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By Addison Grimm Vital Village Networks Community Mobilization AmeriCorps VISTA  Danielle Champagnie was introduced to the ROSE training & Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) occupation by a family member; however, her start in health equity work came many years earlier when she worked as a nurse providing CNA home care. Looking back, Danielle recalls the challenges she experienced when breastfeeding her own children that at times was accompanied by a feeling of helplessness. Always having her passion set on maternal and child care, Danielle decided to take the R.O.S.E followed by Mamatoto and The healthy children training, yet when she began she did not realize how much there was to learn about lactation support and education. Danielle is now in a leadership role as the Vital Village Network Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program Coordinator, working to support R.O.S.E and CLC peer scholars through the process of completing their training, a position she has held for over two years. Through her support in this role, Danielle was awarded the 2021 Excellence in Mentoring award through Vital Village. Though she has a busy schedule, she also supports multiple Baby Cafe lactation support groups.
Danilelle is striving for excellence in the support for NICU families. She is certified as an LPN, CLS, LC, and an aspiring IBCLC and Doula. Danielle has first hand experience with the unique challenges that families with preterm babies may face along their breastfeeding journey, and wants to ensure these families receive the compassion and care required to support the best outcomes. After serving as a volunteer at the BMC NICU in 2021, she is now expanding her knowledge by attending a NICU course offered by LER. When asked what motivates her to assist NICU families, she replied confidently with: “ I really want this [NICU support/group] to grow. I really want to reach these moms. That is my passion." Resources: www.bmc.org/NICU www.marchforbabies.org www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity www.preemie.com
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By Addison GrimmVital Village Networks, Community Mobilization Coordinator, AmeriCorps VISTA Shenell Ford got her start in the world of lactation through choosing to breastfeed her children. Overtime she was drawn to opportunities related to peer lactation support. While working as a peer counselor, she studied and obtained her CLC certification, and continued on to pursue her IBCLC. However, the journey was by no means easy, because the IBCLC pathway has numerous barriers. After not passing her IBCLC exam the first time, Shenell almost internalized the disappointment but then recognized that systemic and structural barriers are part of the problem. She looked inward and asked herself “what am I put on this earth to do?” Through hard times she realized that lactation kept pulling her back in. Trying again, she said to herself “whatever I have to do, that's what we’re going to do,” and she passed her exam!
Today, Shenell is a vital member of many transformative projects throughout the community of Springfield, and across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Between serving as Mayoral Aide in Springfield, working at UMASS as a lactation consultant, contracting with the State providing breastfeeding training, being a member of the Black Breastfeeding Week Committee and being a Mass Breastfeeding Coalition board member, Shenell is always busy! However, when not spending time with her kids she makes her private practice, Heart2Heartbeat Lactation & Wellness, the center of her focus. Her virtual services include an introductory session, prenatal consults, postpartum support, breastfeeding classes, professional development training, and advocacy. It is important to Shenell that her practice not only offers lactation support, but also support to the dads, partners, friends and family who will be in the baby’s life. When asked about the source of her continued motivation, for Shenell the answer is simple: “The desire to continue, to be able to provide opportunities for families to advocate for themselves will always be something I will do, and I am humbled to do it.” Visit Shenell’s website and learn more about her work here! https://h2hbeatlw.com/ Or reach out to her via email or social media Heart2heartbeatlw@gmail.com Instagram/Facebook: @h2hbeatl By Jenna NovyVital Village Networks, Community Mobilization Coordinator, AmeriCorps VISTA  As the winter months creep towards us, I have been reflecting back on the warmth of the summer and my first few months working as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Vital Village Networks. One of the highlights of my experience so far has been the celebration-filled week of virtual events in honor of Black Breastfeeding Week (BBW) at the end of August. If any of you are like me, you may have never heard of Black Breastfeeding Week, or even National Breastfeeding Month. I am the youngest sibling in my family and have a long way to go before starting a family of my own. I had very little knowledge of breastfeeding, and was joining the BBW train long after it left the station; months of planning were already in the committee’s rear-view. But I jumped onboard with an eager and open-mind and was welcomed by a committee of community leaders brimming with wisdom, experience, ideas, and warmth.
