World Breastfeeding Week Story | Megan Goodeve | Adelaide Lactation Consultants

My passion for supporting mothers and babies who are breastfeeding initially came from my own personal struggles and eventual success with breastfeeding.

I was a midwife and Lactation Consultant when I had my only child (who is now 12!), yet still with all that knowledge, skill and experience breastfeeding did not go to plan for me. Pregnancy and the early days of parenthood can be a roller coaster of emotions from joy, amazing love, and extreme tiredness to pure frustration and anger that things aren't going to "plan". Oh and did I mention the mother guilt?? I experienced a low milk supply, painful attachment due to a tongue tie, vasospasm of the nipples, endless expressing to boost my milk supply, medications to increase supply and another to decrease sensation/pain due to vasospasm, supplemental feeders...and the list goes on. My voice was not heard by my paediatrician/neonatalogist who brushed off my concerns regarding tongue-tie. I persevered, had it released, but still the issues continued. 

If it weren’t for the support of my husband and my sheer stubborn determination to breastfeed, I would have given up at the beginning! I sought the assistance of two Lactation Consultant colleagues who offered me help, guidance and support in those difficult weeks. I am indebted to them for the support they provided for me, and I feel adamant that their help led to my eventual success in breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is difficult; it is a learned skill that takes time for both mother and baby to master. I think that is very important for mothers to know. Often there is no quick fix and we must persevere for it to work. Breastfeeding can take many weeks to ‘work,’ that is a long time when you are tired, it is painful, low milk supply or your baby is hungry and unsettled. We are genetically designed to breastfeed our babies, however sometimes it is not as straightforward as…. mum…. breast…. baby = Successful, painless breastfeeding!

Hard as it was, the difficulties were overcome for us and I am glad I fed for 12 months, as this was an amazing bonding time for our little family!

By MEGAN GOODEVE

Megan is a privately practicing Lactation Consultant at Adelaide Lactation Consultants and is a Registered Nurse, Midwife, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Medicare - Endorsed Midwife with close to 20 years experience with newborn, premature and postnatal breastfeeding. She also hold a Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health as well as skills in acupressure and gentle myofascial release.