I hear a lot of excuses and concerns at work from breastfeeding mothers and their families. It's pretty hilarious how many times I hear: "How do I know if the baby's getting enough?" Oh, if only I had a dollar for every time I answered that question!!!
I actually had a teen mom's mother (baby's grandmother) say in the delivery room "that's why I hate breastfeeding... It's not like the breast is clear with measurements on the side of it to tell you how much your baby is eating! You could be starving the kid and not even know!" UGH!!! I was so upset inside when I heard that. I had just helped the mom get her newborn latched (she was doing beautifully!) and I gave my usual little breastfeeding introduction spiel about proper latch, milk transfer, frequency, duration, supply and demand, etc... Mom and baby were just so natural together. And then BAM! The grandmother had to completely bash breastfeeding.
Many moms don't get the support they need. I can't tell you how often a mom says "well, my grandparents came to visit, and I didn't want them to see my boob, so I didn't feed the baby in 6 hours." Or, "my uncle's coming, so, can you give me a bottle of formula for this feeding? I don't feel comfortable nursing in front of him."
So frustrating... Your baby comes FIRST! Tell your visitors to wait to visit! Why is everyone coming to the hospital anyway? Can't they wait a few days til you're home??
And what's with everyone wanting to pump right away? Why do moms all think they have to supplement with formula or water? Who is telling them these lies?
::sigh:: Really... breastfeeding is not nearly as complicated as everyone thinks!!!
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