Natural, essential, beautiful, and inspiring. The simple, yet powerful act of breastfeeding is about thousand things all rolled into one. For some mothers, choosing to breastfeed is a monumental experience, and for others, it is as easy an act as breathing in and out.
There are a lot of politics surrounding breastfeeding these days. The where, when, why, and how’s can become muddled. Unconsciously shaping a mother’s opinions and decisions.
My own breastfeeding journey was a tumultuous one, filled with tears from both me and my son, as well as countless sleepless nights, and hours on the phone with every mother I was at all close with. While my decision to alternate between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding was ultimately decided by my baby’s own needs and preferences, I like to think that my journey was just as important as any other mothers.
Source: Serenity Grows
As an avid reader, and the owner of a shiny new Kindle, I’m always on the lookout for great books. Sometimes that means literary classics or sappy romance novels and other times it means beautiful, heartwarming, books filled with incredibly moving tales of love, perseverance, and motherhood.
Which is why Supported in Breastfeeding: Stories of Nourishing Wisdom by Maranda Bower, was the perfect read for me. I’ll admit, it took me a while to get through this book. Normally when this happens, it is because of waning interest in the storyline. With Supported in Breastfeeding, it was the exact opposite.
The author, Maranda Bower, is an amazing birth and postpartum educator who, along with telling her own story, has invited a multitude of women with different experiences to tell their own tales.
Made up almost entirely of a series of beautiful and incredibly real essays by mothers detailing their breastfeeding experiences, I found it almost impossible not to fall in love with this book.
Supported in Breastfeeding is incredibly diverse. While it’s true that all of the stories detail breastfeeding in some form or other, no essay is the same. Even if their experiences are similar, each mother pens her tale in such a gorgeously unique way that each essay is a completely new experience.
Source: Serenity Grows
While almost all of the essays in the book detail the all too relatable struggles that come along with breastfeeding, every single one of them leaves you with an almost overwhelming sense of hope and unity.
My experience with Supported in Breastfeeding was one that I won’t soon forget. It made me laugh, cry, and even pump my fist into the air a few times. It has been a while since I have been so moved by a book that I dreaded the fact that it was going to end. I’m sure, if given the chance, I could have read on forever. Reveling in the quiet strength and beauty of motherhood and drawing endless inspiration from all the brave mamas and their emotional stories.
I honestly can’t recommend this book enough. Pregnant women, new mothers, and those a bit more seasoned. Finding something moving and inspiring in this book is about as easy as pie.