Can you think of a time when you were especially glad to be breastfeeding? When we asked New Beginnings’ readers this question, we were thrilled to read about the many times that breastfeeding was met with a sense of gratitude – for its convenience, its ability to soothe in scary situations, or for the health benefits for the nursing duo.

Blizzards, health scares, middle of the night wakings, travel – our readers found that breastfeeding allowed them to nourish and nurture their children no matter the circumstances.

Read on for a few highlights and click here for the full blog post. For more posts related to breastfeeding in various situations, see the resource list at the end of the post.

“We had a three-day blizzard and were trapped in our condo for five days. I was also glad to be using cloth diapers. Thankfully the electricity never went out. Then the cloth diapers may have been difficult if I couldn’t wash them.” – Heidi R.

“My youngest was born during the largest recorded snowstorm we’ve ever had in my city: twenty-two inches in a short amount of time. We didn’t get our driveway plowed for four days, but it really didn’t concern me one iota. What did I need with the outside world? He was doing exactly as he should. It’s too bad the rest of us eventually needed a grocery store.” – Yvonne M.

“I accidentally locked my purse and keys in my car in a parking lot when my oldest was just a couple of months old. Being able to stand by the car and just nurse my baby while waiting the 45 minutes for a friend to bring me extra keys was priceless. My husband was TDY (temporary duty assignment) at the time and I had exactly one friend to help me out because we hadn’t lived there long. So I really was relieved that feeding the baby wasn’t one of the things I had to worry about that day.” – Christy S.

“(I was grateful for breastfeeding) when everyone except for me and the breastfed baby was very sick. Also, when my food allergic kid, with seven anaphylactic allergies, and ‘the most allergic kid I have seen in 10 years’ according to his doctor was so healthy. Never got sick. No asthma. Just allergies.” – Patricia S.

“My four-week-old, five-year-old, eight-year-old and I were diagnosed with Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID). We all had to start having IV gamma globulin every three weeks to prevent life threatening infections. The IVs take about eight hours. The three children had to have theirs at the same time at a major children’s hospital. My leg had been paralyzed during birth and I had to use a wheelchair. The baby had to have his IV in his head. At least I could hold him in the wheelchair and breastfeed. Breastfeeding may have saved all the children’s lives. They did much better than expected for children with CVID. I did my IVs at home so I could be with the children.” – Gail A.

“My husband had just deployed for six-plus months the January after 9/11. I was a senior in college. Baby number two was about five months old. Both boys came down with rotavirus. Son number one was about three. My nursling never had to go to the hospital or be admitted. We stayed snug in our house and nursed on demand. All ended up well.” – Lisa M.

Resources

• Breastfeeding in an Emergency: lllusa.org/breastfeeding-in-an-emergency/
• Breastfeeding under Special Circumstances: lllusa.org/special-circumstances/
• Traveling with a Breastfed Baby: lllusa.org/traveling-with-a-breastfed-baby/
• Traveling with a Breastfed Toddler: lllusa.org/traveling-with-a-breastfed-toddler/
• Breastfeeding During Illness: lllusa.org/breastfeeding-during-illness/

Please send your story ideas to Amy at [email protected].

Supporting Breastfeeding Families–Today, Tomorrow, Always

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