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Learning to adjust as a parent is a much needed skill.
As I cozy up with my homemade citrus mint tea in my front room, I am reminded of how parenthood...and motherhood especially demands the flexibility to adjust. We have an idea of how we want things to unfold and then …. Well… life steps in.
On this chilly day in DFW, my daughter is home from school (as schools are closed), along with my son who is too young for school. The roads are too icy to travel to the office/ home visits...so ... I adjust. With the help of my husband, I scheduled calls around nap time and have broken up my work into timed chunks to allow myself a productive day while being present with my family.
Breastfeeding mirrors everyday life in so many ways.
Whether it comes from social media, friends, or family, we have this beautiful, idealistic vision and (sometimes unrealistic) expectations of what Breastfeeding SHOULD look like. And then...we are disappointed and sometimes disheartened when reality doesn't match our expectations.
In these times, I tell my parents (and try to take my own advice) to adjust, set back, and relax.
Breastfeeding is an amazing way to nurture our children. When helping a dyad with positioning and latch we ADJUST, and then I advise momma to sit back and relax! Breastfeeding doesn't ALWAYS mean having baby to the breast OR giving baby YOUR breastmilk. For breastfeeding parents, there is an array of breastfeeding, from those who exclusively pump, to the occasional pumping/expression due to infrequent separations from baby. Furthermore, I am soo thankful to be a part of a motherhood group that collected over 300oz of breastmilk for a mama who was separated from her 7 month old due to COVID-19.
The lesson is, sometimes we have to adjust our vision/ expectations in order to get to a place where we can be at peace...and sit back and relax.