Our Breastfeeding Memoirs - Chapter Six
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 9:00AM From Mari,
Who knew that after struggling for years with infertility, then having an emergency Cesarean, I would encounter issues with yet another 'normal' natural function and feel let down by my body. When my first daughter was born we tried breastfeeding and all she did was scream and cry in frustration. We couldn't latch, but tried everything.
It was the 6th lactation consultant that told us it was her tongue that was the issue. It was enlarged and it was the first clue we had something that was different. Her tongue was only enlarged on one side which prompted a million blood tests, ultrasounds, MRI's, etc. We got our diagnosis of Beckwith Syndrome with Hemihypertrophy of the left side and Macroglossia.
Back to the breastfeeding, the LC told me to start pumping and we would make sure she could at least get what she needed from me if not the way I had intended. I pumped religiously 8 times a day. I only went down to 5 times a day when she was 16 months. I weaned off the pump at 20 months, giving in to the pressure of others who thought what I was doing was silly.
When I was blessed to have another little girl I was determined to make breastfeeding work, as I felt I had been robbed of it with my first daughter. We had several road blocks, but she is nearly a year and we are still going strong. I hope to make it 2 years and to be able to shield myself from those that express their feelings about nursing a toddler. It shouldn't matter what people think, but I still let it get to me.
I am so grateful to a dear friend who has been able to provide us with extra milk, as my supply is not that abundant. It’s a wonderful marriage of an over-producer and an under-producer. We helped each other out. She swears she didn't know what she would do with all the milk and to me it's liquid gold and I am so thankful she has been able to help my little girl grow.
I feel very fortunate that I have been able to give my girls breastmilk. While in different ways they have both benefited immensely!
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