Zephaniah is my fifth baby, and yet he is the baby who I have exclusively breastfed the longest. Zechariah, the fourth child of my bunch, comes in second. I exclusively pumped for nine months with him.

I mean, I guess if you want to be technical about it, I nursed Zechariah the longest so far. (When Zechariah, my 4th child, was a baby I exclusively pumped for 9 months.) But in terms of putting baby directly to breast, I have breastfed the longest with Zephaniah.

Sticking with Breastfeeding Even During the Hard Times

When I first started my breastfeeding journey with Zephaniah, I honestly thought he wasn’t going to be able to latch. The day after his birth, he was admitted to the NICU.

As hard as I tried, I couldn’t get him to latch. A nurse told me she thought it was because he was having some breathing problems (one of the reasons why he was in the NICU). So instead, I pumped my breastmilk and Zephaniah received the milk via a bottle.

Once we brought him home from the hospital, I worked with him on his latch. It wasn’t easy. There were many times he would get frustrated and cry. And you know what, I’d get frustrated, too, and sometimes even cry along with him.

But I was determined not to give up because I so foolishly stopped breastfeeding Elijah, Michala, and Zhen way too early. I am still very proud of myself for pumping my breastmilk for nine months when Zechariah was a baby.

Exclusively pumping is not easy, but if it is your only option to feed your baby breastmilk, then I definitely recommend it! Your breastmilk has so many great health benefits for baby.

Here’s a website I found about exclusively pumping if you need some information about it.

We reached our seven-month mark of exclusive breastfeeding!

Seven Months of Breastfeeding

And now, I am SO proud of myself because I have been exclusively breastfeeding Zephaniah for seven months! SEVEN MONTHS!

It’s not hard anymore. It got easier. I’d say when Zephaniah was two-months-old, that’s when it started to get easier for me. I thought pumping was the easier route.

As time went by, I realized pumping wasn’t the easier route. I only thought it was because I was so nervous and scared to breastfeed. I was worried about losing sleep at night. I was scared if I breastfed in public, somebody would say something rude to me about it.

That has not happened to me. No one has said anything rude to me when I breastfeed in public. People just leave us alone and go about their business.

I breastfeed Zephaniah at church, homeschool group, restaurants, and the store. I don’t even use a breastfeeding cover. I just lift up my shirt and cover my breast where you can’t see it and I nurse him. It’s the most natural feeling for me.

Nursing My Busy Baby Boy

Now that Zephaniah is seven months, he is a very busy baby. He is sitting up and working on crawling. When it’s time to nurse, I usually have to wrestle with him to lie still. He likes to take his free hand and put his fingers in my mouth to feel my teeth or touch my face. And for some strange reason, he likes to lift his leg and put his foot on my face. It’s pretty comical.

I used to get a little frustrated about it, but not anymore. I reminded myself Zephaniah won’t be a baby for much longer. There will be a time when he will no longer need to breastfeed and I will miss his toes in my face and see him look up at me and smile with little drops of milk on his face. I so dearly cherish this stage of mother-baby time we have together!

I’ve been a mother for 18 years now. (Elijah turns 18 next month. OMG!) I am 37-years-old with five children. It took me five babies to finally get breastfeeding down, but I did it. And I am so proud of myself, you guys. Seven months of exclusive breastfeeding! I did it!

Written by

Jennifer Hamra

Freelance creative Jennifer Hamra created her blog Good Life Detroit in 2015 after relocating from Tennessee to Southeast Michigan.

Inspired by her love for personal blogging and photography, Jennifer likes to share her favorite Detroit things, from cool places to visit (the hidden gems are her favorite!) to the amazing people she has connected with over the years.

When she's not busy juggling family life and her creative projects, you can find her at an art gallery, community event, farmers market, or spending quiet time at home with a good book and cup of tea.

Jennifer lives in the metro Detroit area with her husband Travis and their six children.

Connect with Jennifer on social media @goodlifedetroit on all social media platforms or via email at [email protected].