Pregnancy Memoirs: Breastfeeding Fears

For this blog post, I thought I would do a small flash-back to when I was pregnant and the dread I felt towards breast-feeding and even conversations surrounding that topic.

Let me explain…

We are living in an age that has gone all pro-breastfeeding, and I don’t mean just promoting the concept of breastfeeding, but like full on breastfeeding: breastfeeding on social media, breastfeeding in public, breastfeeding everywhere you can think of.

Some say you have to breastfeed for a minimum of a year.

Others say two years and the never-ending well of opinions continues to grow deeper and deeper.

Now, when I got pregnant I was bombarded with questions on whether or not I would breast feed and if I am to breast feed, then for how long, and then the information kicked in on how good it is for the baby, and how it will make or break your kid.

Yes, I’m serious. Some people actually proclaimed that!

I felt so overwhelmed because I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

I could have sworn it was technically a “personal” decision.

I wasn’t a mom yet and the idea of breastfeeding honestly freaked me out.

This little human that hasn’t made her way into the world yet was going to be sucking on my breasts for hours on end — all day every day.

I knew I wanted what was best for my future baby, but I didn’t know how I would feel about it when the baby was finally placed in my arms.

Due to me feeling this way, many women gave me the stink eye.

How could you say that? It is a beautiful feeling! An intimate moment between you and your child! You need to do what is best for your baby!

I was confused and unsettled because I knew that when push came to shove, I would do what was best for my baby and most probably breastfeed.

But when you have so much going on in your head, it’s hard to think about someone who isn’t here yet and what you actually want to do.

So, for all you pregnant and expecting women out there and to those women who are eventually one day going to have a baby, it is okay to question this subject.

I wouldn’t blame you if you did honestly.

Even if you research, you may not be convinced with the idea, and I understand why.

Many women talk about the horrors of breastfeeding: the chipping of the nipple and the burning feeling you get when you are first starting to breast feed; the massive hardening of your breasts and not knowing what to do.

All of these stories may or may not happen to you but they definitely make your head spin.

My personal advice is don’t say no and don’t say yes.

I say see what happens in the moment.

Try and if it works great!

If it doesn’t, you are just like many women all around the world that weren’t able to and that is A-okay.

After being told by many people that I should, I started to not want to breast-feed because of being pressured to do it.

Having this fear is nothing to be ashamed of.

Breastfeeding takes a lot of work.

Sometimes even heartache and fear of this is normal.

I am definitely here for whomever is feeling this way, because you are definitely not alone.

To give you a quick answer to the question as to what decision I made on the subject, I will tell you this: I tried my best and will tell you the rest of this story on another day.

Mama Shugar OUT!