Motherhood is painfully beautiful and each stage so fleeting and over in the blink of an eye. These precious moments last but a tiny time in a woman's life.
Let me be clear: there is absolutely no judgement if you decide to bottle feed for what ever reason: you're doing a great job too momma! Each baby is different. Each mom is different and each circumstance is different.
I was blessed enough to get about 3 months of exclusive breastfeeding in before I had to start adding formula because I couldn't keep up with Matthews appetite. I had to go back to work when Matthew's was only 2 months old where as other moms (and I'm still envious, 12 to13 years later) who get to stay at home with their baby for much longer. I feel like I was robbed of time. However, being the breadwinner of our dysfunctional family, I had to pay the rent, so there was no option for me. I even waitressed up until I was at the end of my 8th month of pregnancy.
I struggled to breastfeed in the first few days after returning from hospital as my milk came in (as opposed to the colostrum that my baby needed in the days following his birth and a traumatic emergency C-section). My milk came in the day I got home from hospital. Matthew and I were both exhausted and slept for almost 16 hours. When I woke up, My breasts were completely engorged and Matthew could not latch. I did not buy a single bottle nor did I add one to my baby shower wish list because I just assumed I'd be a natural. It turns out, both mom and baby have to learn how to do this. I mean, it's amusing to look back on but it was certainly not funny at the time. I was in agony from the wound of the caesarian and obviously had lost the luxury of a bed that lifted up and down with the touch of a button while I was in hospital, Also, being on a morphine drip was fucking awesome. I was sore but really didn't give a crap. Also my baby was so beautiful.
Back to the breastfeeding story, it got so bad that Matthew was screaming and I was leaning over him trying to stick my boob in his mouth, unsuccessfully, and literally spraying milk all over the bedroom.
My mom in the UK sent money through to buy me a top of the range breast pump and (THANK GOD) Matthew had no issue with where the food came from. As long as is was food. We went back to the hospital for some breastfeeding lessons. which I never thought I'd need, along with the bottles or even the unplanned C-section, but that's the thing with having a baby. Pretty much nothing goes according to plan.
I then had just under two months of real kangaroo care, feed on demand time with my baby. He often slept in the bed with me because I would wake up to feed him, pick him up out of his crib and literally just fall asleep with him with my boob in his mouth.
Then I had to transition to working and pumping milk and trying to breast feed and dealing with engorgement and leaking boobs and of course, the shame I felt for not being able to produce enough milk under the circumstances, to feed my rapidly growing infant. So we eventually supplemented with formula. And good God did it give me peace. And it meant my ex could help a lot more with nighttime feeds which meant I got more sleep. Which I DESPIRATELY needed.
but if you're exclusively breastfeeding and your infant is hungry, what it God's name are you supposed to do? Making people comfortable is not your problem. Whip out your boob and feed your baby. It shouldn't be any different than whipping out a bottle. Anyone who has a problem with it has their own issues. #celebratingmotherhood #supportingmoms #supportingbreastfeeding #breastfeedingsupport #BreastfeedingFriendly #mothersday #motherslove