These leaders embody the goal of BBW everyday and elevate Black breastfeeding in their communities. They advocate for reduced racial disparities in breastfeeding rates, normalize Black breastfeeding to combat negative stereotypes, and celebrate the joys of breastfeeding. Learning and engaging with the BBW committee was such a positive experience for me, I am happy to have the chance to share reflections from the week and a glimpse at what is coming for BBW 2021. Camelia Garrick, a fellow AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, and I were able to speak with six of our BBW committee members that are also integral members of our Breastfeeding Coalition. Shenell Ford, Dominique Bellegarde, and Keyla Kelley are all lactation counselors and mothers that champion breastfeeding support in their communities. Jenny Weaver is also a long-time lactation counselor and helps mentor many of our incoming breastfeeding scholars. Lisa White and Brandy Watts advocate for maternal and child health equity through their work in the Child Adolescent and Family Health (CAFH) Bureau’s office at Boston Public Health Commission, and Lisa also serves as a doula. For all of those that are as new to the importance of Black breastfeeding as I was, I first want to share some responses from BBW committee members about “What does Black breastfeeding mean to you?” A recurring theme that seemed to pop-up in every interview we conducted was love. Shenell beautifully stated: “[Breastfeeding is] a beautiful expression of love in so many ways. The connection, the bond, not just between you and your baby, but encompassing the whole experience for the family.” Dominique had a similar thought and responded that breastfeeding was “the best start for baby” and a way to show “unconditional love to next generations”. Remarking on the significance of Black breastfeeding, Lisa and Dominique mentioned that it was “empowerment” and “an example to my nation of people”. Shenell and Jenny responded that Black breastfeeding is “healing and joy” and “a time to uplift and highlight the joy around breastfeeding in Black families and communities.” It was very inspiring to see a group of women dedicate their spare time and energy to a cause that has had such a profound impact on them and their families. The events that were planned throughout the week exemplified the feelings of joy and love through celebration and advocacy. I asked committee members “What was an event during Black Breastfeeding Week that stood out to you and why?” Committee members decided to embrace creativity and artistic expression throughout Black Breastfeeding Week to emulate this year’s theme of “Revive. Restore. Reclaim!” Dominique championed the month-long family Paint Night series, and she worked to “use local artists that are members in the Vital Village Network to celebrate children in the community and their work and stories,” and engaged a young adult artist as the lead instructor. Our week finished with a drumming circle celebration led by the local Jah Jah Drummers group. Keyla and her children joined in the virtual fun with pots and pans, and she told us that “It was great to see children who have been breastfed be a part of the celebration. It highlighted for me that we are raising the next generation of advocates.” With this year’s Black Breastfeeding Week only a few months behind them, the committee is already brainstorming ideas for next year. It was exciting to hear the purpose and passion in each committee members’ voice when we asked, “What goals do you have for the next Black Breastfeeding Week?” Lisa’s dream summed up world-wide sentiments when she said “a COVID- free celebration!” and she elaborated with her hope to get “more awareness throughout the community and agencies.” Brandy intends to increase inclusion as well, by “reaching a greater number of black people and a more diverse diaspora, with other languages being included.” Keyla, Shenell, and Dominique all agreed that they would like to incorporate more live music, photos, and black breastfeeding imagery. With this intent in mind, many committee members realized the need to start planning early and seek out more grants and funding to build the capacity of their events. For Shenell, her goal extends far beyond just Black Breastfeeding Week. She already made impressive strides in Springfield by obtaining an official Mayoral Proclamation. Her goal is, “To show that breastfeeding is weaved throughout everything and have breastfeeding be the connector and the core.” With the planning process for Black Breastfeeding Week 2021 already underway, I am honored to be working with such caring and motivated community leaders. They are inspiring future generations of breastfeeding advocates and advancing racial equity in their communities. Save the date for next year, and let us know if you would like to be involved! Today's feature is Dominique, a wife and mother of four.  