Maude
Family portrait
Saint-Rémi (Montérégie)
Mom de Nolan, 2 years old
Maude is an enthusiastic mother and an entrepreneur.
For her, breastfeeding has been a source of pride, despite the challenges.
She was not able to participate in the filming (an annual girls' weekend is sacred!), but she lent herself to the game and answered our questions with pleasure.
The overall experience
« For me, breastfeeding is my greatest pride. The beginning was difficult, but I am proud of having persevered.
It was an experience that made me grow and gave me confidence. I had the chance to create a unique bond with my son.
The experience just ended, just a month ago, after over 22 months. »
The choice to breastfeed
« I made this decision before I was pregnant. For me, it was essential to breastfeed, I could not imagine doing otherwise.
It's the nature of things, and I would have found it extremely difficult to be unable to breastfeed.»
The early days of breastfeeding
« It was really demanding. I felt helpless and alone for the first few days.
From one day to the next, such a fragile little being was completely dependent on me. Being independent by nature, it was a shock.
Little by little, I gained confidence. My fear and worries turned into pride. »
The father's role in breastfeeding
« I think it's hard at first for a father to take his place. The bond is so close to the mother that the father feels a bit useless.
Obviously, he can't feed the baby, but his moral support is so important.
In addition to the care he can give the baby (diaper changes, bathing, walking, carrying, and more). »
The development of the bond between the father and his baby
« The bond developed slowly, over the months. My partner took care of our son a lot in the late evening while I rested a bit.
He did a lot of babywearing and skin-to-skin. However, when I was present, our son was much more inclined towards me than towards his father.
Around a year old, we noticed a nice improvement, he seemed as comfortable with me as with his father. »
Life as a couple while breastfeeding
« For my part, I did not feel any discomfort between breastfeeding and my sexuality. My breasts were used to feed my child, but they were also used for our sex life. I was able to distinguish between the two and never felt uncomfortable.
It was a little more difficult for my partner, and it affected our intimate life at first. He was present at the birth and it affected the way he perceived our intimacy. I felt hurt at first; I think it's because we don't really talk about it.
I felt like he didn't like me anymore. After a few weeks, and a lot of frank discussion, we slowly found our intimacy again.
Obviously, the dynamic is different with a child. I think the desire is the same, but fatigue plays a major role. It is important to continue to take care of your relationship. Even if you have to make an effort, I think it's essential. »