I feel extremely honored to interview Chelsea Cornuet for World Breastfeeding Week. I have gotten to know her pretty well and I have to say right here for the entire world to see, she is one extraordinary woman. Her strength and determination is inspiring. Chelsea and her husband Lance are soul mates and patient parents to three amazing little boys!

FC Doulas~ Can you tell us why you wanted to breastfeed?

Chelsea- Other than just knowing the benefits of breastmilk, what I really craved was the bonding time! Also, after not doing well with breastfeeding my first two children, I wanted to challenge myself to do better. Just to know that I tried my very best, I kind of felt like I just gave up on the first two tries (for different reasons)

FC Doulas~ Before trying to breastfeed did you think it would be easy or hard to breastfeed?

Chelsea- Before trying with my first son I thought it would be a breeze! I was young and naive; I thought it just happened naturally! Going into my third attempt with baby number three I knew I was going to struggle, but still felt prepared.

FC Doulas~ Did you expect challenges?

Chelsea- Not with my first pregnancy, I just didn’t know better. Boy, did I learn.

FC Doulas~ What challenges did you face?

Chelsea- Supply and demand with my first two boys, I couldn’t produce enough breastmilk to keep them satisfied so when I started having to supplement I gave up. With my third I had to supplement in the very beginning because I had gestational diabetes and his blood sugar was too low. After the first day of him getting bottles he refused to latch because my let down took so long, and because the flow was so much slower than the bottle he had been offered. So I started pumping milk like a mad woman! By week two I had him on 100% breastmilk and then by the end of week eight (after having oral surgery) it was completely gone. Not a drop left. I tried EVERYTHING… I pumped like a mad woman, tried to get him to latch constantly, tried nipple shields, fenugreek, GALLONS of water, lactation cookies, oatmeal once a day, three different vitamins, and lecithin, nothing helped. My milk was gone, so he went on formula which was a nightmare. He got really sick despite trying different kinds of formula and medications.

FC Doulas~ How did you overcome those challenges?

Chelsea- Well I was on Facebook sobbing about how sick he was and how much he cried and someone suggested donor breastmilk. I had no idea that I could get donor milk. I thought it was for sick/needy babies! So I asked a few questions, did some research and found that it was extremely possible to get donor milk and I was immediately DETERMINED to find my baby the milk I was unable to provide and make him whole again. I posted and pleaded on every breastfeeding support page I could find, on several different “mom” pages, and on two facebook donor milk pages and within twenty four hours of me starting my quest I found two amazing mom’s, both with six week old baby boys, willing to provide for my son. I was so overjoyed at their selflessness I just cried!! So he went back on breastmilk Friday last week, July 31st, and we noticed huge changes within twenty-four hours. My boy is whole again! No more vomiting, no more constipation, no more reflux, no more medications, no more screaming in pain for hours on end!! My boy is fixed, and I could never thank these women enough for the gift they continue to provide.