October 23, 2011
Okay, so last post on why breastfeeding is rough for new moms.
3. Personally, I find breastfeeding really inconvenient. Whether you are a working mom who pumps milk, or a stay-at-home mom who breastfeeds every couple of hours, its hard to juggle whatever you are doing with your day and be constantly around for feedings. I can no longer just "grab" something at the grocery store. I have to check and make sure I have a bottle on hand. Warm up the bottle, get Zoe ready to go in the
car seat, etc. Or, I have to just *hope* that she won't wake up when she is in the care of her grandmother. Even in the checkout line, I will be thinking "Is she hungry? Does she need me?"
Basically, breastfeeding makes it hard to get anything you used to get done, done.
Posted by Briana Meade.
October 19, 2011
Breastfeeding: Things You May not Know
2. You Will Feel Guilty When It Hurts.
You know those idyllic pictures of a mother sitting in the soft light of their bedroom with their baby nuzzled up against their breasts? You know that peaceful smile tugging at the corner of her mouth? Well, that was what I expected, right off the bat.
Within the first few days of giving birth, I thought I was the worst mom. Breastfeeding was frustrating and painful. It wasn't a soft, cuddly, bonding experience like I thought it would be. Instead, I spent the second day in the hospital crying large tears and cringing every time my baby started crying from hunger. I kept thinking, "How can I not want to feed my baby?" and "Can she really be hungry again after only 20 minutes?"
I remember the second night in the hospital, after almost 36 hours with little sleep, I gulped down huge tears while sobbing to my husband Chris, "I don't know what I'm doing wrong! I'm a bad mom."
I had only had 36 hours of being a mom. I though I was already a failure.
Breastfeeding can make you feel like all the preparation you did---
reading What to Expect the First Year,
thinking about her tiny toes,
eating lettuce and carrots,
practicing weird labor positions
not taking Nyquil when you were coughing up green phlegm,
was pointless.
Posted by Briana Meade.
