Breastfeeding First Downs & Touchdowns
World Breastfeeding Week 2024
Ah…Breastfeeding Reborn’s first World Breastfeeding Week. Simply making a blog post seems a little understated in comparison to the planned breastfeeding photoshoots, coffee get togethers, and all the other exciting things the lactation industry is offering to fellow mothers. However, have you ever started a business while also having 3 kids under 5? Yeah, I’m thankful to have the moment to write this.
As I started to reflect on what I would write about to honor this week and honor other mothers, I instantly was flooded with the feeling of not being enough as a pumping mom. I was going to share my pumping photoshoot that I did, because I had always longed for a breastfeeding photoshoot so desperately. Which I will, because I refuse to miss an opportunity to share those photos. However, I wanted to focus on celebrating breastfeeding. We talk about the logistics, the science, the process of breastfeeding, but we do not talk about celebrating our milestones enough. It also is getting alarmingly close to football season, which for me and my house…that’s a big deal. Currently, 3 weeks away from college ball (my favorite) and NFL preseason started last week, so break out the pumpkin spice candles, chili, and nachos - it’s still 100 degrees in AZ and it’s FOOTBALL SEASON.
Okay, so before my excitement of football season overcomes me. Let’s get back on track…
Before we can discuss how to celebrate milestones, I think it is important to discuss breastfeeding and goals, milestones, or expectations. For example, with my second I, of course, set out with many other mother’s goals of 1 year serving breastmilk directly from the breast. In the context of football, my end zone was to be a 1 year nursing mama, which was a total of 12 first downs. It really did not take long to realize that those were unrealistic expectations out of that particular quarterback…ie: my son. So, I adjusted. I stopped throwing the ball and went back to the plays I knew would work. For me it looked something like, “I can’t keep putting a screaming baby to my breast, but I can effectively move milk with my pump.” My point to all of this is that in order for goals to have some serious weight to them, they have to be realistic AND seemingly attainable. If I had been told that the only way to win at breastfeeding was by nursing my baby, I would have quit before the first game. Instead, I adjusted the plays, stopped relying only on my quarterback, and we made it to the super bowl. The way you define how you play the game can always change. It’s not a real football game with a defined clock, yards, and goal posts at either end of a field - breastfeeding is flexible and you and your baby get to play it, however, you define it.
So understand that you are not constricted by your breastfeeding goal. We can change it, we can move the goal post closer or further away. Sometimes it’s just not going as planned and we need the referee to disregard that defensive hold, on the flipside, maybe our running back is just running all over the defense and suddenly we can run up the score.
But once we define what our first downs and touchdowns look like, we should start celebrating them. This was something I did not do with my first and I do believe it affected my success. So with my second, I started purchasing stickers. I know, seemingly silly, but it really became something I looked forward to. I found a sweet Etsy shop, who not just had milestone stickers, but had “pumping” milestone stickers. The first of every month I would be on Etsy ordering my next sticker “3 months pumping”, “4 months pumping”, “6 months pumping”, etc. Until I carried around a water bottle full of my most prized “mom badges”. These were what I thought as my “first down” milestones.
As I progressed throughout my journey, I would admire all the beautiful breastfeeding photoshoots. The ones where the mothers are in beautiful dresses with flower head pieces, baby is naked, and so affectionately nursing. Meanwhile, I was usually looking at these as I had a pump strapped to my chest and the motor quite literally representing the sound of a cow, “Mooo, Mooo, Mooo”. I just knew that that type of photoshoot was just not in the cards for me. I told myself once I either hit my milestone or had enough milk in the freezer that I would hit my “touchdown”, then I would book a “pumping photoshoot”. I did not even know what that meant or how it would look, but with the correct photographer - I would make it happen. Sure enough Brianne Hidalgo freaking killed it and I officially had entered my “end zone” with baby #2.
As I discussed though, our milestones can be different. As I entered my feeding journey with my 3rd, it was just easier. There are a lot of reasons for that, but I didn’t find myself counting the day, hours, or amount of feeding sessions left until I could quit. I still continued with commemorating with stickers though. This time, however, I only purchased them every three months.
Your first downs and touchdowns do not have to look like mine. Maybe you would appreciate a coffee over a sticker or, dare I suggest, a new pumping bra. Some women choose a celebration cake or even “pump smashing” photoshoot, whatever your vibe celebrate your victories. There are no trophies in breastfeeding, but you can still give yourself one.
What will be your touchdown dance? For those who are sport’s illiterate, how will you celebrate your breastfeeding success?
With love,
Antoinette C., CLC.
Owner, Breastfeeding Reborn