Editor’s Note: This article has come together through text threads of a conversation among our writer Judy, Adele (an LLL Leader in Ohio), and myself. Judy invited Adele to drive out to meet with her a few months ago. Because LLL had been important in her life, she wanted to pass along a beautiful art print to LLL. We hope Judy’s story of resilience and a passion for breastfeeding encourages you.
Hello! I am Judy. I’m 73 years old. My aunt gave me this print many years ago, due to my devotion to nursing my toddlers. She gave it to me as encouragement and positive reinforcement, and now I hope it will strengthen another’s resolve!
Judy’s Story
I had a tumultuous experience in my relationship with my then-husband; he didn’t want children, but I did. I didn’t have any support from him, as he was engaging in a lot of reckless behavior. Despite it all, I found support in his mother. She was my best friend and ally; I’ll love her forever. Those were very difficult times. I was working as a waitress, dealing with morning sickness, and juggling the relationship’s challenges.
In 1985, I had an emergency cesarean for the birth of my first child, after 15 hours laboring with no progress. Then, we discovered my daughter was breech. I was heartbroken, as I was counting on a natural birth. My incision became infected, so I had to stay in hospital another week. My then-husband only came once to see us during that time.
And then, the nursing began. It was just my daughter and me, as my married life wasn’t much to speak of. We shortly moved into a little apartment with a small pool that no one used but me. I’d bring my daughter’s swing outside, and she’d nap under the shade. We moved to Santa Rosa for my husband’s work, and my daughter was still nursing away. She was turning two, and she was my best and only buddy, really.
We moved to Ohio after he got demoted. Still nursing through it all! I found out I was pregnant again, as he was on the road to Ohio with no job. I was alone with a dog and baby. I stopped nursing around the middle of my second pregnancy, as it wasn’t comfortable. When my second daughter arrived in 1988, she also loved nursing, which we called milkies. I nursed those girls everywhere whenever they needed to nurse. I slept with them as they nursed.
I fell in love with being a mom. I read and did everything I could to be the best parent possible for my girls. Breastfeeding my daughters led me to find La Leche League. My babies got older, and the raised eyebrows and criticism about my continued nursing made me feel isolated to an extent. They both nursed till about two-and-a-half years old, which was sort of uncommon in my social circles.
I remember one time that my older daughter got a stomach flu, vomited for two days, and was unable to keep anything down. I expressed some breastmilk and gave it to her. She drank it and no longer vomited!
In 1993, I became a single mother when my husband left us. I got a note saying he was in love with someone else and that I should work hard and I’d be fine. He left a teddy bear on each bed. No goodbye. He saw our daughters for Christmas and had them for a month or so in the summers.
Now, I’m in hospice care and living with my younger daughter. I wanted to give away this print as I was going through my things, and that’s how my story came to be shared on this blog. It has certainly been a challenging journey raising my girls, nursing, and dealing with the upheaval of my relationship. I can’t say that nursing into toddlerhood fixes everything, but during those years, it was a constant. It created a layer of security in a baby bond that was so special and right and good. I’m no angel, but I did my best.
If you’d like to share your nursing or parenting story with the blog, we welcome you to email it to Kylie at [email protected]
Supporting Breastfeeding Families–Today, Tomorrow, Always
Please consider donating to La Leche League USA.
Your gift helps support this blog and the website!
Donations of any amount are gratefully accepted. Thank you!
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Posted: November 25, 2025 by Yael Breimer
Strengthening Another’s Resolve: Conversations with Judy
Editor’s Note: This article has come together through text threads of a conversation among our writer Judy, Adele (an LLL Leader in Ohio), and myself. Judy invited Adele to drive out to meet with her a few months ago. Because LLL had been important in her life, she wanted to pass along a beautiful art print to LLL. We hope Judy’s story of resilience and a passion for breastfeeding encourages you.
Judy’s Story
I had a tumultuous experience in my relationship with my then-husband; he didn’t want children, but I did. I didn’t have any support from him, as he was engaging in a lot of reckless behavior. Despite it all, I found support in his mother. She was my best friend and ally; I’ll love her forever. Those were very difficult times. I was working as a waitress, dealing with morning sickness, and juggling the relationship’s challenges.
In 1985, I had an emergency cesarean for the birth of my first child, after 15 hours laboring with no progress. Then, we discovered my daughter was breech. I was heartbroken, as I was counting on a natural birth. My incision became infected, so I had to stay in hospital another week. My then-husband only came once to see us during that time.
And then, the nursing began. It was just my daughter and me, as my married life wasn’t much to speak of. We shortly moved into a little apartment with a small pool that no one used but me. I’d bring my daughter’s swing outside, and she’d nap under the shade. We moved to Santa Rosa for my husband’s work, and my daughter was still nursing away. She was turning two, and she was my best and only buddy, really.
We moved to Ohio after he got demoted. Still nursing through it all! I found out I was pregnant again, as he was on the road to Ohio with no job. I was alone with a dog and baby. I stopped nursing around the middle of my second pregnancy, as it wasn’t comfortable. When my second daughter arrived in 1988, she also loved nursing, which we called milkies. I nursed those girls everywhere whenever they needed to nurse. I slept with them as they nursed.
I fell in love with being a mom. I read and did everything I could to be the best parent possible for my girls. Breastfeeding my daughters led me to find La Leche League. My babies got older, and the raised eyebrows and criticism about my continued nursing made me feel isolated to an extent. They both nursed till about two-and-a-half years old, which was sort of uncommon in my social circles.
I remember one time that my older daughter got a stomach flu, vomited for two days, and was unable to keep anything down. I expressed some breastmilk and gave it to her. She drank it and no longer vomited!
In 1993, I became a single mother when my husband left us. I got a note saying he was in love with someone else and that I should work hard and I’d be fine. He left a teddy bear on each bed. No goodbye. He saw our daughters for Christmas and had them for a month or so in the summers.
Now, I’m in hospice care and living with my younger daughter. I wanted to give away this print as I was going through my things, and that’s how my story came to be shared on this blog. It has certainly been a challenging journey raising my girls, nursing, and dealing with the upheaval of my relationship. I can’t say that nursing into toddlerhood fixes everything, but during those years, it was a constant. It created a layer of security in a baby bond that was so special and right and good. I’m no angel, but I did my best.
If you’d like to share your nursing or parenting story with the blog, we welcome you to email it to Kylie at [email protected]
Supporting Breastfeeding Families–Today, Tomorrow, Always
Please consider donating to La Leche League USA.
Your gift helps support this blog and the website!
Donations of any amount are gratefully accepted. Thank you!
Follow us on:
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Category: Breastfeeding and Bonding, Breastfeeding and Lifestyle, Grateful For LLL USA
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