Tandem Nursing Grief

Tandem: Nursing & Grieving

 

When a mother is in a season of breastfeeding her newborn while also nursing her toddler, it is commonly called tandem nursing.

Here at stillbirthday, we honor a different scenario of tandem nursing:

If you have faced post-loss lactation and have shared that milk:

  • with a surviving multiple
  • with a surviving older sibling
  • with another baby, either through pumping or direct wetnursing

Or if you are a mother nursing your subsequent baby, and this has brought you into a new facet of your grief, as you mourn that nursing relationship not had with your beloved, deceased baby.

The Universal Breastfeeding Symbol is a simple blue and white logo.  Here it’s been altered just slightly to honor the stillbirthday mothers who have had these experiences.  You can use and share this photo from our Facebook page.

We have more information and support for mothers facing post-loss lactation, including support for expediting the drying process, donating your milk, or, using your milk in other ways that may bring a bit of healing to you during such a devastating and difficult time.

 

For mothers facing this “tandem nursing grief” – nursing a baby, while also nursing grief, we have a Rainbow Milk Campaign – an opportunity for you to share photos and stories of this sort of tandem nursing, and see the stories and photos shared by other stillbirthday mothers.

Related: Love Letters

Sarah-Anne is the first baby photographed in our Rainbow Milk campaign. Her mama was pregnant with triplets and lost all 3 babies. All girls, they collectively refer to them as ‘Hope’. This photo was taken during Sarah-Anne’s first birthday party; it was rainbow-themed.

 

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BIRTH & BEREAVEMENT QUOTES
«    5 of 16    »

Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse kind of suffering.

— Paulo Coelho

Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones.

— Thich Nhat Hanh

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.

— Thich Nhat Hanh

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.

— Thich Nhat Hanh

You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy.

— John Calvin
«    5 of 16    »


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We onboard enrolled students into the program by email invitation.

After tuition, you can email heidi.faith@stillbirthday.com directly to expedite this step.  Alternatively, if you prefer fb communications, you can join us in Admissions.

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