When our little baby is born, we think that breastfeeding will be as automatic as being a mother. We think that as soon as we put our baby on the breast, he will immediately breastfeed. Suddenly, we are surprised and discover that the reality is harsh, for example, I have two lumps in the breast and I could not breastfeed Pedro and Matheus. This left me devastated and made me question several times “why can breastfeeding be so difficult?”.
Breastfeeding is much more difficult than it seems and millions of mothers worldwide end up suffering from this difficulty.
I received an e-mail with the outburst from a reader here on the breastfeeding blog. As I know that this matter is important for every mother, I decided to share.
Why can breastfeeding be so difficult?
“ I suffered a lot when my first child was born. Right in the maternity ward, like every baby, he cried with hunger but did not know how to breastfeed and my despair was intense.
The doctor said not to let the baby do my pacifier breast, but how do we tell a newborn how he should breastfeed ?! I went home with a medical prescription for some “artificial” milks, after all, it was easier to buy the milk, put it in the bottle than to teach – with a lot of effort – the baby to drink breast milk.
Failure was declared and most people bet on it. Many even said that it was normal, that I had already been there and that I was supposed to relax and give artificial milk!
To relax?! For a mother who has always dreamed of experiencing the magical movie-moment of her son, breastfeeding, eye to eye, the little hand holding our finger, the news of the bottle and “relaxing” falls like a bomb!
Do you believe that I heard from some people that breastfeeding is something that lives in African countries, from poor people who have no money ?! Powdered milk is status. Chest outside is a Third World thing.
I was already irritated and confused between tiredness and failure. There was always a tipper on duty to say that “artificial milk is practically the same as breast milk” , that “babies who drink artificial milk sleep better”. But wait, who said bottle is synonymous with artificial milk ?! A big mistake!
It is almost unbelievable, even with all the suffering, I had to hear barbarities. But I resisted, after all, I wanted to breastfeed. I bought a breast pump to express the milk since I thought my son didn’t know how to suck or I didn’t know how to breastfeed.
He quickly got used to the ease of the bottle and I wanted it to be filled with breast milk, not artificial milk. I milked my milk every day, put it in the bottle and he suckled.
I thought I could keep that pace for a long time. But breast is not stock but factory. Without the baby sucking the milk production will decrease, decreasing until it ends. Today I know. But at the time, I didn’t know. And nobody, nobody explained it to me. My milk has dried. There, I had to go and give artificial milk to my son who here for us, was always a note!
What I wish you were told when my son was born, I say to you: If you want to breastfeed your child again this is still possible with the help of a breastfeeding consultant. They are women who work real miracles. Correct the handle, guide to increase milk production, make contact.
But also understand that not wanting to breastfeed anymore is legitimate. And if that’s the case, also feel embraced. You are not the exception, you are the rule. The average of exclusive breastfeeding in Brazil is a measly 54 days. You, me and millions of women are driven to give up for these or other reasons.
I never felt “less like a mother” because I didn’t breastfeed. I felt less informed. I felt victimized by a society that does not consider breastfeeding a priority “.
Exciting, isn’t it ?! If you suffer from this, know that you are not alone and that you are still “less mother” as the reader said above.Soon I will record an interview with an expert on the subject to bring more information and publish it here on the blog for you.
I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any questions, comment below that I will be happy to answer you!
