In the flow with BREASTFEEDING
Breastfeeding not only creates a strong attachment between mum and bub, but is also provides exactly the right mix of nutrients and antibodies for your baby. The WHO recommends initiating breastfeeding one hour after birth if possible and to optimally continue to feed for two or more years. Only 40 % of babies under the age of 6 months are breastfed exclusively.
As I contemplate night weaning my second son, I reminisce over all the dimensions of breastfeeding. The long sleepless nights. The incredible loving serene, oxytocin flooded connection. Milk spraying across the room. The exhausted nipples. The demanding of boob whilst at the grocery checkout. In it’s entirety it has offered me a deep sense of fulfilment that I will always treasure.
When pregnant with my first son I set up my son’s nursery with a comfy rocking chair and breastfeeding pillow and invested in some maternity bras and breast pads.
Whilst I had organised these things nothing prepared me for having to face an emotional block that came up in the first few days of motherhood.
I thought breastfeeding would be straight forward however a few days into motherhood I realised there was another layer and component I needed to address for it to flow. I had an inverted left nipple for a long time and I wasn’t quite sure how this would impact breastfeeding. I bought a plastic shield thingy to go on it, thinking that might help the nipple come out so he could feed on it. A couple of days in the plastic thing was not helping and as I hit the 3rd day after birth I was flooded with hormones. I felt very frustrated by things not going to plan and sad that I couldn’t give how I wanted to.
In this state my hubby sat next to me in my son’s nursery and I cried and cried and cried as I felt into a past belief of not feeling worthy, ‘that I wasn’t enough’. As I shed these tears I felt this belief shift and to my surprise my nipple popped out and the milk flowed! It has never gone inverted since. This was a beautiful experience for me and my partner. I am so grateful for him sitting by my side through this new world of motherhood.
In conjunction to this at the same time my son’s lip which was slightly tucked in, this magically came out too. This is him before this happened below :)
I share this experience as I was so blown away at how powerful it was to have a good cry and unpack some old beliefs that were holding me back. Unconscious factors can really be affecting us on a physical level.
If you are finding breastfeeding challenging, as well as looking at support physically, there may be an opportunity to explore if there is something laying underneath. There may be an obstacle stirring in your unconscious world that needs to come to the surface so you can heal it.
In this experience digging a little deeper to my unconscious beliefs made a world of difference to letting things flow!
I thank my inverted nipple for highlighting to me I still had a little healing to do around my self worth as a new mother!
This was a pivotal moment on my journey into motherhood and an affirmation to find the gold in what may be underneath the issue. These soft tender memories of nurturing my boys will always stay with me.
If you are facing difficulties with breastfeeding it is important to seek help from either your midwife, family clinic, mother’s group, lactation consultant, friends and family or someone with psychological skills. We all have some unique journey’s with nourishing our little one’s and there is no right or wrong path.
Motherhood awakens our own natural blueprint to nurture and raise our babies.. It can also awaken our own personal history which can have a tendency to get in the way. Having an awareness of your own personal history can be a powerful resource to help navigate the journey of parenting with. So there can be more flow and fulfilment.
Just remember you are worthy and enough beautiful ones!
Lots of love,
Fi X
RESOURCES & SUPPORT
Breastfeeding association
https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/
la leach league international