OK, I'm going to say it for us all. Breastfeeding is hard. It's really, really hard. Sometimes I can't even explain what makes it so difficult. The uncertainty, second guessing, responsibility, commitment, discomfort...just to name a few.
When we were pregnant we trusted our bodies to grow our babies, but now we have to trust our breasts to supply the nourishment for our babies growth and development. Talk about pressure. Here's the thing, breastfeeding is full of unanswered questions. You truly don't know what's going on down there. Too much? Too little? Too intense? Not enough hindmilk? Not enough time? Plugged duct? Mastitis? What?! As if it wasn't hard enough! Of course the best way to know if things are well is if the baby is gaining weight. Great, let me just whip out my handy dandy baby scale that I keep in the house. Even after all of that frustration, we so desperately want to succeed and push through it. We so badly want to have our baby thrive. We want that relationship. We want the experience.
In the end, fed is best. That's what matters. But all I know right now is that breastfeeding is hard. Personally, I am trying my hardest but always have a question in the back of my mind. Always second guessing myself. Always wondering if I'm doing OKAY. I'm determined to tough it out. I want to do this. Mamas really do need all the support they can get. So mama, you're hearing it from me, you're not going crazy, it IS hard, but you're doing great! Keep going!! There's a rumor going around that it gets easier.
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