The act of giving doesn’t have to be physical to be meaningful. When I think of giving, I think of one support group that has given me more emotionally than I could ever imagine. It’s hard to describe how much they have given me. This is my story.

During my first pregnancy, I thought I had done everything right. I read all the books, ate the right foods, went to all of my doctor appointments, and exercised.  I had always planned on breastfeeding and never gave a thought to another option. I studied up on the perfect latch, breast shields, nipple pads, and milk production. I was so excited to have that bonding experience that everyone talked about. The day he was born, that dream came crashing down.

I did it. I got the perfect latch. He seemed to be drinking my breast milk to his heart’s desire, but after two days, I realized something was very, very wrong. He was sleeping almost around the clock, not even crying like babies are supposed to do, and there was brick dust in his diaper.  Luckily, we were still in the hospital and he was diagnosed with  severe dehydration. In my mind, I had failed. I was his mother and couldn’t even feed him. My body had rebelled. After pumping tirelessly and getting almost nothing, I had to switch to formula, an option that I had never considered. I went to a dark place after that. The guilt and shame was overwhelming. Seeing other mothers breastfeed successfully was too much. I thought I had done something wrong.  For months I had permanent tear streaks on my face. My son was thriving from the formula, but I was slowly going downhill.  Eventually, I healed, but the guilt was there for years.

After pumping tirelessly and getting almost nothing, I had to switch to formula, an option that I had never considered. I went to a dark place after that. The guilt and shame was overwhelming.

 

And then I got pregnant again. The fear of my body failing again was looming over me like a black cloud. I happened to see a post on Facebook about the Fed is Best Foundation. I was curious so I clicked on it. That click was probably the most important move I ever made on Facebook. It brought me to a place that gave me peace. It gave me support from other women going through the same things. It gave me a way to get rid of the guilt and shame altogether and prevent it from happening again. It gave me a whole new perspective on infant feeding, so much that my daughter’s birth was totally different from my son’s. She thrived from the very first day of birth thanks to what this Foundation has given me through what they teach.

 

I can’t breastfeed. And it’s okay. I’ve made peace with it.  I could never thank this Foundation enough, but I thank them through helping other mothers with the same things I went through.  

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HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT FED IS BEST

There are many ways you can support the mission of the Fed is Best Foundation. Please consider contributing in the following ways:

1. Join the Fed is Best Volunteer group to help us reach Obstetric Health Providers to advocate for counseling of new mothers on the importance of safe infant feeding.
2. Make a donation to the Fed is Best Foundation. We are using funds from donations to cover the cost of our website, our social media ads, our printing and mailing costs to reach health providers and hospitals. We do not accept donations from breast- or formula-feeding companies and 100% of your donations go toward these operational costs. All the work of the Foundation is achieved via the pro bono and volunteer work of its supporters.
3. Share the stories and the message of the Fed is Best Foundation through word-of-mouth, by posting on your social media page and by sending our resources to expectant moms that you know. Share the Fed is Best campaign letter with everyone you know.
4. Write a letter to your health providers and hospitals about the Fed is Best Foundation. Write them about feeding complications your child may have experienced.
5. Print out our letter to obstetric providers and mail them to your local obstetricians, midwives, family practitioners who provide obstetric care and hospitals.
6. Write your local elected officials about what is happening to newborn babies in hospitals and ask for legal protection of newborn babies from underfeeding and of mother’s rights to honest informed consent on the risks of insufficient feeding of breastfed babies.
7. Send us your stories. Share with us your successes, your struggles and every thing in between. Every story saves another child from experiencing the same and teaches another mom how to safely feed her baby. Every voice contributes to change.
8. Send us messages of support. We work every single day to make infant feeding safe and supportive of every mother and child.  Your messages of support keep us all going.
9. Shop and Fed is Best Foundation will earn cash back! We hope to develop our online safe infant feeding classes with these funds.
10. If you need support, we have a private support group– Join

We believe all babies deserve to be protected from hunger and thirst every single day of their life and we believe that education on Safe Infant Feeding should be free. If you would like to make a donation to support the Fed is Best Foundation’s mission to teach every parent Safe Infant Feeding, please consider making a one-time or recurring donation to our organization.

Donate to Fed is Best

Thank you so much from the Founders of the Fed is Best Foundation!