"I felt incomplete at times, but I kept going. Because motherhood isn’t about perfection—it’s about perseverance."
"It’s not just about feeding; it’s about connection, about learning, and about standing up for what your baby needs."
Rana recounts how she planned to breastfeed her first child for two years but became pregnant again when her daughter turned one. She struggled with guilt over weaning early, especially due to her high-risk pregnancy. She discusses her experience with the NICU, where her baby needed observation but was physically far from the postnatal ward. She was determined to breastfeed and asked nurses to call her whenever her baby cried, making frequent trips in a wheelchair despite the pain of her C-section recovery. She reflects on how a maternity ward painting of a mother breastfeeding two babies inspired her during pregnancy, making her believe she could do the same.
00:00 Introduction to the Holding Time Podcast
00:41 Personal Breastfeeding Journey Begins
01:20 Navigating High-Risk Pregnancy
01:35 Challenges of Stopping Breastfeeding
02:52 Reflecting on Guilt and Relationships
03:36 Traumatic Birth Experience
04:06 Induction and C-Section Decision
06:24 NICU Experience and Breastfeeding Struggles
10:53 Support Systems and Self-Advocacy
14:54 Community Resources and Activities
24:45 Concluding Thoughts and Gratitude
Support the project by becoming a Patreon member
https://holdingtime.org/portfolio/