Why I Created lehighvalleybreastfeeding.com

Parenting is one of the hardest jobs out there and it does not occur in a vacuum. Every parent makes choices everyday that affect their family and are influenced by their circumstances. As parents, we worry if we are making the "right" choices  The choice of how to feed your children is among the most important choices you make and it is a choice that is revisited many times each day, every day, for years. I chose to breastfeed my children, not because of research on the benefits, or because of pressured from anyone, but because it works for me and my family. When I started, I never planned to tandem nurse a toddler and an infant. I never expected the pride I would feel at each well baby weight check or the joy I would experience at hearing the words "I love my mommy milk!" from a smiling, very toothy, toddler.

All parents need support. During my ongoing breastfeeding journey, I spent 8 months pumping while working full time as a teacher. I dealt with biting during teething. I donated to other mothers and babies. I struggled with getting my tiny baby to latch after his release from the NICU. Through all this, I was fortunate to have support from my husband, friends, and a few family members when I began my breastfeeding journey. I was VERY fortunate to have found (at the urging of my husband) an active and growing community of breastfeeding women and lactation supporters through LVHN's Monday Morning Moms and, later, La Leche League of Lehigh County.

As a first-time-mom, breastfeeding a newborn, there are so many things tha are different about your world. Suddenly, you are responsible for someone other than your self, in a way and to an extent that you've never been before. This tiny person needs you ALL THE TIME. You are tired. You are sore. You are anxious that you will do something wrong, or miss something important. You are home, feeling cut off from the world of work and socializing you are used to. You may be worrying about having to go back to work sooner than you'd like, or, if you've decided to stay home, worrying about how you'll be able to afford the reduction in income. You might be having trouble getting baby to latch. Maybe you are worried that baby is not gaining enough weight. Maybe your family and friends don't understand breastfeeding and suggest that you give formula. Maybe even your pediatrician or OB is suggesting formula or medications that might affect your milk supply.

Having a group of other moms who have been through or are going throughout similar experience can open up your world, reassure you, and give you comfort. Trained lactation supporters have the expertise in breastfeeding that many doctors and nurses don't. I have found all this, and more, through the support groups I attend. My first Monday Morning Moms meeting, I was welcomed by other moms, and invited to join a smaller group for lunch and walks in the park after the weekly meeting. I discovered that I wasn't the only mom feeling tired, stressed, anxious, and sore. I realized that even if my husband and family didn't completely understand what I was going through, they were trying to be supportive. I learned how to be better at asking for the support I needed to succeed at breastfeeding. I made new friends and got out of the house.

After I went back to work, I started attending monthly La Leche League meetings in the evenings. Again, I found the support, socialization, and sympathy I needed to keep going with breastfeeding and pumping. As my baby grew teeth, started solid foods, and gradually became a toddler, I had a place to turn to for suggestions on how to deal with challenging behavior, shifting sleep patterns, and other new stresses. When I discovered I was pregnant again, I had questions about the decision to keep breastfeeding or not. By this time, I had well surpassed my expectation of how long I'd breastfeed and knew that I could stop at anytime, but did not want to until my child was ready. (Since many of you are wondering, nursing a toddler is NOT like nursing a newborn. It is more of a snuggle and reconnect while reading a book or a quick snack between crazy rampages around the house or a tearful comforting after crashing into a piece of furniture.) I had a safe place to vent my emotions about the complications that developed (totally unrelated to breastfeeding) during my second pregnancy and continue to impact my new baby's health. I consulted with a La Leche League Leader and IBCLC throughout my medically recommended induction, my recovery and pumping of colostrum, and my frequent trips to the NICU for feedings. She helped me identify that our problems with latching were due to tongue and lip ties and offered suggestions on how to remedy the difficulties we were having. I also got to share the joy and relief I felt when those interventions worked and I was able to tandem nurse both my baby and my toddler without our previous difficulties. I don't know if I would have gotten through all this as well as I did without the kindness and support of the moms I met and friends I made.

The Lehigh Valley Breastfeeding Coalition is a collaboration of hospital staff, trained lactation supporters, community members, business owners, and parents interested in supporting mothers who  want to breastfeed. I joined the Lehigh Valley Breastfeeding Coalition and created lehighvalleybreastfeeding.com because was interested in helping support other mothers on their breastfeeding journeys. I think that my experiences of breastfeeding while pregnant, breastfeeding a toddler, and my difficulties with my second child have generated more desire in me to help others find the support they need to succeed on their breastfeeding journeys. Each one will be different. But whether you hope to breastfeed for 2 days, 2 months, or 2 years, we're here to support you. If your journey includes pumping, donor milk, or supplemental formula, we're here to support you. If  your journey includes one child, multiple children, or an adopted child, we're here to support you. And when you want to get out of the house, but are unsure of nursing in public, we are here to support  you.


Alyssa Mierta is an engineer-turned-science teacher-turned-stay-at-home-mom of two boys. She tries to stay sane by volunteering and helping others, whatever their goals are. You can find other writing by her at AwesomeCrazyDoingStuff.blogspot.com