Dominique with her husband and four children. Photo courtesy of Dominique What are your breastfeeding goals? Breast feed my children closer to 2 years of age. If you've breastfed before, what's different about this experience? During my breastfeeding journey I really enjoyed taking the steps into maintaining skin-to-skin. It seems to be very important for me and my children. I enjoyed the connection, looking into their eyes, showering & pouring positive words into their spirit and embracing who they are becoming. Breastfeeding help to keep me connected with my children and always check in with them I love the fact that a lot of breastfed children especially mines display that even if Mom goes far or to the other side of the room they always look back so I've always believed that breastfed children always look back because of the commitment we have poured into them while they were infants. they're returning it back to us and I appreciate my breastfeeding children for one of the characteristics that they could see the display when they become an adolescence and school-age. What's your fondest memory of breastfeeding? I love just looking into their eyes that's my most amazing moment and just trying to learn who they are and what they are just through what I see through their eyes. These are beautiful moments breathtaking. I have the opportunity to birth great individuals and my child, my children, my leaders, my community members I can see it in the presence. Who has been your biggest supporter on your breastfeeding journey? My biggest supporter is my mother-in-law. She just kept pushing me while I was in pain with one of my children and then my mother who didn't understand breastfeeding she also push me to educate her and she became a supporter towards my family and my siblings and I believe sharing provides benefits to the community members who influence many. What advice would you give to new breastfeeding families? Your breastfeeding journey is a temporary journey with lasting effects it is important to pour into your children because they're the only ones you have. They are the only ones that represent you and your genes and you were chosen for this role and it's great to share with others who you have poured into. I have poured into my children Goodness, love, patience, perseverance and Awesomeness! Is there anything else you'd like to share with breastfeeding families? It takes a village to breastfeed. It takes a village to raise children. It takes a village to love your spouse. It takes a village to know that you are important and you are valued. Please be involved in a village or a community corporation that can help shine your gifts. Your gifts will make you feel valued in and out of your home. This series is sponsored by DommiesBlessed. In celebration of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, we are collecting stories from mothers, fathers, grandparents, and other members of the breastfeeding unit. If you or someone you know would like to contribute, click here, we’d love to have you. Today's feature is Lenize, a wife and mother of two.  Lenize. Photo courtesy of Lenize. What are your breastfeeding goals? To continue until she self weans. If you've breastfed before, what's different about this experience? Less pressure, letting baby lead. What's your fondest memory of breastfeeding? When they reach up to my face and lock eyes. Who has been your biggest supporter on your breastfeeding journey? Husband. What advice would you give to new breastfeeding families? Grace upon grace! Breastfeeding is actually hard and doesn’t come so “naturally”, it’s learned! Baby is learning while you are learning. Keep pushing and you both will get into a groove. The reward is worth the work! Is there anything else you'd like to share with breastfeeding families? Be proud of every single day you were able to complete, no matter how long! It’s amazing that our bodies can create, grow, and nurture a whole human! We actually get to be collaborators with God to create life! Honor your self and body for that! This series is sponsored by DommiesBlessed. In celebration of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, we are collecting stories from mothers, fathers, grandparents, and other members of the breastfeeding unit. If you or someone you know would like to contribute, click here, we’d love to have you . “Listen To Yourself, Your Body And Your Baby,” Carmen’s Reflections On Breastfeeding Her Two Girls7/22/2020 Today’s feature is Carmen, a mother of two girls ages 6 and 4.  Carmen. Photo courtesy of Carmen What are your breastfeeding goals?
