Disclosure :: This post is part of a series for World Breastfeeding Week and is sponsored by Women’s & Children’s Hospital.
Diary of a Breastfeeding Mom
I have breastfed each of my three children, and with each child, our breastfeeding journey has been 
different. My oldest and I lasted until he got his first tooth at 6 months old. He was a biter from day 1 and that tooth was all the reason I needed to throw in the towel.
My second child had a perfect latch, was an easy peasy baby, but by month 4 he wasn’t gaining enough weight. I tried pumping, lactation cookies, dietary changes, but nothing helped increase my milk supply. As soon as I began supplementing, he preferred the bottle. We lasted 7 months before he flat out refused the breast.
But Baby Girl and I had a special bond. My boob was her friend and I loved every single minute of breastfeeding her. She was exclusively breastfed until 6 or 7 months when we introduced solids, but we still breastfed consistently until she was 14 months old. Here is our journey as I recall:
Day 1: “I.am.supermom.”
3 hours later: “How do you turn these things on again???”
Day 5: “Ok, everything is in working order now, but how do you shut them off? I just squirted the baby in her eyes.”
Day 9: To hubby: “Yes, they are impressive. You can look, but don’t touch.”
Day 10: “Currently wiping breast milk off the walls of the shower. Seriously, how do you shut these things off?”
Day 11: “Bloody nipples. Sounds either like an alcoholic beverage or British cuss words.”
Day 15: “Mastitis, schmastitis. Anyone care to take over here? Bueller?”
Day 19: “I woke up and the baby was just in my arms eating breakfast. I have no idea how or when she got there.”
Day 23: “So while I was nursing, Baby Girl lost her belly button stump/nub/plug at the ZOO today! I have seriously looked EVERYWHERE for it, it’s not in my bra, or the diaper bag. What if one of my kids eats it thinking it is a raisin? Or maybe one of the zoo peacocks will eat it and die! I am flipping out!”
2 hours later: “Well, all is well because it was stuck to the inside of Lena’s shirt … right at belly button level. Glad that’s over. And we have a real belly button! And unsurprisingly, she is hungry again.”
Day 24: “Milk comaaaaaaaaaaaa. Stay. this. small. for.e.ver.”
Day 27: First solo outing: “I got a call from the hubby that the baby was ‘hungry’ so I rush home from my luxurious solo-trip to Target only for the baby to fall asleep the minute she began to eat. Then I checked her diaper …”
Day 32: “My baby and I have a symbiotic relationship: she gets food, and I lose weight. Not sure how the 3 scoops of cherry cheesecake ice cream affects this deal we have, but it tastes really good.”
Day 35: Breastfeeding in front of a toddler: “My son calls nipples ‘knuckles’. I don’t think I’ll be correcting him any time soon. He also thinks that anything coming out of the body is poop, so he asked Dad if I was ‘pooping milk’. Ew. Boys are so gross.”
Day 38: Potty training said toddler: “He does super well until it is time for me to nurse the baby. Then it’s like he goes on the floor on purpose every. single. time. We will wait a while longer for him to get used to having a sister around.”
Day 42: “Yud thnk i woud ave mastrd typng in my phonee w 1 haand by nooow if it wasnt 3am id us e speeak texxt”
Day 46: “I’m staring into the clothes abyss that is my closet. Either a. nothing fits, b. it’s not nursing-friendly, or c. it has spit-up stains. If only I could… oh, there’s my chocolate stash!”
Day 55: “I am a milk bar where milk is on tap 24/7. One day my child will see me as more than a food source.”
Day 63: “I tried to be discrete, really I did, but when the baby spit up over every nursing cover and blanket we brought while in the middle of Chick-fil-A, I just gave up and let it all hang out.”
Day 78: Nursing Mama at a restaurant: “I’ll take a booth, please!”
Day 88: “How do you pack light with a baby? Well, at least I don’t have to deal with bottles! Bonus of nursing #435.”
Day 89: Baby’s first vacation: “New low: nursing on an airplane.”
Day 92: “I just nursed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial facing the National Mall. I feel empowered to lose the nursing cover now. No judgment.”
Day 102: “Baby just slept through the night! Hallelujah!”
Day 103: “It was a fluke. Up 3 times last night.”
Day 110: Sick day: “Sure my husband gets all of the good meds and gets to rest when he’s sick. Meanwhile, I’m feeding the baby with my fever-ridden super-boobs and get to just sweat it out.”
Day 111: “If my calculations are correct, the baby should be hungry RIGHT as we walk into the doctor’s office.”
1 hour later: “A hungry, screaming baby just granted us access to cut in front of the other 20+ people in line at the doctor’s office. We were in and out in no time. Perhaps this was my diabolical plan all along…”
Day 125: “Baby girl has let the world know that jambalaya was a bad idea for mom’s dinner last night.”
Day 148: “Ouch! Oh look, her first tooth!”
Day 200: “Today, we see if she likes her green beans with her milk.”
Day 201: “Well, that’s a new smell.”
Day 245: “As much as she loves her solid foods, nursing is still going strong!”
Day 365: “Happy 1-Year Breastfeedingversary!”
Day 380: “Today we are introducing whole milk because #milestones.”
Day 424: “We had company in town for a week and it was just easier to give her a cup of milk from the fridge. She was enjoying the independence of a cup more anyway. We were so busy running around entertaining and it wasn’t until our family left that I realized we have officially weaned from breastfeeding. And just like that, it’s over.”
Day 425: “Freeeedooooommmmmm!”
Day 426: “Let’s have another baby.”
Day 427: “Freeeeedoooooommmmm!!! Celebrating with a girl’s night!”
Day 428: “Just one more baby, I promise!”
Day 429: “The same week that my last baby weaned from breastfeeding, I notice the toddler isn’t sucking his thumb and carrying his lovey around. I miss my babies. I. can’t. deal.”
Do you remember your breastfeeding highs and lows? Maybe you’re in the throes right now! We’d love to hear from you!
Hi Casey 🙂 Nice write up you got. It keeps me smiling while reading this. And somehow reminisce how my breastfeeding time gone through. I’m glad you’ve experience smooth flows. You have mentioned that you had mastitis? That was painful, I know. Probiotics help me out on that. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.