My passion for breastfeeding and all things mommy support really began at the tender age of 17. The culture of mommy support really only involved mothers of an “appropriate” age at that time. I’m talking late 90’s and it was probably worse prior to that. I was a young mother and besides my own mother, I was completely alone in any means of parenting or breastfeeding support. The resources just weren’t there. From what I’d learned over the years formula was the 
thing in my mother’s generation so not many mothers of that era breastfed. Formula was liberating to women and it was more the norm than breastfeeding. In the hospital, at the time of my son’s birth, I don’t recall a visit from any lactation nurse or any offers to try breastfeeding. I got some handouts and I was actually sent home with a few cases of formula. Soon after that, at the first follow-up visits, I was given some nipple shields with no instructions on how to use them and was told it would be pretty difficult since I had inverted nipples. That is all I remember.
Fast forward 10 years later and here I was having my second child. I was determined at this point to read, see, and hear everything I could breastfeeding. So, here came my second son and after a few days I was in tears. No amount of preparation had made it any easier. With my husband’s encouraging we sought help from our local lactation consultant and I walked in tears and all stating I couldn’t do it with my inverted nipples. The nurse took one look at me and said “Dear, who told you those are inverted? They certainly are not.” In my head I had already sabotaged myself with that past false information that I had carried for ten years. Within a few minutes she got us in a good position with perfect latch and the rest is history.
I always refer back to this experience in my life because although I do not advocate teen pregnancy, I do believe once this is the situation presented we should be, as seasoned mothers, willing enough to help support other new mothers regardless of age or status. I wish at that stage in my life there were more resources readily available to encourage young mothers in all aspects of life. I’ve since completed a lactation educator course myself to some day be able to take part in that growth for new moms. It is such a scary time already, that it does not need to be filled with shame or guilt. What’s done is done and the time for growth as a mother should be encouraged and supported. I’m sure there are plenty more resources this day in age for young moms. With all the new reality shows surfacing around the topic, I hope positive groups and organizations continue to grow for the future of this demographic and that I can be a part of it.
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