FTM: Breastfeeding Support
I'm tired of hearing, "Don't worry if you have trouble breastfeeding. If it's too hard or you are stressed or you aren't producing enough, just keep some formula on hand!"
Instead, I'd love to hear, "It might be hard, but you can do it and it's going to work out!"
So many presume that just because it's not working as well as you want at first you should immediately explore other options, whereas the vast majority of women can troubleshoot and power through pretty much any obstacle (if they choose to, of course!). We already threw away all the awful formula samples because there is a direct correlation between switching from breast to formula when they are available, as you're more likely to use it out of desperation.
I'm determined to be one of those women who wants to power through, and I want to hear those aforementioned words of support from more than just my husband and his aunt (who is a lactation expert). She has been helping me understand all the ifs, ands, and buts of nursing and the dozens of ways that breastfeeding issues can be resolved. My husband is also a firm believer in nursing and supporting baby and me in any way he can.
This isn't a diss to ANY woman who chose formula over breastmilk. I firmly believe that every woman should make the choices she wants for her own body, from her reproductive rights to her right to have control over her own body in general. Opting to nurse or not is absolutely a part of that choice!
This is more of a wish for the rhetoric around the support for and success of breastfeeding should be changed, especially for women who are deadset on succeeding and/or fearful of failure. I know so many who weren't encouraged or supported enough by partners, doctors, and family who stopped very early, and other women who seemed to have everything against them but powered through because of the support from their spouses, families, and doctors. I wonder if a little more proactive encouragement before and during the struggle from each woman's support system may have changed the outcome for those who didn't succeed.
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