“My son was in the NICU the first day, so I didn’t get the chance for the ‘golden hour’ of spending time with just us. When I tried to latch him, it was very difficult and it left me feeling frustrated - I almost gave up.”

Eventually I realized that this not only wasn't increasing my supply by much, but just wasn't working for our family. Since then we have had a much more relaxed approach and have found a system that works for us and keeps her growing and thriving. We are fortunate enough to have a recurring donor for supplement milk, and my supply has become sustainable through trial and error.

Welcome to the 31 Days, 31 Stories Breastfeeding Project 2018. I can’t wait to share these stories with you.

After working through her past, Jackie nursed her first daughter until she was two. Now that she has a second daughter, so much of her life has changed and her breastfeeding journey is still growing too.

Breastfeeding takes a lot out of both mom and baby especially when they are going through a growth spurt. Having thoughts that you don't have breastmilk or feeling touched out is very common and totally normal.

After they made it out the NICU, their story may have calmed quite a bit. But rarely does a nursing journey go without any bumps. 

In the beginning, nursing was easy. Then this family came across a bit of a snag when mom went back to work. Learn what they figured out and what they do to fix the problem in this story.

Not everyone falls in love with breastfeeding. For some this is a great reason to pull back and switch to another method, but others - like Shanda - choose to continue on and find the determination to keep on going. 

Erika and Genesis had some complications in the beginning with her inverted nipples, but she got the support she needed and kept on nursing. Read about their story here.

Having twins may have made this mamas story different but she wouldn't have it any other way. Read about her challenges and successes in this blog.

...I am just here, putting into words, the way us stay at home moms feel. I am here to say that it is okay when in your mind you beg for just five minutes alone. You are not alone momma...

...Anyway, I do remember at the beginning sitting in bed, sore and tired in the middle of the night after Hubby brought her to me and just crying because it hurt so badly. That eventually got better and she started sleeping longer stretches which helped me heal a little more...

Breastfeeding was a given for us. We knew it would be better for him and I wanted to create that special bond between me and him that can only be done with breastfeeding... this was until we had some issues...

There are over 50 true benefits to breastfeeding a baby into toddlerhood – both for mom and for baby. The first 3 months being the most important, but also typically the most difficult. Learning to latch, and getting through the pain and the sleepless nights (not that you would get more sleep with another method) is hard, confusing work...

I wanted to breastfeed since I wanted to be a mama. I struggled with my first, and only breastfed a month despite working hard. The second time around, knowing this was our last kiddo, I was determined to fight harder and do everything in my power to make it work if it was possible...

When I first found out I was pregnant, I had no opinions on breastfeeding. I had never thought about how I would feed my child. I started reading pregnancy books and blogs and decided I would try to breastfeed after learning how beneficial it was for both baby and mother. I never expected to love it as much as I do! L and I have been EXTREMELY lucky in our journey so far. We have not had any production or latch issues, no tongue or lip ties, no mastitis or cracked nipples. I know we have been extremely fortunate in that respect!.....

Thirteen years ago, Heather became a mother to a beautiful baby boy. As a young mother she knew that breastfeeding would be the best thing for her son. She was going to give it a shot. However, with an undiagnosed severe tongue tie, he wasn’t able to get a good latch. And then he got sick and was hospitalized his very first week out of the womb. While in the hospital, Heather received bad advice on supplementing and didn’t have much support on how to keep a supply and supplement. Or how to nurse on or off of a schedule so her milk dried up. She was only able to nurse for about a month with her oldest...

Breastfeeding seemed like the most obvious choice when we decided how to feed our firstborn. Although I planned to pump and bottle feed for some meals after I returned to work, we wanted to establish a good breastfeeding relationship if at all possible. To be honest, most of it was laziness on my part - formula was expensive, and I didn't want to have one more thing to carry or prepare for. Breast was free, convenient, and had a lot of benefits for both of us...