I’ve got so many friends and family who have recently had babies or are expecting soon, and they are either currently breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. I wanted to compile a brief list of lessons I’ve learned along the way. I just celebrated my 3-year anniversary of CONSECUTIVE nursing: my sweet Claire weaned herself with some gentle coaching from me on New Year’s Eve. Together we chanted “new year, new you!” She had nursed for 33 months by that point. When she was 33 hours old, I wondered if I was going to make it to 6 weeks, let alone 6 months (my initial goal)…

We’re a third of the way through “Let’s March,” an easy 31-day workout campaign. If you’re like me and you hate working out, if you’ve stuck with us thus far, this in and of itself is quite a milestone.

If you need to be encouraged, let me tell you that when I first started this I could not do a wall sit for longer than 15 seconds, and now I can make it a full minute! So, it doesn’t take long to build strength and notice progress. I’m also finding I don’t mind being sore the next day, because it means that I’m working muscles and that makes me feel accomplished.

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Thrush! Ah, that pesky devil. Thrush is also known as a yeast overgrowth on the nipples, or the baby’s mouth, in the ducts, or all of the above. This annoying breastfeeding problem can be uncomfortable but is easily solved. Read on for what worked for me, along with some recommendations I learned from my lactation consultants, breastfeeding support groups, and other nursing mothers.

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I had never heard of APNO, or All-Purpose Nipple Ointment before I started breastfeeding in 2015. It’s also called Newman’s APNO, Newman’s Nipple Ointment, or some variation of that. It’s named after Dr. Jack Newman, a breastfeeding advocate and specialist in Canada.

I struggled a lot with breastfeeding in the beginning, and since I was too ashamed to ask for help, I found myself searching online for help and answers to my questions. One of the things I came across was the magical elixir of unicorn blood that is Newman’s APNO, and it’s supreme healing powers for sore nipples.