Milky Mama of the Month: Cheyenne Carranza
“Even with all the conundrums life seems to throw at me I did not become defeated and kept pursuing this beautiful adventure.”
Cheyenne Carranza has been breastfeeding for 13 years! She is a strong, single mother of 9 and we are so excited to share her unique and powerful journey with you as we honor her as this month’s Milky Mama of the Month!
All About Cheyenne
Cheyenne has an impressive 13 years of experience breastfeeding! She has breastfed 9 amazing kids in her 30 years of life! Her oldest is 13 and her youngest is almost 3 months now. Cheyenne shares she has experienced “plenty of ups and some downs”. Keep reading to learn more about her unique story!
Cheyenne’s Journey
“I have loved every minute of it.”
Cheyenne has plenty of experience with breastfeeding. She shares, “I was blessed with being able to breastfeed with no issues or complications very quickly. I had breastfeeding down as soon as my first was latched. Since then, it has become second nature, so to speak.” While the initial latch and experience came easier for Cheyenne, she has since had issues with clogged milk ducts.
Cheyenne’s daughter was born in January, and after her daughter was born she experienced clogged ducts when her milk came in. She knew something was different and knew her milk was not flowing like it usually did. Cheyenne was frustrated and in pain. She used a warm compress and warm showers to ease the pressure and unclog the milk ducts. After 3 days she cleared her milk ducts and her milk started to flow better.
While Cheyenne states she’s always had a decent amount of milk and didn’t have to supplement feed, she shares she doesn’t mind the idea of formula. Cheyenne said, “as long as the baby is happy, mommy is happy! Whether it’d be formula, breast milk, or both happily mixed together, I don’t mind it.” We totally agree. A happy, fed baby is the goal!
Cheyenne Returns to the Workforce
Cheyenne has been exclusively nursing, but she is going to return to work soon and will have to start pumping at work. She plans to continue nursing while at home with her baby. Cheyenne shared with us that she has been a stay at home mom and is just now entering the workforce. She is actually returning to work this month, and it is a new experience for her altogether. Cheyenne said, “I am really nervous because I have not had to leave my baby at this young of an age before, so this will be a work in progress for me”. Cheyenne, you’ve got this mama! We are all supporting you here at Milky Mama and hope you know you’ve got this community to lean on. Returning to work is tough, but we know you are strong and resilient, too!
Cheyenne’s Advice
Cheyenne has years of experience but simple advice to share. Don’t give up. Cheyenne wants all breastfeeding moms to know, “Do not give up or feel discouraged if you’re having any troubles in the beginning. It's such a great feeling of accomplishment when you finally get the hang of latching your baby. Keep going strong!”
Cheyenne continues,
“Even with all the conundrums life seems to throw at me, I did not become defeated and kept pursuing this beautiful adventure. I have loved every minute of it. Especially the cuddles and time spent looking into my baby's little eyes, just knowing someday I won't be able to hold them like that anymore. So realizing and holding onto those moments are what really made this breastfeeding adventure such a wonderful experience I'd gladly do over and over again.”
Thank you so much Cheyenne for sharing your story with us! We continued to be impressed with all of our Milky Mamas and their unique experiences they are willing to share with all of us. We hope you are inspired as well. Show your support for Cheyenne and other Milky Mamas on our Facebook page, The Official Milky mama Lactation Support Group.