Breastfeeding Sucks (Pardon the Pun)

I’m in the lucky position of breastfeeding being a distant memory. It’s no secret I didn’t like it.
The look on my face when someone asks me about breastfeeding.
The look on my face when someone asks me about breastfeeding.

Literally sucks. Get it? (I know I know, I couldn’t help myself).

I’m in the lucky position of breastfeeding being a distant memory. It’s no secret I didn’t like it. Aside from the physical suckage of breastfeeding, it can be mentally sucky as well. At least it was for me.

Check out this video of a bunch of us Mums speaking about the experience. I was on the more negative end of the scale but it’s not as bad for everyone!

Breastfeeding doesn't look the same for everyoneMedela Australia recently conducted a survey with 4000 Australian Mums to discover attitudes towards experience with breastfeeding and sourcing parenting advice. Results reveal many women put pressure on themselves to breastfeed because of health benefits breastfeeding provides, yet most go on to experience associated challenges. The MyMedela app, is a personal digital companion providing practical advice, tips and tricks from experts on pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding, whilst post birth, acts as an efficient tracking tool to monitor babies progress in key areas such as breastfeeding to suit mums’ needs today.
What breastfeeding challenges have you overcome?

Posted by Medela Australia on Thursday, July 7, 2016

Not only is it time consuming, painful and restrictive but I felt like a prisoner. Breastfeeding affected what I wore, what time I went out, when I pumped. It was a constant battle to build up a supply in the freezer.

I had mastitis, sore nipples, an infected duct. Yet I persisted. For seven months. Why did I do it for so long if I hated it you might ask (other than sheer stubbornness or masochism)?

Because I love science.

(Note to self. Probably don’t use the word masochism in a post about breastfeeding.)

Breastfeeding is an incredible biological process that we don’t even know everything about yet. Our bodies give babies exactly what they need. Milk changes according to the baby’s needs- how fascinating! For reals the little science we have about breastfeeding is majorly impressive. Our. bodies. make. food. Sign me up… but then let me quit when I want to.

Some people can’t do it, won’t do it and others try and fail (not at motherhood just at boob feeding). It takes all kinds of Mums to raise all kinds of kids and I salute and support all of you.

Breastfeeding along with healthy eating, taking vitamins, exercise are just a few of the difficult things in life that promote better health in my opinion.

When I weaned my daughter it was a mutual parting of ways. I was so relieved yet there were moments when I waxed nostalgic that I could never go back to nursing. It seemed so final.

I’m proud of myself for sticking to it as long as I did. It was hard. No one really tells you that. You're welcome.

Things that helped me were Google. Apps. Diagrams. I googled the shit out of proper latch, different holds, all sorts of techniques until I figured out what worked for us. Thank goodness for 24/7 Internet because that knowledge is just not passed down properly anymore.

If you’re interested in further reading check out the results of this Medela Australia survey of 4,000 Australian women.

Screen Shot 2016-08-01 at 6.01.42 PM

To watch another part of this video about motherhood, check out this post with video click here. Bonus you totes get to see me cry.

How did you feel about breastfeeding?

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15 comments on “Breastfeeding Sucks (Pardon the Pun)”

  1. I have been really lucky with breastfeeding. I have actually been breastfeeding for a little over 4 years straight now. I say lucky because I haven't had any difficulties and it's never been painful (except for children who like to drink my milk all night, still), I've never suffered mastitis or any other nasty bits (I think there was one case of nipple thrush in the very early days). I never needed to pump either, so it didn't feel oppressive, but I can see how it could and I know that not everyone has it as easy as i have had, so well done to everyone who manages to do it at all, and in your case to make it through to 7 months was a super-human effort so yay to all the mamas I guess 🙂 x

    1. Four years woman! You need a medal. I'm going to speak to management about this. Glad the experience was positive too. I think my PND probably tinged my opinion of everything. Here's to an easier time with number 2.

  2. Well it's a LONG distant memory for me too now! I fed both of mine for their first twelve months and I was fortunate to have no real problems other than a nasty bout of mastitis with the first born. I loved the connection, that quiet time together with the baby so close to your body and knowing that my body was feeding that little life just as it had in the womb. Amazing! And it was very convenient! But it is tiring, especially in those early months when they are feeding so often and there are definitely times when you just want your body for yourself and not have someone else kicking it, pulling it, prodding it. But in the end each mother should do what works for her. I was a bottle baby because my mum had heaps of trouble and I think I've turned out fine, and there have been no negative impacts on our bonding! There are plenty of stresses in early motherhood that have no easy resolution ('please sleep!') so you don't need to make feeding another battle. There's an easy fix for that.

    1. If I'm 100 percent honest there were moments of loveliness and closeness- those made it all worthwhile (other than the incredible science behind it all of course).

  3. I was lucky too and didn't have problems nursing Ethan, but I went back to work after 6 weeks, so the whole pumping thing got to be a real drag and that is not enjoyable--the pump doesn't coo or look up at you with its beautiful little eyes, plus you're at work--it's not always convenient to pump, you're in a meeting and you start to swell and it hurts...okay TMI. I was also fortunate that I was pretty unaware of people I've heard of since then who are offended by nursing in public. I just thought it was the most natural thing to do so I nursed on planes, in parks, walking through the grocery a couple of times...I stayed covered up and I thought it just looked like I was snuggling my baby. I made it through 4 months of total breastfeeding and pumping at work and then switched to part time, nursing in the morning and at night for another 4 months. My body adjusted to that pretty well and I stopped producing as much milk during the day so pumping wasn't necessary after a while. But it did shorten my supply overall and eventually it was hard to produce enough on cue in the morning and evening. Being a mom working outside the home, that time with Ethan was critical to me. If I were a mom who worked at home (and by that I mean all the work you do when you're home with a baby!!!--you are a working mom), I think I wouldn't have felt so attached to the nursing. I just missed him so much when I was at work...

    1. I didn't realize how difficult mothers have it in the USA until after I had Vin. So many women can only get 6 weeks off work- my body had not even finished healing from the birth at that point...and the sleeplessness! It's really rough. I hope they sort out some type of government-funded maternity leave so moms don't have to sit in a broom closet at work and pump. No fair. That would have been really hard.

  4. Yes, I'm probably like you, except without as many issues (although mastitis is pretty awful, isn't it?) I more breast fed because it was convenient for me and good for my babies (and I got to nine months with both - actually a bit longer with #2). But the back ache was my biggest issue (again, a pun- but those boobs were heavy when it was feeding time - they were pretty big anyway, but the up and down when empty mean the bras weren't that supportive (no matter what I tried). That, combined with going back part time / and the occasional bite when teething) were probably the biggest reasons for me to stop. I did like the closeness, but that wasn't limited to breastfeeding (we loved cuddling for any reason!)

    1. Yes, yes and yes. Breastfeeding neck is all I gots ta say. Kept my chiropractor in business. 😉

  5. Oh I did not enjoy breastfeeding, it was a round the clock job for me and my hungry babes! I seemed to be feeing my boys almost every hour, eventually I did half bottle feeding and half breast and that worked much better physically and mentally. Thank goodness it is all a distant memory now.

    1. In a perfect world we would all just support Mums getting through it however they can....Ah in a perfect world. 😉

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