“It’s best!” “It’s natural.” “Everything will fall into place.” “You will create a deep bond.” All things people say about breastfeeding. What the classes don’t often say is, “It will be challenging,” “You may get frustrated,” “You may feel alone and want to quit.”
When does this anticipatory guidance surface? When are you prepared for the hard times? In the same way that society informs you of, “What to Expect When You Are Expecting,” we should be informed about the potential potholes that appear on the breastfeeding journey – not just why it’s a worthy journey of pursuing.
Breastfeeding is truly all of the beautiful things that people describe it as, but it can also be hard, mentally taxing, inconvenient (especially when you are having a selfish moment and just want to be alone), exhausting (especially when your baby wants to feed in the middle of the night and you just want to sleep), vulnerable, and even embarrassing (because no matter how much the law protects your right to breastfeed in public, there are still people in the world that will shame you for it). The list can go on.
The truth is, that everyone’s breastfeeding journey is different. Heck, your own individual journey may look different from moment-to-moment. But the one thing that you can bank on, you are making a difference – a difference for your health, your baby’s health, and even society at large.
No. Breastfeeding is not always easy – just like pregnancy and giving birth was not easy. Parenting won’t be easy. Living is not easy. Just know that if this is a trip that you want to take, there are so many people in the world that are here to give you a helping hand, a hug, a listening ear, real solutions to challenges, and love whenever you find yourself in one of those potholes.
