Breastfeeding
Not all women enjoy breastfeeding! There I said it and as much as I wish it were not true, it is! As an IBCLC I have had many women over the last 25 years confide in me that they were feeding their baby breastmilk because they knew it was the best nutrition for baby but deep inside they really didn’t enjoy it.
Our media has done a great job in creating the facade of the perfect wedding, the perfect pregnancy and the perfect baby. No doubt most Americans now understand that breastmilk is the perfect nutrition for baby, but some mom struggle with feeling like the perfect mom when they really are frustrated at times with breastfeeding. Whew that is a lot of “PERFECTS”! What does perfect really look like anyway?
If you happen to fit the above mentioned description, take a deep breath and slowly exhale. With that exhale and release all the guilt that has been eating you alive. There is no perfect breastfeeding “feeling”. True there are some moms that absolutely love breastfeeding, and that mom might be your best friend, but don’t compare yourself. Pat yourself on the back that you have made it this far…motherhood is not for the weary. Studies show that a baby that receives his mother’s milk just one time out performs, so to speak, a baby the never received his moms milk but got formula.
So for all you moms out there that at times feel like giving up, I say “welcome to the world of motherhood, where you will spend the next 18 years wondering what you were thinking when you had this baby and at the same time find it impossible to imagine life with out him.
