About the writer

It All Started When…

Dear reader, I hope you’re doing well and finding what you need today! I want to tell you about myself in case you’re curious about the person behind the words and on what grounds I share this information with you. If you’d like to read about our breastfeeding journey, go here. (I’m working on the short version, btw.)

I live with my husband, John and our wildly curious toddler boy, William in Nashville, TN. The name “John William” has been in my husband’s family for generations. Our son is a 5th, and we love how much the name gracious protector already suits him. It’s actually a role that I think about for our whole family. How do we graciously protect our people with the knowledge and gifts we’ve been given?

For me, I have loved stories and writing as far back as I can remember. I also have a background in health science, nutrition, and research. My passion for understanding infant health and supporting other moms began when I couldn’t breastfeed my son after working at it for 4 months. (They say that a worried mother does better research than the FBI.)

How i handled it

In most settings, I felt like our experience of not being able to do this “natural” thing was glossed over like wax on a bad paint job. I knew we could move on to infant formula, but I longed to understand the struggles with breastfeeding and join a network of moms like me to process. It took some time for me to realize that I was grieving a loss - and while that seemed like a dramatic way to describe it, the feelings were real.

Besides that, I wanted to know all the feeding options for my baby and find the healthiest fit for us. I spent countless hours looking for an online support group until finally creating this space and our Facebook group to connect moms who struggle to breastfeed for various reasons. There are moms who need to take medication for PPD or an autoimmune disorder, moms who can’t produce milk due to IGT, moms who choose to exclusively pump because their baby’s latch is bad, and so on.

My background

I have a B.S. in Health Science and a career background in psychology and research. During college, I worked in an Occupational and Physical Therapy clinic, where I assisted on pediatric cases and first developed my love for helping families improve their children’s health. After completing my degree, I worked in a university setting for several years while also earning a Master’s degree in Student Development - a program that taught me how to be an effective researcher, mentor and advocate. After marrying my husband and relocating to Nashville, I worked in the music industry for a short stent as a booking agent and devotionals ghost writer. Following my baby boy’s birth, I left that work to be a stay-at-home mom. These days I research, interview and write from home, but my favorite role is still mom.

my baby’s reflux

I also spend a lot of time learning how food affects the body and following a low-FODMAP diet after a longtime struggle with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). When our son was diagnosed with moderate to severe GER (acid reflux) at 3 weeks old, it catapulted my interest in infant health - which I try to whittle down to supportive posts for you. (Let’s be honest, you’re already past the 5 minutes you had to read between grocery shopping, diaper blowouts, and crying in the back seat.)

writing to you

With every word I write, I think of you and what information might empower you as a mom. I know how inundated you are with messages about being a #girlboss, making all the healthy choices, and “hacking” this parenting gig. But I simply hope this community makes you feel less alone, more informed and supported, and one step closer to a healthy you and a healthy baby.

The posts here generally fall into one of two categories: emotional support for moms with breastfeeding challenges or healthy and natural baby formula/baby food/baby products. I try to cover a range of important topics that affect our big decisions as moms with emotion and logic, intuition and science, experience and knowledge. Also, I try to keep the MwM site clean, simplistic, and user-friendly. I wish we could walk and talk with a tasty beverage in hand, but let’s just imagine we’re doing that here!

All my best to you and your family,

Jennifer Michelle Hite