"I am a mother who has struggled with breastfeeding since the day my son was born. I knew I wanted to BF my son and was pretty relaxed about the whole process prior to giving birth. I'll admit it, I was one of those moms who thought BFing would come naturally. However, after 25 hours of labor, neither of us had the energy to even attempt BFing. I'm not sure if this caused him to have latching issues - to this day, he still won't latch without a shield - or if it was something else, but regardless, BFing was not working for the two of us. 

I knew I still wanted him to get my milk, so as a family we made the decision to pump and bottle feed. This may not sound difficult, but in order to make it work I have to be attached to a pump that is plugged into the wall at least 8 times a day for 30 minutes plus another 15 minutes of feeding my son his bottle. On top of being attached to the pump, I have also spent way too many hours in front of the sink. The amount of bottles and pump parts I have washed over the last two months have literally left my hands raw and cracked. 

It made me feel like a failure that he wouldn't latch even though I was doing double the work to get my son his milk by pumping and then bottle feeding. After two months of struggling with this issue, I've finally realized that I didn't fail because at the end of the day he is still getting my milk, which was our ultimate goal. We all have our own struggles on this journey of motherhood, but I think it's important for all mothers to do whatever works best for them and to never let anyone make you feel bad for the way you decide to raise your child - especially when it comes to nutrition.

I truly regret all the stress and anxiety this has made me feel since my son was born, but I am so proud of myself for sticking to it and making it work these past two months. Here's to many more months of "pumpfeeding" and the hope that my story may help someone else who is facing the same struggle."