I have been inspired this week to cover a pretty intense topic. Let’s be honest, if you’re expecting or you already have children, you’ve been where I was, not too long ago. So many women who’ve been down the momma road will try to prepare you for the journey that lies ahead & of course breastfeeding plays a huge role in that. Usually, I share what no one warned me about, but I have to be completely honest with you all, I was in fact, warned about breastfeeding.
I was warned by countless women how difficult breastfeeding could be. 1 Corinthians 13. Y’all know that one? “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child....”
That’s the verse that comes to mind when I look back & reflect on how naïve I was by never understanding what could possibly be so hard about breastfeeding. Here’s a tip for momma’s to be when a baby expert warns you about this particular aspect of motherhood.....BELIEVE THEM. I don’t say that to scare you, my friend. Trust me, I had plenty of expert mommas terrify me to my very core with horror stories about pregnancy, labor/delivery, breastfeeding & motherhood in general. Looking back, I’m thankful for those who did share those stories & I intend on sharing mine to help any other momma’s out there that don’t quite know what to expect.
Here’s my story: my little one and I gave breastfeeding our very best efforts, but unfortunately it didn’t work out for us. She wasn’t getting all of the nutrients she needed & I was quickly losing all of mine & didn’t have the time or effort to replenish them.
Now here’s what no one really warned me about:
No one ever told me that breastfed babies would need to eat more often that formula fed babies. No one ever told me that I would have to (attempt) to breastfeed every two hours. No one ever told me that I would have to force my child to wake up and eat. No one warned me of the possibility that my child would constantly be falling asleep during feeding time, making it nearly impossible to get through an actual feeding session. No one ever told me that there might be times it would take her so long to nurse, that by the time she was finished, it would be time to start all over again. No one warned me that I would need to learn to be comfortable living the next few weeks of postpartum life, completely shirtless. That was an interesting experience, living with a husband who loves to have windows open. No one warned me that as much of a relief it would be to switch her over to formula & finally be able to get some sleep after being up for 4 consecutive days, that it would still absolutely break my heart when I decided to stop breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is incredibly difficult and so is not breastfeeding. Choosing which route works best for you & your little one is difficult. It’s all just plain hard, but absolutely wonderful in every way.
The truth is, EVERYONE warned me that breastfeeding would be hard. To all of hose momma’s out there that have managed to breastfeed for a long period of time, or even any time at all, you are so incredibly strong! If you haven’t managed to breastfeed, you are also, so incredibly strong! So here’s some encouragement for all of you momma’s out there...if you can’t, or choose to go another route with formula, that’s ok momma. Fed baby is best. Remember you were chosen for this, momma!
