As it's World Breastfeeding Week, we at HerFamily are doing our best to offer a balanced view on what breastfeeding means to our readers.
We love and support our mums no matter what because we know that they are doing their best for their kids.
We're not down with telling them what they 'should' or 'shouldn't' do when it comes to their babies because it really isn't any of our business.
What we can do is talk to each other, share our stories and maybe, just maybe, it might help or inspire another parent to look at or think about things from another perspective.
But at the end of the day, their decisions are their decisions.
I am not a breastfeeding expert nor am I a formula feeding expert - all I truly know is that I love my family and I continue to do what I consider to be the best for them every day.
I did breastfeed both of my kids for what would be considered 'short periods' - under two months each and here's what I wish I'd known about it all, in hindsight:
1. That It's Personal
When pregnant with my first child, I sort of mentally joined a collective of anti-breastfeeders. I developed an attitude about it that I thought we the right one because lots of my peers had the same attitude, which was, "I won't be forced into this nonsense!" In hindsight, I'm terribly embarrassed that I didn't have the foresight to research a more balanced view and make a decision that was personal to Me and what I really believed.
2. That It Might Be Natural, But It Might Also Need A Boost
The message from the ante-natal classes I attended was a bit "Sure it's the most natural thing in the world, you won't have any problems, you won't need bottles or a breast pump or a back-up plan". That rendered me completely unarmed, as I should have been, for what learning to breastfeed would really 'look like'. I needed practical advice and a balanced, realistic view about how to breastfeed as a modern woman in a modern world and I didn't get it.
3. That It Takes Time To Learn The Ropes
You might have the process locked down by Day 2 or you might still be wondering if you're doing something wrong at Month 2. Neither of those scenarios are wrong but both are quite realistic so if I had known that I needed to put some time aside with my baby to work on a method of breastfeeding that would work for us both, I would have done that. Instead, I got frustrated that I 'wasn't great' at it straight away and packed it in.
4. It Takes Two (and often, three)
Breastfeeding isn't just about you and your abilities - it's about you and your baby's breastfeeding journey together. You both have to get used to each other and learn how to make this magical feeding work between you. If your partner is prepared and super-supportive too, it really helps.
5. There Is SO Much Help Out There (and you should take it)
When I was pregnant with my first child, a friend who already had two kids said she'd be happy to help me with breastfeeding if I needed her to and I was like, "What, why? What a weird thing to say! I won't need any help!" There are SO many cool people (who you can really relate to) to ask for help - your pals, Facebook forums, websites such as Friends Of Breastfeeding. Just get over yourself, and go get advice before your baba comes along so that you already have a support network in place. Super Woman or not, you'll need it.
6. That I Would Miss It
It's very hard to describe the out-of-this-world feeling of bonding that is created between you and your baby as you breastfeed them and it's going right. It is just you and them in this gorgeous cocoon that no one can touch and no one can replicate. I didn't know that I would miss that connection, but I genuinely do.
Join the conversation on Twitter @HerFamilydotie
