It's hard to prepare for how worrisome, anxiety-producing, and mentally exhausting breastfeeding can be. You hear this same story all the time, but it never clicks: As a first-time mom, I truly thought I was ready for the birth of my baby. I’d read all of the articles and all of the books. I had an idea of what I wanted my birth plan to be like. I knew what I would say to all of the doctors and nurses and then leave the hospital with a happy baby, feeling completely ready, while birds sang in the background and a big rainbow stared at me from above. It was going to be perfect! But if you’re a parent, you know things don’t always go as planned.
I had heard about latching, and knew it could be difficult, but had no idea just how stressful it could get.
At first, my daughter would latch for just a few minutes, then start crying mid-feed. I was using a nipple shield. I’d already done some work on the latch before meeting Linda from Mahmee, but nothing could calm the anxiety I felt. Was my baby getting enough? Why was she crying during feeds? Shouldn’t breastfeeding be more intuitive?
I was getting so nervous that I tried everything I read online. I eliminated everything from my diet, like dairy, soy, even some fruits, thinking it might help. But then my supply dropped even more, and I still wasn’t sure if my baby was eating enough. Everyone kept telling me, “15 minutes on each side,” but she would nurse for five minutes on one side and be done. That didn’t fit the rulebook, and it messed with my head.
Then I found Mahmee and met Linda, my lactation consultant, and everything changed for the better.
She had me do a weighted feed - that’s where you weigh your baby before and after nursing - and that one moment gave me more reassurance than weeks of stressing at night, in the dark, while worrying that my baby wasn’t getting enough nutrition, and spiraling while googling. It turns out, the baby was just a very efficient eater. She was getting exactly what she needed in those few minutes.
After that first meeting with my Mahmee team, I could finally breathe.
Linda didn’t just bring calm, she gave me real and valuable education; things I thought I knew but had no idea! She explained that there’s no one-size-fits-all breastfeeding timeline, and that it’s not about the minutes but the ounces. She walked me through hunger cues instead of rigid feeding schedules. She helped me rebuild my diet with whole foods that would support both my baby’s digestion and my milk supply. They gave me tips that I truly had no idea about - and you can’t get these things by just Googling! The team members’ knowledge is impeccable, but empathy is what sets your Mahmee team apart. The staff listens fully and remembers everything, making you feel like the only mom in the world that they’re helping. That’s honestly how it feels.
There was a moment when I turned to my husband and said, “I feel like when I talk to my Mahmee team, everything is suddenly okay.” And, guess what - it always is.
Today, my baby is healthy, growing, and happy. And I’m not just surviving; I’m confident, happy, and worry-free (well, almost). Breastfeeding is really never easy, and for so many moms, it’s overwhelming. But having support changes everything. For me, that support came through Linda and my Mahmee team, and I’ll never forget it.
