Thank you for this post. When I had my son a month early, I really didn’t consider how this would impact my plans to breastfeed him. Despite seeing multiple lactation consultants and having his lip and tongue ties clipped, he never latched. I ended up exclusively pumping for 8 months. It was honestly the most exhausting experience of my life. I felt so much guilt for supplementing with formula even though my son happily drank and had no issues tolerating it. I didn’t have any support for pumping, and I felt like a failure. I posted about my experience a year later during National Breastfeeding Week because all of the “breast is best” messaging really hit a nerve. I had so many comments from people who also struggled, and it was so affirming. I just wish I had known that there was more than 1 option for feeding your child that was valid.
Side note: mastitis is a BEAST that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy! I had it about 3 weeks into pumping and it almost broke me. Another lovely side effect of breastfeeding that rarely gets talked about.
My little one was a month early too and she managed for the first couple of days but when my milk came in she was essentially being waterboarded and we ended up having to feed her with a syringe. I pumped for a year and had to express every 3 hours. By the end I was also supplementing with formula
So very true. I am currently breastfeeding my four month old baby. My life revolves around this. I am so grateful that breastfeeding worked for us but it is hard. I haven't had a break from my baby yet, that was longer than an hour and I haven't slept for more than 3 hours in a row since he was born. Breastfeeding is not free!!
Thank you for this post. When I had my son a month early, I really didn’t consider how this would impact my plans to breastfeed him. Despite seeing multiple lactation consultants and having his lip and tongue ties clipped, he never latched. I ended up exclusively pumping for 8 months. It was honestly the most exhausting experience of my life. I felt so much guilt for supplementing with formula even though my son happily drank and had no issues tolerating it. I didn’t have any support for pumping, and I felt like a failure. I posted about my experience a year later during National Breastfeeding Week because all of the “breast is best” messaging really hit a nerve. I had so many comments from people who also struggled, and it was so affirming. I just wish I had known that there was more than 1 option for feeding your child that was valid.
Side note: mastitis is a BEAST that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy! I had it about 3 weeks into pumping and it almost broke me. Another lovely side effect of breastfeeding that rarely gets talked about.
My little one was a month early too and she managed for the first couple of days but when my milk came in she was essentially being waterboarded and we ended up having to feed her with a syringe. I pumped for a year and had to express every 3 hours. By the end I was also supplementing with formula
So very true. I am currently breastfeeding my four month old baby. My life revolves around this. I am so grateful that breastfeeding worked for us but it is hard. I haven't had a break from my baby yet, that was longer than an hour and I haven't slept for more than 3 hours in a row since he was born. Breastfeeding is not free!!