~Breastfeeding makes me happy~

This is the story of my breastfeeding accomplishment! It started off when I was 20...I gave birth to a 7lb 14 oz little girl. I really wanted to breastfeed exclusively but it didn't work out for me. There were a few reasons why. During the first day, my little bug would not pee. I was feeding her every hour or two, like I was advised by the nurse. But she didn't pee. AT ALL for the first 24 hours after she was born. They had a lactation specialist come in and "show me" how to properly breastfeed. I thought I was doing it right...and after she examined how I was doing it, she agreed. Still, the nurses thought it would be best to feed her 1oz of formula after breastfeeding every two hours, to make sure she was getting milk. So, I did. After feeding her from a bottle, she never latched on to the breast the same. She would scream as if there was nothing there. She didn't want to work for the milk. I had milk, but it was much easier for her to get milk from a bottle. I continued trying here and there for two months. Sometimes she would drink, sometimes she would just cry until I gave her a bottle. It was hard for me. I didn't have any support from friends because I was the first out of my friends to have a baby. At 24, I had my second baby girl...7lbs 8 oz. I was determined to breastfeed!! I did a lot of reading while I was pregnant. I read that it is best to not offer your baby a pacifier for the first month if you plan to breastfeed. I was willing to try whatever to make this breastfeeding experience better than my last. I made sure the nurses knew my baby girl was breastfed only and I did not want her to use a paci. From the start, my Moo-Moo was a pro! She had no problem latching on and had no problem working for the milk. (we call her Moo-Moo because she loved milk :) I breastfed her exclusively for the first 4 and 1/2 months. I noticed she wasn't getting full after she drank everything in both breasts. I was planning to breastfeeding her until she was 1. I looked into herbal teas and other remedies and decided to try Mothers Milk, herbal tea. (Which I found at Kroger and a local Herbal store.) This tea is supposed to help with milk production. I was drinking 3-5 cups of this tea every day. It wasn't the best tasting stuff, but I would eat and drink anything that was good for my baby! It seemed to make me produce more milk, but not enough. I ended up having to supplement with formula. This had a major impact on me. I felt like a failure. I cried while feeding her her first bottle of formula. I knew I was doing the right thing but it still hurt. I was able to keep my milk production going until Moo-Moo was 8 and 1/2 months old. I breastfed and formula fed. After 8 and 1/2 months of breastfeeding, I dried up. I could not get my breasts to produce more than an oz between both of them. I tried pumping...unsuccessful. I learned that the pump I was using was not the best and it was not mimicking the sucking of a baby. Therefor, not signaling my body to make more. I was all out. No more breast milk for my Moo-Moo. Although I felt bad about not making it to a year, I felt like I did pretty well. About two years later, I gave birth to another girl 7lbs 14 oz(same as my first). This time, I was REALLY determined! No bottle in the hospital, no pacifier for the first month and I found local support groups. I am happy to share that my baby girl just turned 7months old and has not tasted formula. Not a drop! She is a hungry baby, eating every couple hours, still but I still have enough milk to keep her happy. I plan on breastfeeding her for the first year, maybe a little longer...as long as my body produces milk. Breastfeeding makes me happy :)