My Story - Part Three

Pregnancy went smoothly. The birth was the most empowering experience I'd ever had. Our son was here. The midwife diagnosed him with a posterior tongue-tie and a lip-tie on Day One. I was expecting it. At least this time I was prepared and knew what to do. He was able to latch, but it became increasingly painful for me. My nipples started cracking and bleeding and I was constantly engorged. To prevent further damage, we started using a nipple shield.

Thankfully, he wasn’t as colicky as my daughter had been, but he struggled with lots of reflux from swallowing air during feeds. He also had body tension.

My plan was to do as much bodywork as I could and then decide if a release was truly necessary. I did daily At-Home Bodywork and CFT with him, and we had a few appointments with an Osteopath and Bowen Therapist. I wanted see if his latch would improve to where we could wean off of the shield and avoid a release just by releasing tension through bodywork.

Four weeks went by, my supply was dropping, and he wasn’t gaining enough weight. I started triple-feeding (nursing at the breast, pumping after each feed, then giving him what I pumped in a bottle). The bodywork alone wasn’t enough. After two more weeks of triple-feeding and doing what I could with bodywork, we decided to bring him in for a release at 6 weeks old. For as much as I wanted to avoid a release, I wanted to continue breastfeeding more. Triple feeding is not a sustainable long-term option, and I didn’t want to exclusively pump.

We did the after-care stretches as prescribed and I continued bodywork at home to support him in releasing any more tension. Within two weeks after the release, we had weaned off the nipple shield, breastfeeding was pain-free, my supply increased, and he finally started packing on weight!

Reflux was still a struggle until he gained more strength in his latch. That took time and intentionality with bodywork and oral play.

I continue to do At-Home Bodywork with him and even my daughter (when she'll let me). I practice my CFT skills with my family and willing friends and I'm constantly amazed at the results after a session.

I passionately show up and share what I've learned over the past 5 years on social media. Not as an expert, but as a fellow mother. No professional training - just reflecting to others what I've experienced.

Though I’ve had similar experiences and challenges with both of my babies, I've realized each baby is so different and what they need is very individualized. Though other babies have similar symptoms and experiences to mine, the causes might be different. Every mother’s goals and capacity is different too.

I want to support you as much as I can on your unique path and point you to resources that help you meet your goals.

Thank you for being here!