We all know breastfeeding is far from easy. It actually takes a lot of practice for mom and baby to get the hang of things, and for moms who are new to breastfeeding, it can be especially challenging.
After encountering issues while breastfeeding , one mom turned to multiple doctors and lactation consultants who assured her everything was fine. But, as her daughter’s weight dropped, this mom was convinced something wasn’t right.
Jordan Talley is a photographer from Bowling Green, Kentucky.
She’s the mom to a three-year-old girl named Lennyn and in 2017, the family announced that they were expecting another baby girl.
Jordan gave birth to her second daughter named Lucy in April 2018.
Lucy was quite small when she was born, and since Jordan hadn’t been able to breastfeed her first daughter due to a stay in the NICU, she immediately began breastfeeding Lucy.
Before heading home from the hospital, a lactation consultant noticed that Lucy had a shallow latch.
After giving Jordan a few tips, the family was sent on their way home. Jordan noticed that Lucy nursed a lot and often fell asleep but thought this was normal breastfeeding behavior.
At her one-week check-up, Lucy had lost more weight.
Newborns tend to lose weight after being born, but are supposed to be back at their birth weight after 10 days. Jordan also noticed that breastfeeding was quite painful for her.
By the time she was one-month-old, Lucy was still not at her birth weight.
Jordan’s doctor suggested that her milk simply didn’t have enough nutrients. Feeling defeated, Jordan reached out to a lactation consultant recommended to her by a friend.
The lactation consultant immediately diagnosed a tongue and lip tie for Lucy, which can make breastfeeding difficult for babies.
With a simple procedure, the tongue and lip ties were fixed and Lucy was able to breastfeed effectively for the first time. She quickly started gaining weight.
These photos, taken a month apart, show the dramatic difference the procedures made on Lucy’s ability to breastfeed.
And for Jordan, she didn’t have any more pain when she nursed Lucy, either.
Jordan shared her story on Love What Matters in the hopes of helping other moms who were facing difficulties with breastfeeding.
Lucy continues to thrive and Jordan is relieved that she was able to continue breastfeeding her daughter.
It’s an important reminder for breastfeeding moms to continue to reach out and get second or even third opinions if you run into challenges.
