.
. >>>
. >>> IF
. >>> IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME
WHAT'S THE HARDEST PART OF
BEING PREGNANT, GIVING BIRTH OR
BREAST-FEEDING, I WOULD TELL
YOU BREAST-FEEDING BY FAR, AND
GAVE BIRTH 100% NATURAL.
IT IS TIME CONSUMING, LONESOME
AT TIMES AND PUTS SO MUCH
PRESSURE ON THE MAMAS.
WHY DO WE FEEL LIKE A FAILURE
IF WE CAN'T DO IT?
A FRIEND SHARED HER STORY, ONE
THAT REMINDED ME, IF I CAN'T DO
IT, DON'T WANT TO ANYMORE, IT
IS OKAY, THAT'S A MESSAGE I
THOUGHT OUR VILLAGE NEEDS TO
HEAR.
HEAR.
HEAR. >>
HEAR. >> I WAITED A LONG TIME TO BE A
MOM, I WAS AN ONLY MOM, STARTED
OUT LATE.
OUT LATE.
OUT LATE. WHEN I GOT PREGNANT, I WAS SO
EXCITED.
EXCITED.
EXCITED. LIKE EVERY FIRST MOM, I WAS
GOING TO BE PERFECT, I WAS
GOING TO DO EVERYTHING RIGHT, I
WAS GOING TO DECORATE RIGHT, I
WAS GOING TO DO ALL THE
NUTRITION RIGHT, OF COURSE, I
WAS GOING TO BREAST-FEED, THAT
WAS PART OF THE PLAN.
IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN AT 31
WEEKS AND 6 DAYS MY WATER
BROKE.
BROKE.
BROKE. SUDDENLY ALL THE PRIORITIES
CHANGED AND ALL I WANTED WAS A
SAFE HEALTHY BABY.
THAT'S ALL I CARED ABOUT WAS A
SAFE, HEALTHY BABY.
AND AT 31 WEEKS AND 5 DAYS, I
GAVE BIRTH TO MY CHILD, SAM.
THERE WAS A KNOCK ON THE
HOSPITAL ROOM DOOR AND IN CAME
THESE TWO LOVELY WOMEN WHO WERE
VERY, VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT
BREAST-FEEDING.
BREAST-FEEDING. I WAS KIND OF EXCITED BECAUSE I
WAS A NEW MOM, I DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT TO DO AND THEY SAID, WE'LL
JUST STAY FOR A LITTLE WHILE
AND OFFER YOU A FEW TIPS SO
THAT SOUNDED GOOD.
AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER WHEN
MY HUSBAND AND I WERE BOTH
NODDING OFF, WE KINDLY TOLD
THEM THEY HAD TO LEAVE.
AND I KNEW THEN THAT BREAST-
FEEDING WAS A REALLY, REALLY
BIG DEAL.
BIG DEAL.
BIG DEAL. AS A NEW MOM, I PICTURED MYSELF
SITTING IN THE NURSERY WITH THE
GOLDEN RETRIEVER BY MY SIDE, IN
THE ROCKER AND THE BABY AT MY
BREAST AND I WENT HOME AND SAT
ON THE FLOOR OF A ROOM WITH NO
FURNITURE AND A DOG THAT WANTED
NOTHING TO DO WITH ME AND I
PUMPED AND I PUMPED AND I
PUMPED AND I PUMPED ON
SCHEDULE, NIGHT AND DAY, NIGHT
AND DAY AND I GOT ABOUT THIS
MUCH MILK.
MUCH MILK. THIS MUCH MILK.
NOT VERY MUCH MILK.
AS A NEW MOM I JUST ASSUMED IT
WAS NORMAL AND IT WAS GOING TO
BE OKAY, EVERY DAY I TOOK MY
LITTLE POUCH TO THE NEO NATAL
UNIT, VERY PROUD, I SAID HERE'S
MY MILK, THE NURSES WENT, DO
YOU MIND IF WE SUPPLEMENT THAT
WITH FORMULA, I SAID, NOPE, MY
SON NEEDS TO GROW AND MY SON
NEEDS TO EAT.
