Breast feeding isn’t for everyone and THAT’S OKAY!
We live in a society today where we’re seeing more and more mama’s breastfeeding their babies and I think it’s great! But it’s not for everyone and that’s okay too. I get it. It’s a lot of work. In fact the hours a mama spends breastfeeding her child is said to equate similar to a full-time, 40 hours a week, job. Isn’t that mind-blowing? It’s truly fascinating what the female body can do.
Truth is I wasn’t so sure if I wanted to nurse this time around. After we found out we were expecting last year I had this overwhelming feeling of loss and doubt rush over me. And it hung out for weeks. For months, these feelings weighed heavy on my heart. I worried about loss and doubted if I was even capable to be the mother I wanted to be these four precious little humans.
Despite my love for the journey and being able to provide for my baby in that way, I didn’t know if I’d be able to keep up with the demands of it all. Our family is on the go often. Between engorged and leaky breasts and finding a place to nurse and pump as needed, I wasn’t thrilled about the thought of it all.
Unlike my previous pregnancies where I spent most of the nine months nesting, finding the perfect home for all things tiny. This time around I spent most of it preparing for labor and postpartum.
How could I make this time easier on myself, baby, and family?
Postpartum is such a special time. It’s the chapter where you get to meet your baby for the first time. Fall deep in love and bond with this little life you worked so hard to grow and bring into the world. But it’s also a time that invites new challenges and experiences and asks a whole lot of YOU.
When I heard about the Elvie pump I was intrigued. Could pumping really be that easy? After years of dealing with cords and holding bottles up to my breasts, I saw a certain kind of freedom in the Elvie pump. A cordless, no battery required, I can put it in my bra and go at anytime kind of pump, that made me think, I CAN DO THIS!
And you know what? I AM!
Like I said, I loved nursing my babies but I did find the thought of it this time around to be overwhelming and quite frankly, daunting. I knew the ropes well enough that it was going to require a lot of patience on all of us, baby included.
The Elvie pump has made things so much easier for me and in turn on my family. I’ve even noticed that I have a larger milk supply this time around than previous experiences because of the convenience to pump. I don’t skip pumping like I used to. I no longer feel like I’m handcuffed to an outlet, impatiently waiting to free up my hands. I can move about my day in ease and not feel for a second that I am bound to the cause.
Still breastfeeding isn’t for everyone and that’s okay.
I didn’t think that it was for me either this time around. Just thinking about it made me anxious.
But the Elvie has made things easy for us mamas that are wanting and able to breastfeed. It has helped me feel less stressed and overwhelmed. And for that I think it’s safe to say my family is very grateful.
You can find the Elvie on online at Target here!