An Extremely Rare Time A Dad Left Me Utterly Speechless
I recently had an in-home consultation and it was the rare time I was absolutely speechless.
Mom was struggling with an uncomfortable latch. The baby was also very sleepy and lagging a bit with weight gain. Our visit had lots of activity as the 16-month-old big brother was very busy in his “helper” role.
I assured Mom that it didn’t faze me at all. I had three kids in 39 months and enthusiastically embrace chaos.
Dad Arrives Without Saying A Word
We were in the middle of the feeding practicing how to nail a good latch when Dad slipped in from work. I had a Starbucks in between clients and am talking even more quickly and with more passion than usual. Which is a lot.
I update Dad.
- “Your little man is a little slow on weight gain. I know the plan was to exclusively breastfeed, but it’s important to make sure he gets enough to eat.
- Because he’s a little jaundice, we really need diapers. Elevated bilirubin can make babies extremely lethargic and if they’re too sleepy to eat, they won’t poop out the bili.
- I explained to your wife that this could be a temporary plan to make sure we’re on track and then return to her original goal.”
How Dad Causes The Rare Time I Was Absolutely Speechless
Any other coffee addict out there knows a Starbucks Blonde Roast is packed with caffeine and can make you feel like you’re on something. So here I am AMPED and fired up. I’m celebrating mom for nailing the pain-free latch. I reassure her that we have a plan and don’t worry if things are a little different than she expected. And then…
DAD STOPS ME IN MY TRACKS. It was a rare time I was absolutely speechless.
I literally had goosebumps and the hair on my arms was standing straight up. He said,
“I want her to know that she is enough.”
You are enough.
It’s Rare For Motherhood To Always Feel Easy
If you saw my most recent Instagram post, I quoted my father and welcomed followers to steal it. Well, I’m stealing this one. I am digesting it, believing it and will try my darndest to live by it.
This motherhood gig is hard. We put so much pressure on ourselves. We try to do our very best for our children and it sometimes feels like survival mode. And then add in guilt, comparing yourself to other mamas, and unsolicited advice. You can feel so unsure and somewhat defeated.
But the truth is – just like the dad said – you are enough.
The Rare Time I Was Absolutely Speechless But Not Now
Breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt.
In addition to hearing those sweet words of support, breastfeeding pain-free was a huge win for Mom. Fortunately, breastfeeding shouldn’t be painful, and fixing the issue is often about technique.
CLICK HERE to download the guide I’ve put together to walk you through those steps.