“You truly don’t know what’s going on down there. Too much? Too little? Too intense? Not enough hindmilk? Not enough time? Plugged duct? Mastitis?” wrote Leah, the mom behind the Nashville Bump, in an emotional post where she addresses the many unanswered questions that run through moms’ minds when they experience insecurities about breastfeeding.
In the post, reveals that breastfeeding is not what she expected it to be.
Through the struggles she faced in nursing her newborn, she learned that there’s truly more to it than the photos of “blissfully breastfeeding” mothers all over her social media feed.
“I had seen so many pictures on social media of mothers blissfully breastfeeding their babies that I didn’t realize it’s not always like that…”
Seven weeks into motherhood, Leah shared how she began doubting herself. This prompted her to share her experience in the hope of inspiring other moms.
She describes the “learning process” in an interview with The Huffington Post.
“I had seen so many pictures on social media of mothers blissfully breastfeeding their babies that I didn’t realize it’s not always like that,” confided the new mom. “It seemed so easy and natural for them, but even things that are easy and natural can be a learning experience for many people.”
Ok, I’m going to say it for us all. Breastfeeding is hard. It’s really, really hard. Sometimes I can’t even explain what makes it so difficult. The uncertainty, second guessing, responsibility, commitment, discomfort…just to name a few. We trusted our bodies to grow our babies for 9 months and now we have to trust our body to supply the nourishment for our babes growth & development. Talk about pressure? Breastfeeding is full of unanswered questions. You truly don’t know what’s going on down there. Too much? Too little? Too intense? Not enough hindmilk? Not enough time? Plugged duct? Mastitis? WTF!!! As if it wasn’t hard enough?And of course the biggest way to know if you’re doing well is if the baby is gaining weight…great, let me just whip out my handy dandy baby scale?..But, even with all of that. We all so desperately want to survive and push through. We so badly want to have our baby thrive. We want that relationship. We want the experience. In the end, fed is best. That’s what matters. But all I know right now is that breastfeeding is hard. I am doing my very best but always have a question in the back of my mind. Always second guessing myself. Always wondering if I’m doing OKAY. I’m determined to tough it out. I want to do this. Mamas really do need all the support they can get. So mama, you’re hearing it from me, you’re not going crazy, it is hard, but you’re doing good. Keep going!! There’s a rumor going around that it gets easier? • • • #motherhoodrising #motherhood #motherhoodunplugged #postpartum #breastfeeding #ebf #fedisbest #baby #newborn #mom #mama #momlife #fitpregnancy #pregnant #pregnancy #babygirl #letthembelittle #laleche #momstrong #fitmom #mommy #daughter #ig_baby #ig_motherhood #newmom #healthypregnancy #strongmom
A post shared by Leah? (@thenashvillebump) on
After being open about her problem, Leah also sought the help of a lactation consultant, who not only helped her become more confident, but aided her in bonding with her baby girl.
“It takes more than a breast to feed a baby!”
“It takes more than a breast to feed a baby!” she told the Huffington Post, stressing the need for moms to draw strength and guidance from their communities, just as she did. “It takes time, patience, support, proper nutrition, confidence and sometimes professional help to overcome your breastfeeding struggles.”
Though Leah is determined to keep breastfeeding, she clarifies that she supports moms who choose other options to nurse their children.
To them, Leah says “Rock on!”
Continuing, she said: “Mothers know what the best decision for themselves, baby and family is. Mothers who choose to exclusively pump, bottle-feed, supplement, formula-feed or breastfeed all need a lot of support.”
READ: Struggling breastfeeding mom Rufa Mae Quinto thanks Mariel Padilla for sharing her breast milk
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