National Breastfeeding Month by Kaleena Trimpe, ARNP

In this article, breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and bodyfeeding will be used interchangeably, as will human milk and breastmilk. We honor all families and feeding methods. 

The arrival of August marks another National Breastfeeding Month. With that, comes a plethora of feelings for many families. Celebrating bodyfeeding is wonderful, but it can also lead to feelings of inadequacy, failure, and grief among those of us whom have had difficulties feeding our infants. I experienced this myself the summer after my first child was born 7 years ago. As a nurse practitioner, I knew a bit about breastfeeding and had presumed it would work out just fine because, after all, it was “natural”. Needless to say, none of it went as I expected, and by that August, when my baby was just 8 weeks old, I was deep in the depths of postpartum anxiety. It was exacerbated by my difficulties breastfeeding and the guilt I experienced due to not being able to feed my baby as I had planned and in the way that society had told me was “best”. 

Ultimately, this experience led me to open a lactation and postpartum wellness clinic several years later. Our mission is to support families in meeting their feeding goals and, in doing so, improve perinatal mental health. Sometimes the fix is simple, a bit of an adjustment to the baby’s position at the breast, or a new pump flange size. Other times, despite all the tricks up our sleeves, the difficulties continue.

Here are some things that I try to convey to each of my patients… 

1)     You are not defined by the way in which you feed. Your worth as a parent is not tied to the manner in which your baby is fed.

2)     Breastfeeding is not best if it isn’t the right decision for your family. Mental health is more important than the way in which you feed. 

3)     Chestfeeding is not “all or nothing”. Your baby will benefit from human milk even if they are not receiving 100% of their calories from breastmilk.  Often parents feel much better when they decide to supplement their breastmilk with formula or donor milk, rather than focusing on pumping enough milk to get through the day! 

4)     It’s ok to grieve the loss of what you thought your feeding experience would be. Find a trusted therapist to work with as you heal.

5)     Re-evaluate your goals often. If you have a partner or close support person, check in with them to, so that you make sure you are on the same page regarding your feeding journey. 

Kaleena Trimpe, PMH-C, ARNP is a licensed family nurse practitioner and owner of Nurture Lactation. We love serving families in the Spokane area and virtually throughout WA. To connect, please visit nurturespokane.com or email at admin@nurturespokane.com