Ever since we launched The Leaky Boob, we have received countless personal messages and Facebook comments expressing gratitude for how TLB has helped inspire, educate, and assist our Leakies in their personal breastfeeding journeys. We are truly blessed to be a part of the TLB community ourselves, believing that we all can make the world a more beautiful, loving, and encouraging place.
Every note of gratitude we receive for TLB is a huge inspiration and encouragement to us, and we believe that they can do the same for the Leaky community. Unfortunately, with how active our TLB Facebook page has become, these “love notes” often get buried within minutes of being posted.
And so, in honor of Valentine’s Day, 2012, we are pleased to bring you a safe and public place to post your positive experiences on The Leaky Boob, for everyone to see and for our own encouragement.
Much love,
Jessica and Jeremy
This FB group has definitely inspired me and still inspires me to continue on my breastfeeding journey. It was refreshing to connect with other moms who share the same parenting style that I do, even when I’m still figuring out what my parenting ‘style’ is. It was nice to find support in a society where the breastfeeding rate is so low, and there are many roadblocks that contribute towards a mother wanting to wean her child early. Thanks again for facilitating such a wonderful community!!
My plan was to nurse for 6 months, since that’s what I thought was normal and was recommended by my hospital. But in the early days and weeks with my new baby, I would just sit on the sofa, nurse my little guy, and read the internet. It was during these marathon nursing sessions that I discovered The Leaky B@@b (as well as kellymom.com and Best for Babes) and really learned about nursing – especially what is normal and what is cultural. You really helped educate me. Thank you, Leaky B@@B! My little guy is now 22 months old and still nursing regularly (and co-sleeping – something else I NEVER would have considered before becoming educated on the topic). I love, love nursing and all it has given me and my babe. Thanks! and Happy V-Day!
The Leaky Boob was “born” shortly after my twin boys. I can remember the countless sleepless nights I spent with the Leakies online, while my boys were snuggled up around me on the twin nursing pillow. I found my community here, chock full of other mothers who thought nursing was normal and important and wonderful. The Leaky Boob literally helped me get through the early months of nursing, and for that I will be forever grateful. Also, Jessica– THE Leaky Boob– was kind enough to give me guidance and point me to invaluable resources when I needed hard science to back up my own mama-instincts. She gently gave me permission to trust myself as a mother. It was so empowering, and all from someone I had never met in person. The Leaky Boob is about mothers, and breastfeeding, and babies… but is also FOR all of us. I love it, and am so thankful it exists.
When my DD was 8 months old I found myself breastfeeding alone as friends & other mums had weaned & gone on to formula. I knew I wanted to continue bf as it took us a while to perfect it & why end something that’s working so well & so needed? I wanted to make a year but felt enormous pressure from society that what I was doing was wrong & freaky. I used to think that extended bf was for freaky mothers but then I found the leaky b@@b & you educated me. I am one of those ‘freaky ‘ mothers I swore I’d never be. I wasn’t alone anymore & I realised we were not ready to end our bf relationship & I should not worry what other people think. I love the advice you all give & the support. You are the reason my DD & I have reached 16 months of bf & are still going strong. So thank you xxx
Thank you for existing. I love the leaky b@@b, I gained a lot of knowledge about breastfeeding from reading posts & facebook comments. It’s made a huge difference for me and in my ability to breastfeed through the first two weeks (a challenge for sure – but since I knew about ‘the first 2 weeks are the hardest’ from your fb page, it helped me get through it), and I’m still breastfeeding my 9 month old. Thanks for the encouragement & knowledge. I’ll continue to share your page with friends & family. 🙂
One of the fondest memories I’ve kept during my breastfeeding days has been, during those late night feedings that seemed to go on foreeever, when I would keep myself occupied by browsing on the Leaky Boob’s facebook page. I am so grateful for the advice and encouragement I received from, and was able to pass on to, other mamas just like me, who were also very likely passing time on LB during a long nursing session. Jessica, I’m sure it has not been easy but thank you so much for keeping this thing going!
