"Some days are harder than others & that's OK; what may seem like your worst day is someone else's '#goals'.
No one really prepares you for the true essence of motherhood. You do your best to prepare, but becoming a mother is life changing. You surprise yourself in ways unimaginable, pushing limits - each day a bit further than the day before. The photo above marks our daughter's first birthday; a milestone for both her and I. Our journey to this moment was not all smiles, especially in the beginning months.
As a new mommy I wanted the very best nutrition for my baby and myself. Being a dietitian, I knew all the long lasting health benefits of breastfeeding for both baby and mommy. My goal was to breastfeed my daughter until her first birthday. When I think about it, breastfeeding for the first year was more like a required mommy mile marker - it just had to happen. And so, our daughter was born and our lives were permanently changed. Breastfeeding was a challenge; a daily struggle. I obsessed over it constantly: is she still hungry? Is she latching on correctly? Do I have enough milk? I went to several lactation consultants, started on supplements, spent hours researching, altered my diet and tried anything that seemed like a plausible solution to increase production. During my quest to find the ultimate lactation cookie, I kept running into the same problem - recipes with too much white sugar and loads of butter - it was so frustrating. Turns out, I was not the only one. Lots of my new mommy friends were feeling the same way.
Despite all my efforts I ended my breastfeeding days sooner than anticipated. Accepting the truth was difficult for me, I felt like my body betrayed me and my daughter. I replayed those early days over and over trying to figure out what I could have done differently. I wasted my little spare time, energy and money on failed recipes instead of napping or cuddling with my baby. There had to be a better way. If I could make one mommy's life a bit easier: reduce her stress just a tiny bit, give her more time to snuggle with her baby - it would be worth it.
And that's how it all started. My desire to help mommies continue their breastfeeding journey through food. My life's experiences had prepared me to embark on this journey. My career was spent researching new food trends and advising clients to make simple swaps to improve their nutrition. I would apply those same basic principles to this new endeavor: create lactation foods made with wholesome ingredients to support milk supply and provide nutritional health benefits.
Experience has taught me that patience, grace and compassion are the tools essential to motherhood. Cherish all your moments - the easy, joyful, difficult, exhausting and everything in between - because this too shall pass. And no matter where you are in your journey, remember you are enough and I believe you are amazing!