painful, and it can be exhausting. It is okay to be frustrated with it. It is okay to want to give up. These are things that many women feel (even if many won't say so). Instead of feeling like a failure because you are frustrated, it is best to go at it knowing that these feelings can come up and to work through them!

Breastfeeding Is Time Consuming.

Whether you have fed a million babies or this is the first one that you have ever tried to feed, it should be known that breastfeeding is time consuming. Few people talk about how much time it takes up (especially in the first few months). You may feel like you are spending most of your day feeding the baby. Breastfeeding is slower then bottle feeding and that can add to the frustrations that it causes. It often takes 40 minutes or more to get through a feeding session which can make it feel like the baby eats all the time and mom doesn't get to sleep much. However, this takes less time as you go along and as both mom and baby get better at breastfeeding it can get easier and more relaxing to feed the baby.

Breastfeeding Can Be Uncomfortable and Painful.

There is a lot of information out there about breastfeeding and whether you have read all the books or not it can be surprising to actually go through it. It is often uncomfortable. It can mean long periods of time propped in the same position. This can be uncomfortable to your body and even painful to certain parts of it. Your milk coming in can make you feel like your breasts will explode and can even make it a little painful for the baby to begin suckling. While there are tools out there that can make breastfeeding easier, it can be uncomfortable.

Getting Help Is More Than Okay.

There are lots of resources for new moms who are working at breastfeeding. Many hospitals have staff members who are there just to help breastfeeding moms. This makes it easy to find help, but it isn't always easy to ask for help. Added to that can be discomfort of breastfeeding in front of others (especially strangers) and of having other women touch you. It is an odd feeling to have another woman manipulate your breast to help your hungry child eat from it. However, getting past these discomforts to get help and hands on assistance can make a huge difference in your ability to succeed at breastfeeding. Getting help is more then okay. If you are feeling frustrated, wanting to give up because of it (or tiredness), or struggling to feed your child in general then help is the best option. No one will look down on you because of it. Remember this is something you are learning and while it feels like you should be able to do it from the beginning, it can be a hard thing to do! If you need help, ask for it and be receptive of it. It can make the world of difference.

Most Can Do It.

If there isn't a medical reason that you aren't breastfeeding then it should be known that you can overcome the challenges and breastfeeding. It isn't something you should feel that you have to do, but it can be done. It takes determination and often help (it is best to ask for help at the hospital so that you go home armed with as much knowledge as you can get your hands on). It can be done even if you bottle fed your first child (I did and am now breastfeeding my second) and it can even be done if you aren't on some sort of mission to rid the world of bottle feeders. It should be known that it will take work, but you can do it!

There is a lot of advice on how to breastfeed, different positions, and helpful hints and tricks. This is great and can be very helpful. However, the things that really need to be said to moms who are considering breastfeeding or moms that are starting to breastfeed aren't always said.

Learn more about this author, Danelle Karth.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2

---

Add your voice

Know something about What you need to know about breastfeeding?
We want to hear your view. Write now!