I knew I would breastfeed again when my second daughter was born 16 years after my first. However, my nursing experience would not have been as rich or carried on as long as it did, without the Leaky Boob’s Facebook page! Knowing that I could find someone to “talk” with when nursing at 3am was in and of itself invaluable – to feel part of a community of women who not only can relate to me but are so willing to provide up-to-the-minute information and opinions about everything from fevers to poop to teething necklaces, really helped me. I overcame my fears about nursing in public, and grew into a person who views breastfeeding not just as a “personal choice”, but a public health issue. Jessica, the reviews and articles are so great – you should be so proud of yourself for not only being a dedicated, loving mom and wife and great writer but also a pioneer of a new women’s movement! One who shares her own life honestly and without apology, while encouraging others to be exactly who they are without ever judging. Because if women are to be successful (at anything), they need to feel supported by their sisters in this life and on this journey of raising healthy, educated and loving families. I talk up your site every chance I get, and want to take this opportunity to personally say THANK YOU for doing what you do!
My cousin told me about the leaky boon, and suggested I look into it earlier today. It seems like a really interesting thing, and I look toward to having something to read at 2 (and 4, and 6) o’clock feedings!
The ladies at TLB have been amazing. My daughter refused to burse after 2 months and now she is back at it. Without the LOVE and SUPPORT of TLB I dont think I would have even tried again! Thank you Jessica and All the ladies here!
As a mom nursing twin two year olds, I love the community I’ve found at TLB. It’s not every one who gets nursing toddlers… much less twins — but I feel supported here. I teach baby massage every week and tell all my new moms about your site. They feel as I do… that you are a great resource for information and support.
Please keep reminding breastfeeding mamas in ways big and small…
we. are. not. alone!!! ^_^
xoxo
Suzanne aka Zen Mommy
I have a question….My son is 7 months old and nursing has been going great! But we have an issue. He’s waking up at least every hour at night to nurse. And I’m so exhausted I don’t know what to do. This started when he was 4 mos so its nothing to do with teething or sickness or anything like that. He’s just using me as a pacifier. I have 2 other kids and I just don’t have the energy to keep up with them after being up all night with the baby. Please help!! Because the only thing I can think of would be to wean so he can’t use me for comfort anymore. I really don’t want to do that. Something has got to give, I can’t do this anymore. I’m so exhausted!
Having a big issue with my lo refysing me. She still drinks my milk, but out of a bottle only. If i even attempt to bf her she screams bloody murder. We never introduced a bottle before this happened and even went almost a whole day without her eating bc i was trying to get her to eat and we didnt have bottles. Im pumping to feed her but i really want to get back to ebf instead of ep. I miss bf so much and i want to cry every time i give her a bottle. I try and offer everytime she feeds but no luck. She is 5 weeks old this thursday. We have been having this issue for about a week now. Please help! On fb and dont want to post bc family gets wierded out thanks!
I have been looking for a link to an email address for you but I cant find one anywhere. I would like to ask an anonymous question on FB.
