 Leah (left) and Adalyn (right) Bush I’d highly recommend Tennessee Valley Lactation Services and Sarah Willis!!
I felt prepared for breastfeeding and did a lot of reading and research before the birth of my first child! But after my daughter was born, I had trouble with her latching from the very beginning. The hospital staff tried to help, and I was not a fan of how they were trying to get her to latch because it seemed aggressive and not what I read about. I wanted so badly to breastfeed my baby but it hurt so bad when she latched -- like toe curling, back arching, teeth clenching pain. My nipples we’re getting blisters, and it hurt to wear anything over them. Sarah first came over to my house when my baby was 1 week old. That was such a relief to not have to go anywhere. She tried to help me get her to latch and talked with me. She was so calm, reassuring, and listened to every complaint patiently without interrupting. I felt like I would never be able to breastfeed if this was how it was going to be, but she reassured me that it can get better if I’m persistent. She recommended we get her checked for a lip and tongue tie but was not pushy at all and ultimately left the decision up to us. We ended up getting that revised at 2 weeks old. In the meantime, I pumped and bottle fed breastmilk to her for about a month while she recovered. Sarah even helped me find a better bottle nipple than the one we were using. When I tried to get her to try the breast again, she refused. I was devastated, but Sarah was always optimistic and ready to work through my problems. She recommended we try a nipple shield to help with the transition. I was hesitant but gave it a shot. She was doing well on that for about a month, and I felt NO pain! We were getting there! I was determined to get back to just the breast though so worked with her in figuring out how to transition her off that. Not too long after, she was back on just the breast and breastfeeding with NO pain. NO PAIN! I just couldn’t believe it. I credit it all to Sarah and her expertise! She has helped me understand so much more about breastfeeding, pumping, the benefits of breastmilk -- all while also supporting my decisions and not pushing me to do or not do anything I didn’t want to do! The breastfeeding support groups are a great size. You will be heard and can also hear and relate to others. She will always be an invaluable resource to me for future babies, and I’ve recommended all my friends with little babies to her as well! Leah (and Adalyn) Bush
0 Comments
 My journey started off with a lot of tears. My baby wasn't gaining weight, and his doctor told me to just feed him formula and said that it would be easier for me. I felt that he didn't care as long as his charting looked ok. I had successfully nursed my oldest, and I couldn't figure out what was wrong this time.
In tears on a Sunday (dreading that next doctor's appointment), I called my insurance company. To my surprise, I could hire a lactation consultant! They helped me find Sarah Willis! She came to my home and -- within minutes -- decided my son had a lip and tongue tie. She was very helpful giving me information and suggesting a Facebook support group so that I could talk to other moms who where in the same boat. We came up with a plan so that I could reach my goals! (She heard me.) It took getting his lip and tongue ties fixed. I learned so much that I was never taught with my first! She helped me get a pumping and feeding schedule to get my son back up to his birth weight. It was a long several weeks, but we finally did it! I would highly recommend this team. We have successfully nursed 19 months, and we are still going strong! I am so happy that I have this wonderful team in my corner!! |
Sarah P. WillisThe author is a Registered Nurse, Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and mother of three children. Archives
November 2022
Categories |
RSS Feed
