Words of Support From Breastfeeding Moms Who Get It

Becoming a new mom is life changing. And while it has moments of beauty and bliss, it’s also really hard. Like, really hard. No matter where you are on your breastfeeding journey, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone.

Millions (trillions?) of moms have gone before you and struggled with latch, low supply, and late-night pump sessions. And they all discovered the strength and resilience they didn’t know they had (or that they would need...in spades.) To celebrate the badassery of motherhood, seventeen moms share their hard-earned wisdom, best tips, and messages of support for all the new moms.

Breastfeeding can be hard

It’s okay to acknowledge that breastfeeding can be a challenge. Owning and validating this is so important to not feel like you’re failing at something that looks so easy for everyone else.

-Caitlin Zaino von During

Breastfeeding is like learning to ride a bike for the first time. It can hurt in the beginning, but sooner or later you'll become a pro! - Dana Capili

Take as much help as you can from your family, but don’t be too upset if you are not able to breastfeed. You are still a great momma! - Sahana Chowdhary

Surround yourself with support

Surround yourself with supportive people. The postpartum period is super vulnerable, so it's important to have the support you need and to avoid the negative energy you don't. - Lauren Giannullo

You can't do it alone. Find a great lactation consultant, a good mommy blogger, or a group of nursing moms. Listen to their advice and experiences and let them help you. - Mallory Vanuch

Don't be afraid to share your fears. They may seem shameful to you, but they are real and you're likely not alone in them. - Ana Rojas Bastidas

Get the right stuff

Use coconut oil on those nipples!! It’s all natural, moisturizing, and healing. - Katie Vidal

Lanolin and cooling gel pads saved me in those early weeks! - Paige Bertke

For pumping, micro steam clean bags!!!!! And have two pumps - one for work and one for home. (Register for one if insurance only covers one.) - Kari Coe

Give yourself a break

This is your journey with your baby. Give yourself some grace and go easy on yourself when things don't go exactly as you planned. You are enough. - Meeya Davis-Glover

Make time for you. Sometimes you just need to go to Target by yourself and buy something you don’t need. - Kelsey Berger

The amount of pumped milk does not equal our self worth. - Molly Ritvo

Be your own pumping advocate

Get used to talking about breastfeeding before going back to work with people other than your spouse and your mom. Talking about pumping helped normalize it for me before I had to talk about it to advocate for myself at work. - Lauren Pratt

In the military, women's superiors are often men who don't understand breastfeeding or the need to have breaks to express. I developed a pumping schedule and provided it to my chain of command so that they knew where I was going to be and how long I would be there. - Aniyah Baregu

If someone suggests you pump in a bathroom, just politely say, “No thank you, I’ll keep looking.”- Shayla Redmond

Support other mothers

Help other moms out if you see them in distress. While they may look like they have their shit together, there’s a really good chance that they don’t. - Kelly Green

Don't allow others to dictate your breastfeeding journey. You decide if you breastfeed, you decide where you breastfeed, you decide when you stop breastfeeding. Give yourself permission to make all of these decisions based on what works for you. And then when you meet another mom, remember that she has this permission, too. We could all use a little more empathy and grace vs. judgment. - Macy Donaway

Mamava designs solutions to empower breastfeeding and pumping parents on the go, like our freestanding lactation pods, Mamava’s lactation space locator app, and other helpful resources.