I’m all done, but I breastfed until 1yr (1st baby) and 10mo with (2nd baby) What's your fondest memory of breastfeeding? The closeness with my babies-feeling connected, feeling a sense of love and pride to be able to nourish them. Who has been your biggest supporter on your breastfeeding journey? I was my own cheerleader in a way....not many ppl in my family or friends had done it. What advice would you give to new breastfeeding families? Give yourself time. Allow your baby to show you what they need. We feel uncertainty, pressure and a mix of emotions the first time. Try to reduce outside noise and listen to yourself, your body and your baby. Is there anything else you'd like to share with breastfeeding families? There’s no right or wrong amount of time to breastfeed your baby. Give yourself time to learn about it, try it out and go from there (for me, it took a few weeks or more to learn and feel comfortable. I would have breastfed longer than a year if I could go back. There are lots of resources now, compared to 6 years ago. Build a tribe for connection and support!) This series is sponsored by DommiesBlessed. In celebration of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, we are collecting stories from expecting families hoping to breastfeed, those who are currently breastfeeding, or families who have breastfed in the past. If you or someone you know would like to contribute, click here, we’d love to have you. Black Breastfeeding Week (August 25th - 31st) is around the corner and this year’s theme is Revive, Restore, Reclaim. As part of our 2020 celebration, we are collecting stories from local families like yours. Today we are honored to feature Danielle, a Boston wife, and mother of four, as she gives us a sneak peek into her breastfeeding journey. What are your breastfeeding goals? I would like to breastfeed for 12 months. If this is your first time breastfeeding, what have you learned? I breastfed my other children. The longest was 10 months. If you've breastfed before, what's different about this experience? I have had some difficulty keeping up with the demand for this little one. What's your fondest memory of breastfeeding? Looking into my baby’s eyes while he’s breastfeeding and seeing that he knows he is comfortable, safe, and loved. Who has been your biggest supporter on your breastfeeding journey? My husband. What advice would you give to new breastfeeding families? Don’t give up! It can be time consuming to pump and breastfeed - especially if you have other little ones, but it is the best and most rewarding experience. Not only are you providing your child with the “liquid gold” but you are also building a bond like none other.  Danielle with two of her sons. Photo courtesy of Danielle Is there anything else you'd like to share with breastfeeding families?
Remember to take your prenatals while breastfeeding (1 year postpartum). This series is in partnership with DommiesBlessed. If you’re interested in contributing your breastfeeding past, present or future, click here, we’d love to have you. Are you expecting? Do you know a family who has recently delivered? In order to continue supporting families during COVID-19, the Boston Breastfeeding Coalition now offers virtual breastfeeding support groups and a Breastfeeding Support Warm-line (857) 301-8259. “The Isolation Was Important For Us,” Brianna and Kyle On Being Pregnant During A Pandemic6/19/2020  Kyle & Brianna. Photo courtesy of Brianna Brianna and Kyle are an inspirational young couple who recently got engaged on Brianna’s birthday. They were weeks into their first pregnancy when our pandemic hit. Hospitals were implementing social-distancing, which meant limited family support during labor and delivery. As Father’s Day approaches, I am encouraged by how this new dad is supporting his fiancé and preparing for his growing family. As well as Brianna’s gratitude and optimism towards the couple’s shared future. Here’s our interview. DommiesBlessed: What is it like being pregnant during these times? Brianna: I have days where I’m mourning the loss of what I expected my first pregnancy to be like. And other days where I’m super, super grateful. I’ve put things into perspective during this process. All the little things we forgot to be thankful for, like having a family and a job, being able to go to the grocery store, and the little moments that I have with Kyle that I probably would have taken for granted if everything was open and business was as usual. So, it goes back-and-forth. I have moments where I'm really sad, then moments where I'm really happy, excited, and feeling empowered. I don't know anybody else in my family that's been pregnant during a pandemic. What about you, babe? Kyle: It’s been challenging. I’m trying to be the best