I would like to say how great I think the Leaky boob is. When I had my son (only child right now at 6 and a half months), I have never felt so alone and isolated in my entire life. It seemed every friend I knew didn’t have kids- and was out partying- while I was at home with stinky diapers to wash, a dirty house, meals I couldn’t even begin to think about cooking, a newborn- and a breastfeeding “bond” that I had no idea how people were actually successful with!! My nipple was so sore, cracked, bleeding- so I was pumping off that side most of the time, and using a nipple shield the rest of the time. To this day, I still remember the feeling of latch and unlatch- I wanted to scream- I cried sometimes. I remember everybody talking about how great breastfeeding was throughout my life- and I knew I would always breastfeed my children- but nobody ever warned me that it was going to hurt so bad- and be so demanding. I kept wondering, how the heck do people have more than 1 child and ever breastfeed them?!? But, then magically- at 1 month- it all fell together. After coming through the first signs of mastitis, my nipple healed, and my baby latched and ate great. And all of a sudden, he started sleeping longer stretches- I seemed to find time to shower, do some diapers, and eat sOMETHING, even if it wasn’t a gourmet meal. Point is- I found the LEAKY BOOB page (facebook, then came here as well) and it was my saving grace. My fiance and I had a terrible falling out when my baby was born- along with that, his family was isolating me on all of my beliefs, and he didn’t get home until 7:30 every night from working (then would go to gym and work out for an hour) then come home and go to bed. My mom and the leaky boob were my support. Thank you, Jessica- I need networks like this- I don’t have friends with kids- and the ones I do know are too busy like me- so at 3, 4, 5, and every hour after or nursing when my baby wouldn’t sleep- this saved me! I found the questions by other leakies to be a reminder that I’m not alone, and I’m not the only one who has problems. The answers pointed me to different resources that I found super helpful- and now I find myself giving those resources back to others! If and when my friends have kids- this will be where I point them. Although my non breastfeeding peers laugh at the name- I find I’m a little addicted to the leaky boob questions! I love how I feel so connected to you and don’t even know you.
When I first became pregnant, I wasn’t so sure about breastfeeding. I figured I’d give it a try, but I didn’t feel strongly one way or the other. My best friend had a baby around that time and her baby struggled with latch and she pumped exclusively for 6 weeks before going back to work. I thought, why go through all that heartache if it’s not going to work out anyways. I didn’t know any people who had successfully breastfed other than my older sister, who nursed both of her kids for a year. When I was about 20 weeks pregnant, my sister borrowed my laptop after Thanksgiving dinner. I was logged into facebook, so she said she would go ahead and “like” some of her favorite baby pages, mostly bargain shopping stuff, but also kellymom and the leaky boob. I can honestly say this action played a huge role in my son and I’d bfing relationship! At first I was overwhelmed by these crazy breastfeeding women who nursed their babies for a long time and coslept. As time went on though I saw the wide range of women who breastfed. Some were very young, some were nursing their 10th child. Some stayed home, others worked long hours. I realized that parenting was not a one size fits all situation and I had found a supportive place for whatever parenting decisions I made.
My son was born 5lbs 13oz on April 9, his due date, via emergency c-section. That day, at my 40 week appointment, my doctor realized he had growth restriction and limited amniotic fluid. I labored for 6 hours before being rushed away. My baby never left my sight and his bassinet was pushed next to mine into recovery. The recovery nurse helped him do the newborn crawl, even though I had limited use of my arms. It was beautiful and he latched right away. The nurses were amazing over the days I was in the hospital. They were reassuring, helping me latch him on and showing me how to express to get some colostrum when I worried he wasn’t getting enough. (I was at the Cleveland Clinic, now baby friendly! So lucky to have access to one of the best healthcare systems in the world!!) After discharge, an on call ped recommended I supplement with formula due to jaundice. I knew better b/c of TLB and called the LC (who talked me through using my new electric pump (on a Saturday!) and how to syringe feed him 1/2 oz after every feeding.) She was amazing. I thought I was through the woods. I was lucky, I never had severe nipple pain or painful engorgement. I was wrong. The next hurdle was allergies. My son has had repeated blood in his stools since 3 weeks. I have eliminated dairy, soy, and wheat from my diet. My son will be four months old next week and while I miss eating some things, I love breastfeeding more. He’s tiny, well below the 5th percentile. Whenever I worry that he’s not getting enough, I count diapers for the day (again, thanks TLB!) My husband and I did a bf class through the hospital. I can honestly say I didn’t learn much new there, but my husband became an avid supporter after hearing about the magic of breast milk! He’s amazing and has never questioned the value of bfing, even during the screaming weeks and my tears over allergies. I nip without a second thought, and without a cover. I go to a breastfeeding support group every week (again, run by the Cleveland Clinic, they have a total of 10 groups every week, all over the city, all with an IBCLC!) While I definitely give my son and I credit for our accomplishments, I also give some to TLB and have always felt reassured knowing TLB was there if and when I needed help, even at 4am. Thank you to Jessica and the fabulous ladies of TLB for creating a space full of knowledge and support!
