A Nudge from Mom: A Mother's Advice

"So, would you like to try breastfeeding, or were you just going to bottle feed again?" The midwife's words were gentle, and I realized how thankful I was to have selected someone who was so understanding of my decision not to breastfeed my oldest daughter.

I looked at my minutes-old second daughter, stroked her cheek and lifted my head. I paused. I stuttered. "I guess I'll just use bottles again."

I used bottles with my oldest daughter. My mother used bottles with her children, as did most of my aunts. I'd never been around breastfeeding, and though I'd expressed some curiosity about it during my second pregnancy, I wasn't convinced.

My mother looked at me, her eyes still wet with tears from watching the birth of her second grandchild. She shocked me when she spoke. "Kelly, if you want to breastfeed, try it. You can't try it tomorrow." Hearing these words from my mother, who'd never entertained the thought of breastfeeding her own children, struck a chord with me. Hearing my stutter and pause, she knew that I was conflicted, and gave me the push I so desperately needed.

I smiled. An adult, I knew I didn't need my mother's permission. But something about her words comforted me, and I looked at the midwife and nodded my head.

Erica latched on quickly and expertly. The midwife smiled. "Well, if you decide to stick with it, she's going to make it easy for you," she said.

But the nudge from my mother, who will never stop doing her job as my mom, is really what made it easy for me.