Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week with Lisa

Welcome to our second instalment of breastfeeding journeys to acknowledge and celebrate World Breastfeeding Week.  Here we feature the amazing Lisa! A firefighter, Australian and Trans-Tasman surfboat champion and spectacular mother of two beautiful girls.

Lisa has pushed through adversity to be among the mere 5% of women represented in the fire department. The Currumbin Viking’s Surf Life Saving Club member has represented Australia three times, Queensland eight times and secured two national gold medals in surfboat rowing, and remarkably, achieving one of these victories while being a mum. Despite all her phenomenal achievements, Lisa finds the role of motherhood to be the most rewarding yet challenging experience in her life.

Lisa, could you tell us about your breastfeeding journey?

L: I’ve been lucky enough to feed both of my girls. Ruby, I fed for 14 months. Frankie is 10 months old and I’m still currently feeding her. With Ruby, my Breastfeeding Journey was very challenging because I had no idea what I was doing. It was really confronting and I basically doubted everything that I did. Everything in the parenting realm itself, not just breastfeeding. I found everything really hard, but at that time it was all Covid19 so I didn’t really go out very much, I was doing a lot of stuff at home. I never felt awkward out in public, but I certainly felt awkward because I didn’t know what I was doing. 

I saw a lactation consultant a couple of times just to make myself feel better and I eventually discovered that Ruby was a really quick feeder. I’d thought I wasn’t giving her enough milk but she was just a really speedy feeder, so she didn’t take long to feed at all. I always thought that a baby would just sit on your boob and take hours to feed a day, which I know that some kids do but Ruby was fine when I got to understand that part of it.

With Frankie, I've found breastfeeding much easier, mainly because I knew what to expect. I'm truly enjoying this journey.

What do you enjoy most about breastfeeding?

L:  I really love feeding, especially those night feeds when they’re all sleepy. It’s really special when it’s all quiet. Those moments are really beautiful. Gazing into their eyes is so sweet. It’s one of my favourite things, and how they play with your fingers and the cute squeezing of your boob to assist with the milk coming out. It’s a pretty magical thing that some of us are able to do and are lucky enough to do.

Things you would prefer not to have to do breastfeeding? 

L: They are so minor - the timeframe, being on a strict schedule and having to be home to feed if you’re exclusively feeding, and having to pump, it’s not really a big issue, but you realise how much freedom you have when you do drop a feed or when you might stop breastfeeding. But when you stop you might also miss it at the same time, so it’s really tricky.

Despite the challenges, there are also countless beautiful moments that make this journey all the more rewarding.

Have you ever felt uncomfortable breastfeeding in public.

L: Maybe initially when you’re really conscious about your body, maybe that type of thing but like I said with Ruby it was during Covid so I didn’t really go out that much and with Frankie I did not even think twice, I’m just really happy to feed her. Obviously, I’m really considerate of those around me but I think it’s a very natural thing to do, so I’m not really a cover-up & must-feed-in-silence-in-a-dark-place person. I sort of had to do that with Ruby as she was so distracted but Frankie is just happy to sit and feed. I haven’t really felt self-conscious, no one has made me feel that way, not that I have noticed anyway, I’ve been really lucky.

What motivated your decision to return to rowing after the birth of Ruby?

L: I have rowed surf boats for the past 15years, so it has always been a big part of my life and who I am and what I love to do.  

I trained throughout my whole pregnancy with Rube's and felt pretty good, and then I slowly got back into walking, then running and then gym about four or five months later and then rowing started up too.

This was a really nice transition, time wise. I felt good my body felt good and I had time. This same season another teammate just had a bub too, so we were riding this wave together of small baby and training and everything in between.

We were very successful this season winning multiple carnivals and representing our state and winning the nationals. It really is something else, to be doing something you love with little eyes watching your every move.

Wow that’s pretty amazing Lisa, and then did you continue again after your second daughter Frankie?

L: A teammate and I fell pregnant around the same time and our babies were born in September. In my head there was no way we could get back in the boat (November) and have a good go at the season. But my other friend who had her baby two weeks prior to me said we should. This teammate says jump and I say how high. Let me add that I had a hard time moving my body the last few months of pregnancy with Franks, I had no energy and just felt so depleted (blood tests showed low iron). Frankie was born via c- section on the 22^nd September 2022 and I was back moving my body and in the boat with zero expectations, as by this stage we would normally have had a few months of training under our belts.

Frankie was nearly three months, when we competed in our first carnival. I have been training and doing this sport for years so my body has great muscle memory and I felt ready. To our surprise, we won! So we soon gained ourselves a spot in the Queensland state team for the season, something we were not even going to attempt as we were only starting to get back into training.

At nationals we made the final, with six-month-old babies under the tent and our other children running amuck. We finished fourth place in the Australian open women's surf boat race. And yes, we were devastated, everyone lines up on that line with a story or a hurdle they had to get over etc., but when you line up you are there to race and hopefully win.

I look back now and still think “damn it”, but with two six-month-old babies and four other kids in amongst the chaos, it was a pretty epic thing we achieved. Another thing to add, nationals was in Perth and all of our families joined us. So yes, four couples and six children travel to the other side of the country to take on nationals...the rowing was the easy part.

What’s your advice for new Mothers?

L: A fed baby is the best, however that happens and whatever you believe in. I think if you need advice, definitely get advice. Generally, as mums, we have this beautiful instinct that tells us that we know what we’re doing anyway. We doubt ourselves, like I said, with Ruby I doubted every move I made, but obviously she just fed really quickly and was fine. You and your baby know there are challenges that we face and sometimes we can’t continue feeding them the way that we may want to, but we need to be really kind to ourselves and do what is best for our babies and our own mental health. If a mum isn’t healthy with her body and her mind, then her baby isn’t going to be healthy either. Do what’s right for you and your bub.

Breastfeeding presents challenges like the need to be home at specific times to feed the baby when exclusively breastfeeding, or having to pump. Nevertheless, these are minor details compared to the convenience of not having to carry around formula and hot water. However, I firmly believe that a fed baby is always the best baby, so whatever it takes to keep your baby healthy is the most important thing.

Ensure you are looking after yourself first and do what’s right for you and your bub - that’s the best advice. If you do decide to breastfeed, enjoy it as much as you can. As I know now at 10 months and my second baby, I’m almost done with breastfeeding because I will go back to work soon. It’s a really special thing that some of us are able to do, so don’t be hard on yourself and enjoy it when you can.