i love fb page and find it very helpful. However I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for getting an ebf baby on an eating schedule. This will make it much easier when i go back to work
Feed on demand!!! Just like us…we eat when we ‘re hungry and don’t eat when we’re not! Will u pump? Why do u think it will make it essier? On who?
I haven’t been able to make the luncheons because my husband’s schedule changed to mornings.. I am a complete wreck. Alura will be 7 months this weekend and STILL 13lbs 9oz. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong? I’m taking 4 capsules on Fenugreek a day and just started solids twice a day too. We have now been put on weekly weight check ins with our LC. How does everyone make nice plump babies and mine looks like she’s starving? I’m in tears as I write this because I’m just at a loss. I added more feedings and am squeezing the breast as the LC suggested too.
I’ve ebf for the past 7 months and if it helped I would be okay with offering a bottle but she refuses any and all bottles. I don’t know what to do to help her.. I’m at such a loss.
At 7 montha my little guy was about 11-12lbs. Babies just vrow at their own rates.
I recently partnered with my local LLL and did a fundraiser for them. We did a breastfeeding photo session and these are the images. I had to share because honestly these moms are lovely and the memories are something I hope they have forever. I figured you may enjoy them also.
http://abbeybphotography.com/2012/09/the-la-leche-league-of-augusta-fundraiser-photo-sessions.html
Im not pregnant yet. But im really wanting to breastfeed again, longer and more successful the next time around. Im wonsering what is a good breast pump to use when i would ho back to work. I dont like medela(it dried me up). Anyone have any suggestions???
I know this doesn’t have anything to do with Breastfeeding but I have a question…Has anyone here experienced tender/soreness on your scalp? I feel that for the last couple of weeks, my scalp feels sore and tender as if I left it in a high ponytail for too long, but in reality it’s been down and loose all day. To brush it and put it up in a ponytail hurts sometimes. I’m 3 months PP, so I’m curious if this has anything to do with hormones after having the baby? If so, should I see a doctor about it or wait it out? How can I make it hurt less? =( TIA
My son is 3mo and I’ve noticed since thanksgiving my supply has dipped drastically! I usually pump 4-5oz per session, I’ve been pumping at least 3 times a day at work and once when I get home and I nurse my son throughout the night. I’ve stared taking fenugreek. Any other advice on how I can get my supply back up?
Dear Leaky Boob:
I have the most amazing four month old boy who I breast fed for the first two months and then had my supply drop way off (my LC believes antibiotics for possible mastitis are the culprit) – enough so that my little boy only gained one ounce in two weeks.
Anyway once I got myself to my LC and she figured out what was going on, if not necessarily the cause, we tried using an SNS for a couple of weeks. However, my supply did not seem to be returning and my little boy ended up crying and crying by the time I got the system hooked up or switched.(I was taking More Milk Plus., lactation cookies, you name it….) Between the stress it caused me and him, I decided to forgo the SNS after two weeks and to try pumping (and nursing when I could).
For two months now, I have pumped three times a day (back at work and a single mom at night while dad works) so it’s a little hard to fit in more than that. In the beginning I could only pump 3 ounces, now I am up to about 6 ounces – total in all three pumpings combined.
My question is that I have heard that a body’s antibodies in the mother’s milk will concentrate to the amount of milk produced – whether its an overabundance of milk or simply 6 ounces. Do you (or any of your friends / colleagues) have any experience or knowledge about something like this? I am really disappointed that my breastfeeding experience evolved this way, but happy that I can still nurse as much as possible before providing a bottle of formula and pump enough for one feeding a day, but the idea that the antibodies can concentrate down would be uplifting for me to know that he is still getting as much (or close to ) of the good benefits now even with this small amount.
