Seneca Overduin – Experience
I had a homebirth with midwives, and it went quickly and without complications. I was lucky to avoid a lot of the stress related to Covid19 while giving birth and in the first few weeks postpartum, because I had access to midwifery services and community-based care. That said, when it came to lactation support after I was discharged from midwifery care, my experience was definitely adversely affected by the pandemic. I had hoped to see a Lactation consultant or community health center nurse in the early postpartum period, but at the time only virtual visits were being offered. Looking back now, I should have taken advantage of a virtual visit because that still would have been very helpful. Instead, I sort of "suffered in silence". While I had no issues with the latch, I had an issue with an oversupply of milk. Obviously, I'm grateful that I had sufficient milk for my baby to grow and thrive. But, it was painful and frustrating to constantly get blocked ducts, engorgement (for weeks!) and I got mastitis three times in the first 6mo. The oversupply issues persisted for months. Next time, I will be way more proactive about seeking support and hopefully that will be easier without a pandemic.