World Breastfeeding Week: Not Your Usual Breastfeeding Photos

World Breastfeeding Week 2018 kicked off this last Wednesday and since Breastfeeding is one of my favorite topics and things to photograph, I figured I would share some of my favorite images throughout the years from past clients. Breastfeeding advocacy is one of my passions, but if there is anything I want these images to show, it's that breastfeeding looks different for everyone. Seriously. It's hard! – no that wasn't emphasized enough, it's HARD (and INTIMIDATING, COMPLEX, and a series of other descriptive words) BUT, it can also be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do as a mother.

Ultimately, here is what I want you to know if you are reading this: seek help, if you are breastfeeding right now and contemplating quitting because it feels hard and confusing, please, find support. Seek your tribe. Find the group of women and lactation experts who are going to encourage you to meet whatever goal it is you started out with. But if you can't do it, mama, that's OK. It's OK to be done when you know deep down that you are. If you have done all that you can do, tried everything that you can, gone on as long as you mentally and physically could– it's OK to be done. Make peace with it and celebrate the fact that you tried for as long as you did. That you did your best. There is no shame, and nothing to feel ashamed about. You strong-willed mama, be encouraged. Be encouraged because you will always do what you need to do for your child, and sometimes that looks like breastfeeding for 2 years or 3 or 4 or 5, and sometimes it looks like exclusively pumping for 12 months, and sometimes it looks like giving your baby donated breastmilk, and sometimes, yes, sometimes it means giving your baby formula, and mama– that's OK too. Just feed your baby, feed your baby the best way you know how. <3 

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite real life images of breastfeeding. 

1. Finger/Syringe Feeding Breastmilk- Baby Evelyn struggled with latch issues early on, so in these image we see her mother, Katie, finger feed and syringe feed expressed breastmilk to avoid possible nipple confusion that can occur when using a bottle or nipple shield.

 For more information on finger feeding go here.

2. Exclusively Pumping- Caitlin pumped for her premie twin boys for 12 months. It was HARD.

3. Hard Choices: Weaning because you have to. Maria had to wean her 18 month-old because she is in the military and had to go underway. These images commemorated their last nursing sessions together. 

4. Getting Into the Groove- sometimes it's your second child and the art of breastfeeding is familial and welcoming.

5. Tandum Nursing- And sometimes you tandem nurse your 5 and 2 year old. That's right. I said 5 year old. This is me by the way :) Thankfully my good friend and fellow photog, Maria, captured these for me before I weaned my oldest.

OK, well that about wraps it up. I have many more images of breastfeeding, I just felt compelled to share some unconventional ones this year in en effort to highlight and normalize the many ways breastfeeding can look like between a mom and babe(s). 

Until next time!

XOXO,

Steph