Our owner Aida shares a personal story on the highs and lows of her breastfeeding journey and how this impacted her decision to become a doula.
When I look back on my nursing journey, bittersweet memories come to mind and stir my heart. I remember the heartache and frustration after I had my daughter Suheyla when she refused to latch at the breast for six straight weeks. We went through a myriad of bottles until we finally settled on one that she accepted.
I wasn’t aware of oral restrictions back then and how it caused so many issues we faced in her first four years of life. The lack of much-needed quality lactation support at the time fueled my emotional and mental spiral postpartum. Thankfully, we somehow found our groove in breastfeeding and continued nursing her through my subsequent pregnancy.
When I welcomed my son Gabriel, he entered this world fast and furious. He followed his sister’s suit with latch issues but this time I had an amazing IBCLC by my side to help our breastfeeding journey succeed from the start. Without planning to do so, we started a new chapter of tandem nursing my newborn and 2-year-old. This continued for another year until my daughter weaned and my son eventually weaned later at the same age of three.
This photo is the last tandem nursing session I remember. I would nurse my son first on the glider and he would normally be the first to fall asleep. Then my daughter would continue at the other breast until the sleepy dust settled in. This beautiful image of sibling bonding in my embrace is etched forever in my mind and on my heart.
The lows we faced along the way were very hard at times, but the highs made it worth the effort. I’m grateful for my imperfect journey and for all those who helped support me. My personal experience as a new mother feeling completely lost and lacking support ignited my passion to later return to the workforce as a doula.
Today, Central Carolina Doulas is part of a center of excellence for new parent support in our community. If you are in need of support, please do not hesitate to contact us.
