Breastfeeding Wish

Breastfeeding. This is one part of motherhood that I was not fully prepared for. I feel like this needs to be spoken about more. While I was pregnant, I had thought long and hard about whether or not to breastfeed. I looked at a lot of articles online about this topic. There were some warnings about the difficulty, but they were very few and far between. Most of them focused on the beauty of breastfeeding. Also, professionals always warn you to not look something up on the internet because it is usually scarier than reality. I feel like the way feeding your child is presented is that it is a single choice. You either use formula or breastfeed. Once you choose you don't have to think about it again. I weighed over the pros and cons. The following are some of the positives of breastfeeding that stood out to me. For instance, being nutritionally beneficial, can improve bonding and in our case fit into our budget. After consideration, I decided what was best for my child and I was to breastfeed. (I do not pass judgment for those who use formula, a fed baby is best, right?) I may have been nieve to believe that was the end of it. Little did I know, but that was just the beginning of my breastfeeding journey.

From the research I had reviewed, I thought once the baby was born your milk comes in, the baby latches on immediately, and you feed them. That was not the case. In my experience, my milk did come in pretty soon after my daughter made her entrance. However, we did have to work with her on properly latching on. I can not thank the lactation consultants enough for their help. The process would have been so much harder without them. On a side note, they should get way more appreciation and credit than they do from what I have seen.

The hardest and most surprising part for me was the pain and discomfort. This was not immediate for me. I started feeling the effects of breastfeeding when I was home and on my own. It became a real struggle. Lanolin cream became my best friend. It was the only time that I got a release from the pain. I came to dread every time she was hungry anticipating the pain that was about to happen. It got to the point where I was second-guessing myself if this was the right thing for me. I tried focusing on the closeness I felt with my daughter to get me through it. I never wanted the bonding to end. The one choice that I made at the beginning of this journey, I had to now make daily. After a month of struggle, the pain faded.

I wish I would have been told beforehand that it is not one choice, you will continually make that choice every time you feed your baby. I wish I would have known more about the discomfort so I could have been more prepared. I wish I would have known that it will get better. This could have relieved some of the pressure I placed upon myself. Lastly, I wish I would have known that I wasn't alone. I thought I was the only one feeling this way. I felt guilty for wanting to give up due to the pain and discomfort. I am still on this journey and don't regret choosing to breastfeed. It's the best thing I could have done for my baby girl. I now look forward to when she is hungry. I know one day she will no longer breastfeed and I will miss the closeness. I hope this can help a new mom, like I was, relieve the pressures of breastfeeding. Take a deep breath and take each day one day at a time. For the mom that needs to hear it, you are doing a great job!