Breastfeeding comes naturally, right?

That's what I thought when I first gave birth to my son. I attended a birthing class, I had previously watched my sister nurse my niece. How hard could breastfeeding really be? I'll do it for at least 6 months - that was my goal.

Except it wasn't easy, and it didn't come "naturally" to either of us. I had a difficult labor, required medications and an epidural. After birth, the hospital lactation consultant spent all of ten rushed minutes shoving my son's head into my breast and left the room before he ever latched. I was a first time mom, a nervous wreck, and felt hopeless and alone. Nurses came in every hour, asking how long my son had fed on each breast. How long has he fed? I dont know, he's been sound asleep for hours. I don't know what a latch should look or feel like, let alone know how long he ate or if he got any nutrients at all. I fumbled with the hospital pump i didn't know how to use...tried not to spill all the colostrum i had collected and wondered how to feed a baby with a syringe. Nothing felt right.

This went on while at home - crying, pumping, worrying if i was inadvertently starving my own child with my body. Then came the mastitis, oversupply, failure to latch for 8 more weeks. "It will get easier!", they said. I lugged my newborn in his carseat to several in-person consults at the hospital while I was sore and bleeding but just didn't feel heard. He was gaining weight, so he must be fine...

It did get easier, but it took a lot of self-driven time and research to not give up. I went on to successfully breastfeed for a year, and decided that I didn't want other women in my area to struggle like I did. So I worked to get a certification in lactation consulting, gained knowledge of infant feeding therapies I could use as a Physical Therapist and here I am - ready to Nurture every part of your Natal journey.

Elysse Schmidt PT, DPT, CLC

Nurtured Natal PLLC