saw it on social media. I didn’t know you could walk and feed either—until I saw a different mom carrying her daughter through Disneyland and feeding her at the same time. My mind was blown.
Honestly, watching other people online gave me so much confidence to feed in public and gave me ideas for different ways to feed my baby conveniently.
Here are some things I didn’t know were expected and normal (because I had no one to tell me):
- Leaking during pregnancy is a totally normal occurrence. Just a heads-up: drink pineapple juice with caution—it might help with pregnancy constipation, but it can also increase milk production. When I was drinking pineapple juice during pregnancy, I leaked like it was no one’s business. By the time my baby was born, I was a strong over-supplier.
- Speaking of oversupply—I wore nursing bras because I thought I had to. When my baby was a newborn, I was constantly overproducing milk. Every time my son would drink, he would choke because my milk would spray like a hose. I found that once I stopped wearing nursing bras (and bras in general), my body had an easier time adjusting and understanding how much milk my baby actually needed.
- Let-down is real and a struggle. It can happen even if you aren’t feeding. I’ve found that let-down can be triggered by strong emotions—especially when I’m looking at my baby and thinking about how cute he is, or even when I just think, “Hmm, he may be hungry.” Then BAM—let-down. Not wearing a bra can suck (pun intended), especially in public, but babywearing helps cover your chest so no one sees your nipples going rogue. To help with let-down, press your flat, open palm against the breast that isn’t feeding. It tells your body there’s no baby latched and helps reduce dripping.
Benefits of Breastfeeding
Closeness to your baby
Nothing is better than the newborn breastfeeding snuggles. Then suddenly, they’re almost one and you’re watching them do “gymnastics feeding.” (If you know, you know.) You can’t help but feel like you are the luckiest person in the world to have this little person in your life.
Bigger boobs lol
As a woman formerly in the itty bitty titty committee, the bigger boobs are definitely a win!
You know exactly what your baby is eating
No preservatives, no harmful chemicals—just exactly what they need.
And if your baby has allergies, like me, you can remove that food from your own diet and still feed them your milk safely.
Saves a ton of money
Formula is expensive, especially if your baby has allergies and needs a specialized type.
Burns calories
Gotta love a bonus workout without lifting a finger!
Convenient
You always have food ready to go! It’s always the perfect temperature and easily accessible.
Struggles of Breastfeeding
Staying hydrated
I suck at drinking enough water for myself, so drinking enough for both of us has been a challenge. I’ve found my sweet spot is about 1.5 liters a day. I got a water bottle that size and just make sure I empty it daily. Anything I drink on top of that is just a bonus.
Feeding consistently
I feed on demand because I can—I’m a stay-at-home mom. That also means I have a baby who knows he can get a quick “snack” whenever he wants. He’s also an only child and very distracted by others nearby during feeding.
I find my son really “eats” a full meal right before naps and bed. Sometimes he’ll want a feed shortly after waking, but otherwise, he mostly takes quick, less-than-5-minute snack breaks during his wake windows.
People get weird about boobs
It’s true. People get uncomfortable when you whip out a boob to feed your little. Ironically, I’ve found it’s family or friends more than strangers. So feeding in a bathroom or guest bedroom might feel polite—but also super isolating. I struggle with FOMO (fear of missing out), so being sequestered while feeding can be hard for me. If you’re more introverted than I am, you might actually see that as a win.
Night feedings
Teething moms (especially those who co-sleep) know what I mean when I say my baby feeds all. night. long. When his teeth are coming in, he’s in so much pain—even crying out in his sleep. These are the hardest nights because he uses feeding as pain relief. It’s sweet… but also leaves my nipples sore and chapped from all the accidental midnight bites.
Pumping
If you pump, that can be a major time suck. And for me, you lose a lot of that beautiful connection with your baby.
Breastfeeding in the Carrier
As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t have much guidance when it came to breastfeeding. Once I saw that it was even an option to breastfeed in the carrier, my world changed. Everything seemed so much easier and more attainable.
It took a bit of practice and patience, but after a while, baby and I got the groove. Now, when we’re in public, this is my go-to method for feeding. It’s so covert that most of the time, people I’m with don’t even realize I’m feeding the baby.
Overall..
Breastfeeding is hard and beautiful. It’s full of hidden struggles and small victories. Whether you’re brand new or deep in your journey, I hope sharing my experience helps you feel a little more seen, a little more confident, and a little less alone.
Because trust me—you’re doing amazing.
Read Sierra’s babywearing journey as a c-section mom.