when life gives you oranges…
We often see breasts, especially the nipples, compared to lemons. As a woman with inverted nipples, I couldn’t help but think to myself “but I have oranges instead of lemons” each time I saw a depiction of the average breast. Rather than a protruding, easy-to-latch nipple, I had a concave nipple that could not be coaxed outward, no matter what method or gadget I tried.
When I embarked on my path to motherhood, I was most anxious about whether or not I would be able to successfully breastfeed my baby with my inverted nipples. I always imagined that I could be the kind of mom who could “whip out a boob” on demand to feed my little one. I saw myself sitting somewhere cozy, rocking my baby back and forth as they nursed with ease. I’d quickly learn that this method was not quite possible for me and our breastfeeding journey, and that a different method—although not what I had originally hoped for—was possible.
Whenever our journey became rough, we kept reminding ourselves that fed is best. If we discovered that I could not breastfeed, formula was always an option for our baby. We had a small supply on hand, just in case we needed to go this route.
Our journey
When the time came to enroll in childbirth and breastfeeding classes, a persistent observation we made was: where is the representation of women with inverted nipples? If there truly are 10-20% of women with inverted nipples, why isn’t there at least a small section about—not even a mention of—breastfeeding with inverted nipples?
My husband and I watched closely during the class videos, and each time we came away with the question “okay, but what about women with inverted nipples?”
We ended the classes feeling unsure of whether or not we would have a successful breastfeeding journey. This led me to scour the web for anything I could find about women who were able to find inverted breastfeeding success. It was not until the connection with our third lactation consultant that we found the answers we were looking for. Which led me to the idea to create Oranges Instead of Lemons—a place where I could house the resources that I found to be helpful, in the hopes that another mama-to-be who is combing through internet searches might happen across this page and find something that is helpful in her journey.
Isn’t it ironic?
One not-so-fun fact about me: I am allergic to both oranges and lemons! I inherited a citrus allergy from my father, despite loving and at times craving the taste and smell of citrus. I usually get my fill from the bergamot flavor in Earl Grey tea!