Meet Inclusive Breastfeeding Blog Contributors
Nikki P.
Nikki is a 31 year old Chicago mom, living in the suburbs with her 2 beautiful children, ages 2 1/2 and 7 months. She's married to her amazing husband Josh and dreams of going back to school to become an ultrasound technician.
The first 18 years of Nikki's life was littered with abuse, abandonment, neglect and pain. Her mother, who passed away shortly after Nikki's 21st birthday, struggled with mental illness and substance abuse. Nikki never knew her biological father and the man who she called father was abusive sexually, physically and emotionally. All of these things contributed to her own struggles with anorexia and anxiety. Nikki grew up wishing her life would end but little did she know when she grew up her life would begin.
Becoming a wife and making the decision to share her life with a man was tremendous in her healing. She learned trust, faith and what real love looks like. But her ultimate healing came in the form of parenthood. "Mothering them has helped to heal old wounds and come to peace with what my childhood looked like by giving them the childhood I feel all children deserve."
Follow Nikki's posts to see how becoming a mother has helped her to heal, love and trust again. Most of all, how her children have allowed her to see how beautiful both her life and body can be.
Lore
Lore is a first time mom to a sweet little one year old boy. Breastfeeding did not come easy to Lore at first because her son was a sleepy baby and preferred sleeping to nursing! After using a nipple shield for eight months her son is now continuing to breastfeed past one year with no issues. Lore knows how important the mom-to-mom connection is and credits her successful breastfeeding relationship to a wonderful lactation consultant and her mommy support groups.
A teacher by trade, Lore is now trying to reach out to other moms to help and support them. She is a strong advocate for breastfeeding, babywearing, essential oils, and of course Rumina nursing wear! Being a mom is a tough job and (as Lore is discovering) it never really gets easier; it just gets different! Every day brings new challenges, and new experiences.
Follow Lore’s posts to find out what she wishes she had known in the early days of new motherhood and to hear about the joys and challenges of raising a toddler.
Ashley W.
Ashley W. - Mother of two beautiful girls, Ashley's future plans are to become a RN and CNM where she can foster her love of women's health and education as well as empowering birthing moms. Her family, like so many, is always on the go and through that they have learned to laugh at their most stressful moments together.
As a new, nursing mom Ashley struggled after a traumatic birth experience and a bad (real horrible, painful and bloody) latch. After weeks of correction, she was able to continue her breastfeeding relationship for 16 months, a length of time she never believed she would go. During this time she learned how valuable her body was to her family and loved how confident she felt after nursing in public like a pro. After the birth of her second daughter via VBAC, she truly fell in love with how laid back the breastfeeding lifestyle was.
Breastfeeding has helped Ashley through postpartum depression, giving her a glimmer of self worth when she had none and encouraged her to honor her body that birthed and nourished two wonderful children.
Follow Ashley's posts to hear her message of beauty and reverence for a woman's body, something she would love to share with every single mother.