All moms want their postpartum experience to be smooth sailing; after all, they have already gone through a lot during the pregnancy process as well as the childbirth that culminates it.
However that is rarely the case.
Many issues can surface during the postpartum period, as this Instagram photo so perfectly captured.
The image shows new mom and doula Rebecca McKeever feeding her newborn daughter, Andromeda. But the way with which she feeds her daughter is different from what you’d imagine.
Instead of either breastfeeding or bottle feeding, Rebecca uses a syringe.
According to a Huffington Post report, the photo was taken 17 hours after the delivery, and Andromeda was having trouble latching.
“A lactation consultant came to our hospital room to ask if we needed help,” Rebecca told the newspaper. “She saw that I was expressing colostrum but that Andromeda wasn’t latching, so she brought in little cups and syringes so we could get some food in her.
“I expressed some colostrum into a cup, then put it into the syringe and fed her little drops at a time.”
The new mom described the experience as “incredible,” and that her daughter seemed to enjoy it.
“She smiled and melted with each drop,” Rebecca added. “Then, a few minutes after getting that nourishment, she woke up a bit more and actually tried the breast! We had to do a mix of syringe feeding and breastfeeding for the first week.”
Now three weeks have passed, and according to Rebecca, Andromeda has been exclusively breastfeeding.
The message behind the Instagram photo is something all new mothers must, particularly those who are having trouble feeding their newborns.
At that point in their lives, it’s easy for new moms to be overwhelmed by the things around them, and it’s important for them to know that they are not alone in their troubles.
”I was familiar with syringe-feeding because I am a birth and postpartum doula, but in the moment I really needed someone to suggest it to me!” Rebecca said. “It’s amazing how much we all need help and reminding, even when we know things. Support is key.”
As of this writing, the Instagram photo as accrued nearly 2000 likes. Now Rebecca hopes that her photo can encourage other parents.
“In that moment, I felt so empowered and happy to be able to feed my baby,” she said. “Even if it wasn’t in the ‘traditional’ way, it didn’t matter to me! I knew it might take some time.”
READ: One alarming reason why your baby struggles to breastfeed
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