A resource to inspire, inform and empower parents.

Emily’s breastfeeding story

By Emily McRoberts

My breastfeeding journey started with my 26 weeker in the NICU in December of 2017. My son Graham lived for 19 days and I was able to pump exclusively for him while he was alive. After he passed I was able to donate my extra 500 ounces of milk to The Mother’s Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes (Huge shout of to them for all their grief support!).

My husband and I were fortunate enough to get pregnant again and our daughter Paige was born at 36 weeks via c-section (scheduled due to my emergent c-section with my son) in October 2019. Being early she struggled to latch properly and was sleepy so I started pumping in the hospital and doing expressed milk syringe feeds and paced bottle feeds. We did use one bottle of donor milk since the IBCLC was concerned about a 12% weight loss which obviously was due to the fluids I was given in the OR. I struggled to get her to latch and thankfully I had selected a breastfeeding friendly Ped who sent me to her CLC. We continued the paced feeds for a week before I was able to use a nipple shield to bring my daughter to the breast. I’m so thankful for finding your Badass Breastfeeding Podcast around this time because I was crying and throwing it across the room. I successfully weaned her of the shield and we haven’t looked back since.

Fast forward to present day and my almost 3 year old is still nursing and the only supplementing I’ve ever used was that one bottle of donor milk during her first two days of life. I don’t think I could have done it without not only listening to the podcast and following both of you on instagram but also the support you have provided in DMs. The knowledge and confidence I’ve gained from you two has been so helpful and I plan to let her nurse until she wants to stop. 

Breastfeeding and Survival

By Victoria Galloway

I became a mom at 16 years old and breastfed for 8.5 months, when working and going to school, despite very little support and a ton of stigma and judgement!

[Read more…]

My Rainbow Nursling: Healing From Infant Loss

By guest blogger Kayce

I recently gave birth to my third baby girl, Samara.  I’m twenty seven years old and my girls are 7 and 3 months.  My middle daughter, Emma Blyss, would be turning 4 this year but she now resides in heaven. She passed away suddenly and completely unexpected on May 12, 2012. The day before Mother’s Day and two weeks before her second birthday.  To this day we still do not know why as it was deemed natural causes.

I was never raised up to believe that breastfeeding was the best thing a mother could do for their child and still have very little support from my family. I’m forced to cover or be closed in a back room when I’m at a family member’s house. I even bear rude, ridiculous comments.  I choose to breastfeed all three children. Honestly, I look to your awesome blog as my one and only support system (besides my wonderful husband). I’m very thankful I found such a badass group of moms.

rainbow baby [Read more…]

Breastfeeding and Friendship by guest blogger Kristen

Kristen breastfeeding with her friend.

I just want to share my store in honor of National Breastfeeding week!

This is my best friend and I nursing our babies in oct of 2011. My daughter (Violette) an her son (Callan) were born 1 day apart. Having no luck breast feeding our other children, we were a good team in supporting each other throughout this journey. Both determine to succeed in solely breastfeeding, we had great success and formed a special bond around nursing our babies. [Read more…]