provider I can be. Obviously, Brianna is my family. So, not necessarily being able to provide the things I want to and everything basically being paused for months has been frustrating. But, we’re both people of faith. We believe God has a reason for everything and sometimes He wants us to sit still. I was doing a lot of moving before all this happened. And even though it's frustrating and challenging - it’s been for the better. A couple of months ago, I was going back-and-forth between Connecticut and Boston, until recently when I officially moved to Boston. I’m not saying I wanted a pandemic to happen, but honestly, if this didn’t happen, I'm not sure how I would have been able to make the shift in a timely fashion and in the way that Brianna needed me to. So, God has a unique way of putting us in places where we need to be. Spending time with Brianna these past few months has been very, very valuable. Right around the time we were trying to figure things out and starting to talk about our finances, businesses were opening back up and I got busy. So, in the midst of what seems like chaos, I see things perfectly falling into place. I had to stop moving and really see what’s in front of me. And I’m extremely grateful for everything -- even the hard parts. Brianna: I'm also really grateful that we had the opportunity to connect with our pregnancy. I was able to listen to my body more and learn my baby. I feel like I already know the baby's personality, its routine, its schedule. I have moments, sometimes hours, where I can just sit and really meditate with the baby. I don't know that I would have been able to do that if I was running back-and-forth to work and Connecticut all the time. We’ve both been living in the present more than we would have under normal circumstances. Of course, I wish I got to take the birthing classes, CPR classes, and had the big baby shower that I always wanted. We also had a Babymoon planned for May. But on the flip side, we got a more personal connection with the baby. Kyle: We also missed out on being around family. It really had to be just us two. A lot of people were quarantined for a long period of time. So we really learned how to depend on each other and that’s an important part. We both had to step away from our comfort zones, and both of our parents. The isolation was important for us to learn how to build a family on our own. DommiesBlessed: That is so beautiful and it sounds like you two have done the internal work. Brianna: It was kind of forced on us. DommiesBlessed: Of course. But even with tremendous pressure, you’re optimistic and managing quite well. Brianna: Yeah, a lot of families were losing their minds... Kyle: and breaking up. DommiesBlessed: I’m happy you two were able to grow closer during this time. As a breastfeeding blogger, I’m curious to know how you are preparing for that part of your journey? Brianna: It’s been a combination of YouTube videos, social media, following certain pages, certain blogs, and utilizing apps. I'm actually the first person of my friend group to have a baby. So, I'm not really getting advice from friends. My cousin, who had a baby last year, has been really, really informative and insightful. She’s been telling me about the gross stuff that happens to the female body that people don’t like to talk about and I wasn't expecting that. I was expecting the older people in my family to give all the helpful advice. It was also really important for me to find a black female doctor, which was my goal the minute I found out I was pregnant. I’ve seen how black women are treated differently with regard to their healthcare. And it was important for me to feel like I could relate to the person that was handling my pregnancy and delivery. And of course, leaning on each other for support. There are things that I know, that Kyle doesn't know. And there are things that Kyle knows that I don't know.  Kyle & Brianna. Photo courtesy of Brianna Kyle: I read books. Brianna: Yeah. Kyle’s a big book reader. The weekend after I told him I was pregnant, he went out and bought these dad books. DommiesBlessed: That’s so sweet! Brianna: It's actually pretty hilarious. He reads the books, and I google or use my apps. Kyle: WebMD. Brianna: I don’t use WebMD, I use BabyCenter. Brianna: We also actually pray a lot. So, whenever we eat, we always say grace and we always pray for a healthy pregnancy, a safe delivery, and for things to continue to go smoothly. DommiesBlessed: Thank you Kyle and Brianna for sharing your story.  Kyle & Brianna’s engagement photo. Photo courtesy of Brianna In order to continue supporting families during COVID-19, the Boston Breastfeeding Coalition now offers virtual breastfeeding support groups and a Breastfeeding Support Warm-line (857) 301-8259.
