Power Nation host Courtney Hansen is breastfeeding her baby daughter! Thanks to our friends at People.com, we had the chance to talk to Courtney about her nursing experience just a few weeks after she and her partner, RumbaTime owner Jay Hartington,welcomed Holland Marysia Walker Hartington on July 5th.
Being able to give her child a healthy start was incredibly important to Courtney (here nursing her daughter in her ’57 Thunderbird), so she took a breastfeeding class at her local hospital while she was pregnant. What a smart mama! It’s really important to know what to expect, like that breastfeeding can be challenging at first, just like working out or interviewing for a new job. Of course, we asked Courtney if she had faced any Booby Traps while she was expecting. “I heard a lot of horror stories, but I think keeping a positive attitude helped tremendously. I am pretty determined and I knew that this is what I wanted and that I would try to find a way to make it work,” she told us. Luckily, Courtney got great help from the lactation consultants at the hospital and was able to feed her daughter right away. “I was amazed how she nuzzled me first and then latched on perfectly,” marveled Courtney. She was wowed when we told her that under the right conditions, babies placed on the mother’s stomach immediately after birth will crawl to the breast unassisted, because of an incredibly strong instinct to breastfeed!
Click for a step-by-step guide to hand expression from the Stanford School of Medicine
Key to Courtney’s breastfeeding success has been the support of her partner, Jay. “Jay has been awesome, and totally on board with breastfeeding” explains Courtney. “He is amazed at how it all works. Jay would even squeeze my breast to get the milk going in the early days.” We asked Courtney to give Jay our kudos, because early hand expression is such an important skill to learn and we think it’s awesome that he helped out! Help from partners is even recommended by Dr. Jane Morton of the Stanford School of Medicine. “We are a good little family unit!” said Courtney.
Special thanks to Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA and the Breastfeeding Solutions App for sponsoring this interview!
And how has Courtney handled any breastfeeding or new parenting challenges? “I focus on the blessings, it helps keep your mind and body healthy. I try to take good care of myself but I must admit, I wasn’t prepared for how often I would need to feed in the beginning. Sometimes I walk around with no top on, just feeding wherever I go!”
Courtney credits her positive, winning attitude to growing up in a strong family. Her mother breastfed Courtney for 9 months and would have breastfed longer if she could (it sounded to us like a nursing strike may have been the culprit—here’s how to navigate that Booby Trap!). Courtney’s father, Jerry Hansen, is the SCCA national racing championships record holder, with 27 wins, and the former owner of Brainerd Raceway. “My dad thinks the fact that I am breastfeeding is awesome”, Courtney shared proudly.
We couldn’t resist asking the author of “The Garage Girl’s Guide to Everything You Need to Know About Your Car” which is easier, breastfeeding or fixing cars? “Breastfeeding is easier, by far!” laughed Courtney. “But you have to be positive, peaceful, and patient; that’s my mantra. Breastfeeding is a great bonding experience, there is nothing like it. I feel so blessed.”
Courtney Hansen hosts for NBC Sports, CBS Sports and Spike TV. We are proud and honored to name her a Best for Babes Champion for Moms! Courtney will also be helping us raise funds and awareness through our annual campaign “We’ve Got Your Back, Babe” so that more moms can overcome the prenatal breastfeeding Booby Traps.
