Breastfeeding New Mama
By Lupita Clorio
Breastfeeding completely changed my life, my body and my family. As most new moms, during my pregnancy I read books, bombarded myself with internet articles and received tons of unsolicited advice. But it doesn’t matter how much you prepare or not; once you actually give birth, everything goes out the window.
I’m not gonna go into breast is best, don’t give them formula, feed them formula or use both, use donor breastmilk, etc. Moms have a lot on their plate and the last thing we need is mom-shaming. We already have mom-guilt and this internal pressure to be the best mom we can be. I’m going to tell you about my breastfeeding journey and experience and hope it helps you in some way.
I assumed I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed because I wasn’t gifted in the chest area. Aside from my small breasts, no one in my family breastfed. I mean no one! No aunts, cousins, not my mom, not even my grandmothers! And I only knew of one friend who was open and honest about her experience. So I did my research, but made up my mind that it would be impossible for me to do it. I bought baby bottles and started looking into which formula brand I would purchase. Once my son arrived, woa baby! I have boobs now!
In the beginning, I had no clue what I was doing. Is he latching, is he not, do I change positions, how do I know which one works, is he eating or not, is he still hungry, is he full, is this milk, do I need more fat milk, am I eating enough, what should I eat, what foods do I avoid, should I be feeding him every two hours or feed whenever he wants and what are the clues, is he cluster feeding or comfort feeding? Good God, my mind was spinning and milk was shooting out like a fountain. I was engorged, had a strong letdown and was overwhelmed. I cried myself to sleep one-too many nights, but I refused to quit.
The first 2 months I tried pumping and it was the most annoying and stressful part of breastfeeding. My body will not respond to an electric pump. I would pump for hours and barely anything came out, yet I would feed him and leak everywhere.Thanks to an online mommy chat group, I learned about the Haakaa, a silicone breast pump that suctions the milk out. You simply place it on your breast and it collects the milk. This entire time I could have been collecting my milk in the Haakaa and freezing/storing the milk.
When my son was 7 months, my milk supply went down and my anxiety went up. My breasts were no longer engorged and I stopped leaking. I was so worried I wouldn’t make it to the 1 year mark. I started eating lactation cookies, drank tons of water and ate oatmeal like there was no tomorrow. Spoiler alert! My son made it to 2 years of exclusively breastfeeding. I got pregnant when my son was 1 and half, so I weaned him when he turned 2. And two months after that, my daughter was born. She is now 1 and a half and I’m still exclusively breastfeeding. Basically my breasts have not stopped in almost 4 years.
It may sound cliché but it’s true- be patient and believe in yourself. Good things don’t come easy! It’s hard and maybe you won’t make it a year or maybe you will. Maybe you do need to supplement with formula. Be informed and don’t be afraid or too shy to ask questions. You would be surprised as to how many moms go through the same thing. Everyone’s journey is completely different. But don’t give up on yourself and most importantly, no matter what path you do take; breastfeeding or not- the only thing that matters is the health of your baby.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area to Mexican immigrant parents. Lupita earned a Bachelors degree in Radio/TV/Film from San Jose State University. After college, she got married and moved to NYC where she earned a Masters degree in Public Relations from Iona College. After 8 years of living in the Big Apple, she currently resides in Mexico City.
Lupita has an extensive background and experience of working in all departments of the media world. From radio, television and print, with crucial roles in media buying, brand strategy, public relations, advertising, experiential marketing, and promotions. She has worked as on-air talent, to behind-the-scenes media expert in well-known companies such as Clear Channel, Entravision, GroupM, and Horizon Media. Lupita has mainly worked in Hispanic media for top clients such as AT&T, L’Oreal, Target, Johnny Walker, Buchanans, Ciroc, Telemundo, LG, Burger King, FOX Networks and many more.
Currently Lupita faces the toughest most rewarding role- being a mom of 2 (a 3 year old son and a 1 year old daughter). Lupita blogs about her experiences of living in both the US and Mexico. Her goal is to write about being a Latina mom and wife in hopes that her bilingual content will inspire, motivate and encourage women to prioritize themselves and find their inner voice. She wants other moms to not feel alone when raising children while breaking generational cycles.
