How Sherylann James Became the Breastfeeding Advocate She Once Searched For

When the simple act of feeding one’s newborn turns into a painful obstacle, there’s no predicting what reaction it will stir in a mother, how impactful that response will be, or what it might inspire. Sherylann James, 33, once a stay-at-home mother, delivered her firstborn in January 2020. Her baby boy made his debut, filling the family with the sense of awe that usually accompanies the arrival of a new member. He had his ten toes, ten fingers, and an abundance of cuteness, but when it was time to feed him, he simply would not latch. “Breastfeeding was just harder than I expected,” James disclosed candidly in an interview with St Lucia Times, preluding another miserable discovery. “And, although to some degree, there was some help at the hospital—I can actually say there was one nurse for sure who I told I was having some issues with my son latching and she helped—there was not much help outside of that. There were other people around me as well who were asking for help but weren’t getting any,” she recalled of her personal experience following the delivery of her son at what was then the Victoria Hospital. The nurse performed the...