Thanks for any thoughts or input you are aware of about this!
My little girl is now 6 1/2 months old. I have been pumping since she was born. Since she was about 2 months old, she had not wanted to take the breast at all. To the point she cries and screams if I try. I’m going to continue pumping until she is at least a year, but I really miss that bonding time of breastfeeding. Is there anything I can do?
My daughter is 13 months and has yet to sleep through the night.
This is the first time I have made it past a few months with breast feeding and I think I’m totally over whelmed with information and emotion.
I’m becoming less patient and just plain grouchy with everyone, including my older children.
I’m the only one with her for nights but I need to get some sleep!
How can I convince my DD to sleep without ruining my breastfeeding relationship?
Hi Katherine,
I know how rough that can be. Check out our posts on our night weaning journey, that may be helpful: theleakyboob.com/2011/07/our-night-weaning-journeyyour-questions-answered/
Hang in there!
~Jessica
My husband and I are expecting our first baby in another couple of months. We are very excited about the prospect of breastfeeding! However, I am very shy and even though I live in Israel where people widely accept the practice of breastfeeding in public without problems, I am just so intimidated by the thought of being so ‘open’ in public. I so respect and admire those who can, and want to be able to myself. Does anyone who faced this kind of shyness problem have any tips on how to overcome it? Thanks, everyone!
I was looking through a magazine at work today and was appalled to see that a column done by Wendy Willams in the Feb 4th edition of Life & Style (next to last page) condemns Kelly Preston for feeding her 2 year old. In an excerpt located next to “these are the world’s ugliest shoes!”, William’s writes:
“Kelly It’s Time To Stop Breastfeeding
It’s slightly abnormal for Kelly Preston to still be breastfeeding her 2-year-old-son, Benjamin. While I respect her decision, the boy has teeth buds – and ow, that must hurt! It’s not the most abnormal breastfeeding story that I’ve heard; however, Kelly, you need to get it together and start working on that weaning process.”
I thought it would be nice for Kelly Preston to receive some public support and for Wendy Williams to receive some public education 😉
Thanks!
Thanks so much for the website. I found it when looking for a lactation cookie recipe and have been hooked ever since! I also found the nightweaning posts super helpful as I am beginning this task with my 13 month old.
Thanks!
I was new to breast feeding and hadn’t been around many moms who did. Most of my friends who had babies went straight to formula because they didn’t want the inconvenience they said. I chose to give my baby what I knew was best…my best friend told me not to be pressured into breastfeeding bc it was “hard”, she barely lasted a month with my goddaughter. Well yes it wasn’t easy but having my local LLL, a coworkers supportive wife and the Leaky B@@b on FB kept me sane and on the right path..we are 4 months in on the 22nd and I am so proud of myself! Thank you Jessica for all you do! I appreciate having a community to turn to when I need advice or encouragement. 🙂
I’m so excited about the jewelry giveaway! My son is always searching for something to play with while nursing and I know he would enjoy it!!
Hello Jessica,
I found about this webpage from someone on livejournal. I was wondering if you would be able to email me when you get the chance on tips that helped you with HG. I have had two previous pregnancies with awful HG that lasted the full nine months. None of the normal reccomendations worked on me.. I tried everything, even hypnosis. Lost 35 pounds my first pregnancy and 25 with my second. Zofran was the only thing that helped me manage, but I was still extremely nauseous and throwing up every ten minutes. I was in and out of the hospital and on bed rest. This time around I have my 16 month old son to care for so I’m hoping by preparing ahead of time I can manage better. I am still breastfeeding and he is a very attached toddler. We are planning on ttc in a few months, however I want to prepare ahead of time to hopefully help lesson it somewhat. Would love any tips you would be willing to share!! Thanks for your time