DommiesBlessed, the interviewer, is super passionate about encouraging breastfeeding families through our collective stories. If you’re interested in contributing your breastfeeding past, present or future, click here, we’d love to have you. By Dominique Linda Brennan and her two-year-old daughter, Raine, were originally participants at a local breastfeeding support group, but now co-lead. As a peer support counselor, Linda shares her decision to breastfeed and how she became a volunteer with the Boston Breastfeeding Coalition.  Linda: I was about seven months pregnant when her father asked me “do you plan on breastfeeding or bottle feeding?”
I said, “I’m going to bottle feed.” And he said, “I was born with severe asthma and allergies, and you don’t have any of those.” And I thought about it and realized he’s right. I don't have asthma. I don't have allergies. I'm immune to a lot of things. That's a really good point. If I breastfeed, she gets all my immunities. So, that was the decision making process. Dominique: Did any other family members or friends influence your decision to breastfeed? Linda: Nope. Just him. Dominique: What about your mom? Linda: No, he was the sole decision-maker. His one question started it all. Dominique: So at seven months, how did you prepare for breastfeeding? Linda: Babies-R-Us had awesome drop-in classes that were free. They had a Breastfeeding 101 class with a LaLeche League representative from New Hampshire [Linda lived out-of-state at the time]. It was a cool one-hour introduction to what I should know about breastfeeding. We weren’t able to start breastfeeding the minute Raine was born. There were slight complications, because she came out blue. The cord was wrapped around her neck and they kept pulling her not realizing. They revived her and brought her to me. Now, this would have been a deterrent to some moms, but the nurse who came in [claiming she does lactation] put me in a straight back chair, placed eight pillows around me, threw Raine on my boob, looked at her and said, “okay she looks good,” and walked out. I never went back to that chair after that. I did everything from my hospital bed. But once I was able to breastfeed, I breastfed her. And she’s been breastfeeding like a champ ever since. Dominique: That’s traumatizing. I’m happy you were not deterred and were able to still nurse despite your complications. Linda: Yeah. Dominique: How was your transition to nursing a newborn at home? Linda: Exhausting. Dominique: So, how did you deal with that? Linda: Lots of TV. [laughs] Lots and lots of TV and Facebook on my Kindle. I was doing stuff to keep me occupied while sitting there for 45 minutes. Dominique: You nursed her for 45 minutes at a time? Linda: She would nurse forever. She would be good for like an hour, hour and a half, then go back to the breast again. There were a lot of times I sat there and asked her, “Are you done yet?” She nursed like that for a good month and a half. Then started going less and less [as she got older]. Dominique: How was your milk supply? Linda: Oh, it was plentiful. I did not have an issue. Dominique: Good for you for being so patient with the process. So Raine is two-years-old going on three [in June]. How is your breastfeeding experience now? Linda: Now, I have it down to bedtime and Raine’s not happy about it. I’m attempting the weaning stage because, at this point, she’s not done, but I am. Dominique: And why are you done? Linda: It’s still exhausting. And luckily at bedtime, she’ll nurse for no more than a few minutes to half an hour, depending on how tired she is. She can fall asleep after 10 minutes if she hasn’t taken a nap. If I stop her, she’ll get a little whiny. I [calmly] tell her to “stop, close her eyes” and within five minutes, she’s snoring. Dominique: Bedtime can be tricky. I really appreciate you sharing a piece of your journey with us. With almost three years of lived-experience breastfeeding, why did you decide to take the ROSE training and become a peer support counselor? Linda: I'm a single mom. I was living with her father when Raine was born. But due to circumstances, I moved back to Massachusetts because I'm originally from Boston. The WIC Office in Malden gave me a flyer and told me they had a breastfeeding support group called Baby Café. I originally went to get out of the house. Raine was 13 weeks at the time and didn’t have too many problems breastfeeding, but the Baby Café was able to answer the questions I did have. I found out there was also a group in Melrose, so I started going to that one too. On the bulletin board in Melrose, I saw a flyer for a group at the Boston Children’s Museum and started going to it. Then after I moved to East Boston, I started to go to the group there as well. At the time, Morgan