I’m A Crunchy Mama and I Feed My Baby Formula

This crunchy mama is now supplementing with formula. ⠀

⠀

I nursed my first for 18 months and it was a breeze - I enjoyed almost every second of it and she ate like a champ! ⠀

⠀

Little man? Not so much. The very first time we nursed, I could tell his latch wasn’t the best. ⠀

⠀

He ended up having a tongue and lip tie revised when he was a week old and again at 6 weeks. ⠀

⠀

I spent hours researching, I saw a chiropractor, a doctor, and we had the lactation consultant come to our home 3 times in those first couple of months. ⠀

⠀

When I’m determined to do something, I will make sure I find a way to do it! ⠀

⠀

But sometimes our bodies or our babies have different plans. ⠀

⠀

I thought after all that hard work we would be set! I never loved nursing him because it simply was hard and it just wasn’t the same as with my first, but I loved knowing that I could provide him the nourishment he needs. ⠀

⠀

It seems easier to “whip the boob out” and I loved that I felt I could quickly comfort him. ⠀

⠀

I brought him in for his check-up thinking everything was okay and turns out he isn’t gaining as well as he could be. ⠀

⠀

They labeled it “failure to thrive.” ⠀

⠀

If that isn’t a punch to a hard working mamas gut, I don’t know what is. ⠀

⠀

After instantly feeling like a failure and choking back my tears in the drs office, I got us all back in the car and sobbed. The mother of all ugly cries. ⠀

⠀

I felt as though I failed him and I also feel like I failed myself. ⠀

⠀

Of course I firmly believe fed is best! ⠀

⠀

I’ve coached over a hundred mamas on this very thing. ⠀

⠀

But I was not expecting the flood of emotions that came with pivoting my plan. It takes time to grieve when we transition and have to surrender to reality.

⠀

For the next couple of days, I cried. I also felt a slight freedom. Then cried again. I’ve never felt so sad and happy at the same time. I gave him pumped milk, but I knew at some point it had to be done. ⠀

⠀

I took a long, hot shower and had a hard cry. ⠀

⠀

Then, when Jacob was putting Evelyn down for her nap, I ripped the band aid off and did it. ⠀

⠀

And guess what? ⠀

⠀

We survived. ⠀

⠀

I thought he’d be fussy or resist, but you can see how little man felt. ☺️⠀

⠀

{"items":["ca05ab_f5a2d50f57a84cfa918cb167af42c277~mv2.jpg","ca05ab_aaf4e52d769b42b89d2f4cb6168e7bf1~mv2.jpg"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":false,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":300,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":10,"galleryMargin":0,"floatingImages":0,"chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":3,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCubeRatio":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":3,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":0,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"useCustomButton":false,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_HOVER","galleryHorizontalAlign":"center","galleryTextAlign":"center","galleryVerticalAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"link","fullscreen":false,"allowSocial":false,"allowDownload":false,"allowTitle":true,"allowDescription":false,"loveButton":false,"loveCounter":false,"videoPlay":"onClick","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","scrollDirection":0,"overlayAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowTitleExpand":true,"allowDescriptionExpand":true,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"APPEARS","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"AUTOMATIC","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"textsVerticalPadding":0,"textsHorizontalPadding":0,"titleDescriptionSpace":6,"customButtonText":"","customButtonBorderWidth":1,"customButtonBorderRadius":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"NO_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"galleryLayout":2,"gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":300,"allowHover":true,"mobileSwipeAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","gotStyleParams":true,"showVideoPlayButton":true,"modifiedGallerySize":true,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0},"container":{"galleryWidth":2580,"galleryHeight":1440,"scrollBase":0,"height":null,"width":null}}

Mama, you are not alone and we are in this together. ⠀

I am SO thankful for the tribe of women who have supported me through this transition! ⠀

⠀

I don’t really know what the plan is now - if I’ll nurse often or only once a day, or maybe soon we will quite all together. And that’s okay. ⠀

⠀

Mamas, we are absolute warriors, and doing what is best for our little one, shows that we are the best mama we can be. ⠀

⠀

Nursing. Bottle feeding. Pumping. It all can be so messy and out of our control. ⠀

⠀

There are so many beautiful pictures on social media of nursing, but not enough of moments like this. The real. The raw. The change of plans. So thankful I captured this moment. ⠀

⠀

Let’s normalize these transitions and make beautiful what society still seems to shame! ⠀

⠀

Mamas, did you experience something similar? What is your story of feeding your little one? 🖤⠀

⠀

.⠀

.⠀

.⠀

⠀

#fedisbest #breastfeeding #formulafeeding