Stacy – My decision to breastfeed started when a friend told me I should.  She said it would be so good for my baby and for me.  She breastfed her child so I decided I could at least give it a try.  I didn’t know much about breastfeeding, but when my daughter, Macy, was born, she knew exactly what she needed to do. 

The first couple of weeks were stressful. It is hard to wait for your milk to come and worry about your baby losing weight. It can be hard to know if your baby is getting enough milk. And newborn babies want to nurse all the time! But I quickly began to learn that I needed to trust my baby to know what she needed and to trust my body to do what it was designed to do.  I started to relax a little, and we got the hang of it.  After six weeks, things got a lot easier.

I still wanted to give up two or three times during the three month goal I had set for myself, but luckily, I had support and didn’t stop.  When I made it to three months, something in me said that I just couldn’t give my baby anything but the best.  We eventually made it to 18 months!  We have such a close, special bond, and I gained so much confidence in my ability to be a mom!  After I had Macy I said “I will never again say I will “try” to breastfeed.  I WILL breastfeed no matter what it takes!”  Since then, Brant and Lea have joined our family, and my breastfeeding journey continues!

Some advice I have for new moms is this: Trust your body, trust your baby. It is your decision to make, and you can decide to succeed! 

To read more about the first six weeks, click HERE and HERE.