Brockington ran the Museum group. I had learned so much from the Baby Cafés in Malden and Melrose because they are run by the woman who founded Baby Café USA. I was apparently teaching Morgan at the Children’s Museum things she didn’t know. Morgan suggested I fill out a scholarship application to become a peer support counselor. My application was accepted, and I went to the very first ROSE training two years ago. Dominique: How was the training? Linda: It was good. There was a lot of information I didn't know and there was a lot of information I did know. I love helping people. By using what I learned through the training and my personal experience, I would be able to do that. That was big for me. Dominique: And we appreciate that you are super dedicated to helping families today. Is there anything you want new or breastfeeding moms to know? Linda: Don’t worry about it too much. Worrying makes you think that you can’t do it -- you can do it! The baby can do it! The baby wants to do it. Relax, watch some TV, clear your mind, enjoy the time. Dominique: That’s beautiful! Thank you so much, Linda! Are you a breastfeeding mom? Join Linda and other breastfeeding peer support counselors, Friday mornings from 10am-12pm at the Boston Children’s Museum. Need ways to save on your museum admission? Children under 12 months are always FREE. Here are a few ways to save from the museum’s website. If the Boston Children’s Museum is not convenient, check out this list of local breastfeeding support groups. About the interviewer: Dominique is the blogger behind DommiesBlessed. As a breastfeeding journalist, she is super passionate about encouraging families through our stories. Please let her know if you would like to share your journey too.
By Dominique
It was rough, the day I came home from the hospital. The nurses gave Kyh-el [my newborn son] a pacifier. He sucked it so hard and it was so big that it gave him a blister on the roof of his mouth. That messed up his latch, so my nipple became chaffed. Every time he ate, it would rub the blister on his mouth and then my nipple would hurt. That was the beginning. I gave Kyh-el formula that night because we were both so miserable. We needed it to give us a break, because breastfeeding was painful for both of us. Although it was really rough, we pushed through. At Kyh-el’s six week appointment, the doctors were telling me he wasn’t gaining weight. They recommended Baby Café and luckily there was a meeting that same night. Jenny Weaver [the IBCLC at Codman Square Health Center’s Baby Café] observed us and weighed Kyh-el after he ate. Everything seemed good, but we kept noticing he still wasn’t gaining weight. Jenny observed more closely. She put a glove on, and checked his latch with her hand in his mouth. He had a tongue tie. We got him in within a week [to have tongue tie surgery]. After the surgery, Kyh-el was a little fussy, but within a couple of days, his latch was getting better. The recovery can cause some strain on breastfeeding infants, so we did little exercises and were referred to a chiropractor to help his body get adjusted. Again, we pushed through and everything has been great since. Every now and then, we have breastfeeding hurdles. Overcoming them has been amazing, and exciting. It empowers me every time we get through one. Mikel Jones is a mother of two. We met at the Black Breastfeeding Week Photoshoot, then again at the Reaching Our Sister’s Everywhere (ROSE) training. Mikel breastfed her older son and in today’s interview, shares her journey breastfeeding her now 11 month old. 
Mikel pictured with her two sons. Photo Permission: Mikel Jones
Dominique - It’s brave of you to share your experience. I’m curious -- since Kyh-el was doing so well with the bottle, why were you so persistent with nursing?
Mikel - Because I had this birth plan and everything didn’t go the way I wanted. So with breastfeeding, I was very adamant and told myself, “I have to do this.” I breastfed my older son and enjoyed our bond. So I told myself, “I’m not giving up.” There were days, pre-lip-tie and tongue-tie surgery, where I completely avoided leaving the house. Kyh-el and I would sit in the house while he sat on my breast for hours at a time. He needed to be on more, because he wasn’t getting enough and I was willing to do anything to make it work. Dominique - Did you have problems with your first son? Mikel - In hindsight, I believe my older son had a tongue tie too. I was very adamant about breastfeeding then too, and he was always nursing. It was easier to stay home, because he was the only one. I didn’t know about a lip or tongue-tie and nobody even pointed me in the direction of a lactation consultant. So I pushed through it on my own. It was nice to have a support group to go to this time.
