The joy of bringing a new life into the world is an overwhelming life change. Breastfeeding is part of that joy. The media blitz surrounding breastfeeding seems to convey it as a simple natural task that is a no-brainer. Once the child is born, mom is carrying the milk à la carte!
TheBump.com, a website that provides the inside scoop on pregnancy, states 10 reasons to breastfeed, ranging from far less anxiety for the mother to a smarter child by age eight. La Leche League International, an organization that promotes a better understanding of breastfeeding, states that mothering through breastfeeding is the most natural because mom and baby need to be together early to establish a satisfying relationship and an adequate milk supply.
What is not conveyed by the media and some breastfeeding education materials are the difficulties. Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience that can also have its challenges. The implication from the media is that it is not difficult. Once mother and baby are together what else do you need? The challenges are not discussed as openly as the joy and benefits.
Every mother and baby is unique and so are their bodies. Of course every person is not going to have the same breastfeeding experience. For example, one child had a receding jaw line and could not keep an adequate latch when breastfeeding. As her jaw grew, breastfeeding became possible. One new mother breastfed very well until the texture of her breast changed with an increase of milk. Her child reacted to the change of texture and needed a transition period to feed properly. Another new mother struggled with the pain that can sometimes occur when the child latches on to the breast. Often new mothers feel like failures when a challenge arises.
Article comments
1 - jdcarmine
Great article. According to my wife, breast feeding is not for "pussies!" It hurts and takes a serious commitment of time and focus, and if you do it in public you get all those priggish sidelong glances not to mention that any friends with teenage boys suddenly stop inviting you and your breasts over so much.
2 - idontgetit
Thanks for the comment. True. True. I am amazed how different the actual experience is to how it was presented in the Breastfeeding Class I took. The class spent the whole time trying to convince us to breastfeed!