Here’s To the Women Who…

August 1st through the 7th is World Breastfeeding Week! In honor of all women working hard to feed their babies, whether from their breast or a bottle, their own milk or donor milk, First Coast Doulas wants to encourage you all today! You are incredible! Here’s to the women who are strong and who determine who and what they are and become!

 

Here’s To the Women Who…

Here’s to the women who breastfed for one minute, one day, or one week. To those who made it to a month, a year and even six! Mothering is hard. There’s no right or wrong way to feed your baby or right length of time for anything.

You’re the best mother for your children. You’re doing a great job!

Here’s to the women who wanted to breastfeed but couldn’t. The fact that you found another way to nourish your baby and bond with him in your own way shows you are flexible, strong, and loving. Mothering means shifting gears and thinking quick on your.

Fed and loved is what’s best. You’ve done both. You are amazing!

Here’s to the women who are first generation breast feeders. You may not of grown up around breastfeeding or know a single thing about breastfeeding, but trusted your body’s design. Those who came before you didn’t see why or how you would make it work, but you did it! Breastfeeding is challenging, you accepted the challenge and step out into the unknown to pave your own way.

You’re a breastfeeding pioneer, rock on!

Here’s to those who survived all the long nights of feeding their baby from breasts or from a bottle. You’ve stuck it out through broken sleep patterns and a fussy baby.  The sound of silence is a lonely place to be as a new mother, but you finessed the night and made it through, in your own way!

You are a beautiful soul!

Here’s to those moments of closeness, hope for the future, baby grunts and squirms that come when you are embracing and feeding a newborn no matter the vessel used. Those are the best moments aren’t they?! You used those moments to overthrow the weary ones and you conquered another day.

You are strong and brave!

Here’s to those power pumpers! Whether you choose to pump for a freezer stash or just out of necessity, you make mothering look so selfless! Not everyone responds well to a pump, so rock those flanges and watch those precious drops of milk flow!

You are a milk making goddess, own it!

Here’s to those who share their liquid gold with other babies and toddlers in need of milk. Your acts of kindness will touch and impress upon others for generations to come. Your abundance of milk is incredible, but nowhere nearly as incredible as your love for other human beings!

You’re compassionate and generous!

Here’s to the women who are tandem nursing! Who knew your body could provide enough nourishment and comfort for two or more children at a time?! These moments are precious, though trying at times. Remind yourself daily that this won’t last forever and that you are passing on something far greater than just milk.

You are grace and patience; let your light shine bright!

Here’s to those who knew breastfeeding wasn’t the best option for their family as a whole. Thank you for acknowledging that human milk is designed for human babies, is a complete source of nutrients, and as mammals feeding our young from our breast is normal and the biological way we were designed to do so.  You’re know that human breast milk is created uniquely by the body for babies, but you also know that ultimately with formula your baby will receive all the necessary nutrients she needs, your family as a whole will thrive, and there is no need to feel less than!

You are confident and in control and that is attractive!

Here’s to the women who have dreamed of having a baby. To those who have endured the heartbreak of miscarriages, infertility, IVF, and those who have birthed babies born sleeping. Just having a baby to feed and love is a huge blessing. You are incredible aunts, neighbors, and parents to your 4 legged babies, but you and your dreams are not forgotten along the way.

Your voice is heard and helps others who are struggling too! You are resilient! We see you!

Here’s to all the women who are encouraging others along their parenting journey. Life is tough, raising kids is the hardest, yet one of the most rewarding jobs one can ever have in life. When you extend your kindness to others it it’s a reflection of how you feel about yourself.

You are a pillar of strength and kindness to those around you. May your kindness never be mistaken as weakness!

World Breastfeeding Week is a week to focus on normalizing breastfeeding! It’s not about downing those who doesn’t breastfeed their babies, but rather it’s another way to teach our society that breasts are normal and another way to feed our babies!

So here’s to normalizing breastfeeding!

Our friends at KellyMom have cited some great sources about breastfeeding!

Here are 10 awesome  facts about breastfeeding, by The World Health Organization