Mikel’s aunt told her about NPR’s interview on tongue ties.
Dominique - This is your second time mentioning staying at home. Why does a lip/tongue-tie force you to stay in the house?
Mikel - Because they can make babies really fussy in the car. The chiropractor taught me the strain from babies using more muscles and working harder to eat causes the spine to be stressed. Their spine is like a rope being pulled from the top and the bottom. So when I put him in the car seat, the rope is no longer relaxed when he is sitting down. Instead, it’s being tugged at both sides and bent from sitting - all at the same time. So he would literally scream when I put him in the car. I was so stressed and avoided doing anything. Dominique - No way!! Poor baby! Mikel - The chiropractor would do these tiny adjustments and after every visit, Kyh-el was literally better in the car. We went 3 times a week for a month and he kept getting better each time. Dominique - That’s so good that you found a chiropractor. How did you deal with the stress? Mikel - Just breathing and accepting the situation for what it was and knowing that I was trying my best. I was learning all that I could to make our situation better. I was literally taking it moment by moment even though I was sleepless with a tiny baby at that point. I don’t know how I did it, but I did. Dominique - You had a chiropractor, a doctor, and the breastfeeding group. Was anyone in your family supportive? Mikel - Everyone in my family worked, so most of my support came from the group. Every now and then I had a little help. But most of the time, it was me and the baby trying to figure out how we were going to make this work. Everyone else’s response was, “If this isn’t working, and if you’re always nursing, give him a bottle!” We ended up supplementing, because the doctors required it. Kyh-el was in the lowest percentile and every time we went for an appointment he dropped weight. I was willing to supplement, but wasn’t going to stop breastfeeding. So, I nursed him before and after the bottle. Dominique - Did he prefer the breast or the bottle? Mikel - I’ve heard stories where people’s babies start on a bottle and then start rejecting the breast, but Kyh-el was like “let’s do this, I enjoy the breast!” Dominique - Does he still use the bottle now at eleven months? Mikel - Since his dad and I are not together, I send breastmilk with Kyh-el every weekend. His father supplements with formula, but after learning more about it at the [ROSE] training, I want Kyh-el to get to the point where he doesn’t take formula at all. Dominique - Good for you for breastfeeding this long despite your trials! Mikel - Thank you! I’m excited to keep going. Dominique - How long are you going to go? Mikel - I am not sure. I’m thinking until he is at least 4. If he wants to stop before then, that’s fine. But I’m willing to go as long as we can. Dominique - Why 4? Mikel - Because I hear of a lot of people, especially families who are over breastfeeding stigmas, nurse until 4. I thought teeth would stop me, because he has bitten me and would literally have me afraid to feed him. Dominique - Why was he biting? Mikel - I think he was trying to be funny. He likes hearing me yell. But I don’t want to scare people. It doesn’t happen as often as I thought it would. When he first got his teeth, I think he was getting used to having teeth. Dominique - Yeah they’re like little toys. Mikel - Exactly! He was like, “oh wow, what are these things?” But now that he’s had them, it’s very rare that he bites. Dominique - Well this has been awesome! Thank you so much for sharing the ups and downs of your breastfeeding journey. Need breastfeeding support? Drop-in on one of the free support groups hosted by the Boston Breastfeeding Coalition. We are located in Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, and more. The groups are staffed with trained peer counselors, most with lived breastfeeding experience to give you the support you need. Our Baby Cafés have an IBCLC (international board certified consultant who can help you with any medical issues). We look forward to seeing you soon! About the interviewer: As a breastfeeding journalist, Dominique is super passionate about strengthening families and documenting our stories. Please let her know if you would like to share your journey too. |
AuthorDaily Milk hosts articles, posts and ideas from various members of our breastfeeding coalition! Archives
March 2023
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