So many of us begin the unforgettable journey of motherhood with long-cherished hopes and visions of how things will turn out. And while some moments will far exceed any expectations we might have held, others may leave us feeling frustrated or disappointed.

For Ashley, her plan had always been to exclusively breastfeed her babies. And because her mother had never had any issues with supply, Ashley figured that her own journey would take a similar path. When her baby was born, however, she was faced with a reality that turned out to be much more unpredictable.

In the end, Ashley found herself needing to combo feed her baby. At first, this felt devastating. It wasn’t what she had envisioned, and she exhausted herself both physically and emotionally during her initial efforts to increase her supply. Yet over time, she slowly began to realize that it didn’t make sense to spend so much time and energy pumping and worrying. It didn’t make sense because she had a beautiful, healthy baby with whom she had formed an unbreakable bond.

Ashley has now come to appreciate not only the precious time that she spends breastfeeding, but also the joy of having a thriving, happy baby. She had always wanted to breastfeed for at least a year, and at the time of sharing this, she is six months in and still going strong. While she supplements with formula when needed, she is thankful in the knowledge that while it may not look exactly the way she envisioned, she is doing everything she can to be the best possible mother to her baby—just as she had always known she would.

We are so thrilled for Ashley, who recently sent us her story—which we are including below in her own words—along with the following note: “I got the email that my piece is being made soon, and I’m overjoyed. The work you are doing is so incredibly special and meaningful; I’ll forever be grateful!” She also added that she hoped her story “can empower other women who face the same challenges breastfeeding.”

We hope so, too—in fact, we know that it will.

Ashley’s Story

I had always wanted to exclusively breastfeed my babies. My mom was an oversupplier, and I expected to have the same luck. Unfortunately I did not, and was crushed when I had to combo feed my baby. The mental toll that took over the first few months—being attached to breastfeeding, combo feeding, and pumping around the clock to desperately try to increase my supply—was taxing.

I never gave up. My goal is to make it at least a year, and we’re six months in, still going strong. Does my baby still need to be supplemented with formula? Yes. Do I still have a healthy baby with a beautiful bond through breastfeeding as much as I can? Absolutely yes.

This piece of jewelry will commemorate our special journey together, and I will treasure it always.

 

Photo of Handwritten Note

Reflections

Motherhood looks different for everyone. Even when it comes to one individual mother, things can shift from one child to the next—or even from one month to the next. And whether we mean to or not, we all enter into motherhood with certain expectations and ideas of how things will unfold.

As any mother can tell you, however, things rarely turn out exactly the way you expect. In fact, being a good mother requires qualities like adaptability and resilience in addition to dedication and love. So when we come across a bump in the road, we find a way to figure it out and keep on going.

It’s true that like Ashley, we may sometimes feel crushed, struggling with the mental toll that disappointment and exhaustion can take. Yet like Ashley, we mothers never give up, pushing through challenges in order to love our babies the best way we know how. So as we bring this small piece of her story to a close, we can think of no better ending than to leave you with a few more of her thoughts, told simply and authentically in her own words.