BUT IT WAS HARD, THE LADIES WHO
HAD VISITED FOR SO LONG MADE IT
REALLY CLEAR THAT BREAST-
FEEDING WAS A SIGN OF A
SUCCESSFUL MOM.
SUCCESSFUL MOM. ONE DAY ONE OF THE PERSON SAID
TO ME, ARE YOU OKAY, I SAID,
NO, I THINK I'M A FAILURE
BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TO
FEED MY LIFE.
AND THE NURSE TOLD ME THAT
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A
FAILURE IN BREAST-FEEDING THAT
EVERY MOM IS GIVING EVERYTHING
SHE HAS AND IF IT WORKS OUT
GREAT AND IT DOESN'T WORK,
THAT'S OKAY, TOO.
SO MY SON WENT HOME ON FORMULA
AND I HAD A SECOND BABY 23
MONTHS LATER AND IT DIDN'T WORK
FOR HER VERY WELL, EITHER.
SHE WAS ALMOST FULL TERM, I
TRIED TO FEED HER FOR SIX
WEEKS, ONE DAY, I DECIDED SHE
NEEDED TO EAT, TOO.
I SEE MOMS WHO ARE SO
SUCCESSFUL AND SO GOOD AT
BREAST-FEEDING AND I RESPECT
THEM SO MUCH, IT IS A GREAT
THING IF YOU CAN DO IT, IF YOU
CAN'T, IT IS NOT THE END OF THE
WORLD.
WORLD.
WORLD. IT
WORLD. IT IS NOT THE END OF A FABULOUS
RELATIONSHIP WITH REMARKABLE
KIDS.
KIDS.
KIDS. >>
KIDS. >> THANKS TO SHARON FOR SHARING
HER STORY, I KNOW A LOT OF
MAMAS OUT THERE NEEDED TO HEAR
IT, I ASKED OUR VILLAGE ABOUT
THEIR EXPERIENCE AS WELL.
HERE ARE A FEW COMMENTS SHE
SAYS BREAST-FEEDING IS HARD,
THE HARDEST THING I EVER
ATTEMPTED, I HAD TO MAKE A
CHOICE TO PUT MY MENTAL HEALTH
BEFORE BREAST-FEEDING
BEFORE BREAST-FEEDING ULTIMATELY WAS THE HARDEST
THING I EVER DID.
>> SHE SAID I FELT A TON OF
PRESSURE, BUT FROM SOCIETY AS A
WHOLE, IT WAS AWFUL, THE
FORMULA 100% WAS THE BEST
CHOICE I EVER MADE FOR MY
MENTAL HEALTH.
MENTAL HEALTH. LOOKING BACK I CAN'T BELIEVE I
PUT ANY PRESSURE ON MYSELF
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. REBECCA SAYS, I HAD A DOUBLE
MASTECTOMY.
MASTECTOMY. ANDAND THE DAD CAN BOND WITH
BABY.
BABY.
BABY. I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM MY
SON, HOW MUCH PRESSURE I PUT ,
I REALLY STRUGGLED TO WITH MY
FIRST, MY SUPPLY WASN'T THE
GREATEST, I HAD TO SUPPLEMENT
WITH FORMULA, IT WAS SOMETHING
I CAME TO TERMS WITH, YOU KNOW,
THEN MUCH LIKE SHARON, I HAD
PREMIES, MINE WERE 35 WEEKS,
THEY WERE ASKING ME TO TRIPLE
FEED EVERY TWO HOURS WHERE YOU
BREAST-FEED AND BOTTLE FEED AND
PUMP EVERY TWO HOURS AND THAT'S
CREATED A WHOLE OTHER WORLDS OF
ISSUES THAT I HAD, I WAS MORE
SUCCESSFUL WITH THEM THAN I WAS
WITH MY FIRST, REALLY TAUGHT ME
THAT EVERY KID IS DIFFERENT.
>> IT IS SUCH A GREAT MESSAGE
I'M SO THANKFUL THAT SHARON WAS
WILLING TO SHARE IT.
WE DO PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON
OURSELVES WE JUST HAVE TO
REMEMBER THAT FED IS