Tandem: Nursing & Grieving
When a mother is in a season of breastfeeding her newborn while also nursing her toddler, it is commonly called tandem nursing.
Here at stillbirthday, we honor a different scenario of tandem nursing:
If you have faced post-loss lactation and have shared that milk:
- with a surviving multiple
- with a surviving older sibling
- with another baby, either through pumping or direct wetnursing
Or if you are a mother nursing your subsequent baby, and this has brought you into a new facet of your grief, as you mourn that nursing relationship not had with your beloved, deceased baby.
The Universal Breastfeeding Symbol is a simple blue and white logo. Here it’s been altered just slightly to honor the stillbirthday mothers who have had these experiences. You can use and share this photo from our Facebook page.
We have more information and support for mothers facing post-loss lactation, including support for expediting the drying process, donating your milk, or, using your milk in other ways that may bring a bit of healing to you during such a devastating and difficult time.
For mothers facing this “tandem nursing grief” – nursing a baby, while also nursing grief, we have a Rainbow Milk Campaign – an opportunity for you to share photos and stories of this sort of tandem nursing, and see the stories and photos shared by other stillbirthday mothers.
Related: Love Letters
Sarah-Anne is the first baby photographed in our Rainbow Milk campaign. Her mama was pregnant with triplets and lost all 3 babies. All girls, they collectively refer to them as ‘Hope’. This photo was taken during Sarah-Anne’s first birthday party; it was rainbow-themed.
