This post was featured on A Joyful Roar’s instagram and Facebook. Two mom friends have created an awesome mom community through social media. They have a podcast and a fantastic website http://www.ajoyfulroar.com! The ladies from A Joyful Roar helped me edit this post! 🙂
Hey Moms,
My name is Chelsea. I am 31 years old and a mom of three boys. Ages 4, 2 and 7 months. I am currently sitting in our nursery rocking chair, breastfeeding our 7 month old to sleep. Thoughts always swirl through my head while I’m nursing. Like, why is my 7 months old is not sleeping through the night, and waking up to nurse. Is he not getting enough from me these days? I have been trying to work in exercise and dieting… maybe that’s playing into this. Also, what are my older boys getting into while I’m in here. 😂
I have breastfed all three of my boys, 14 months, 10 months, and 7 months so far with my youngest. I have been nursing a baby on and off for the last 5 years. Oh man, my thoughts on breastfeeding go back and forth like a ping pong ball.
I truly have a love-hate relationship with
breastfeeding.
Before having kids, I imagined breastfeeding to be a beautiful, bonding experience with my baby. Thankfully, that is true. I continue to do it because that is true. But, I can’t say I love EVERY moment of it.
Breastfeeding a baby is very hard. Harder than I ever imagined, mentally, and physically. The lack of conversation on the subject PRE baby doesn’t help! Soon-to-be moms and dads are thoroughly prepped for labor and delivery, but in my experience, very little prepared me for the trials of breastfeeding.
I am so thankful that once I got the hang of things, survived mastitis a few times, leaked through my clothes in a few public places 🤦🏼♀️ that I can still call my experience relatively easy. I know many people have a strong desire to breastfeed and end up not being able to make it work for many different reasons. I feel for those Mamas.
The mental/emotional struggle is what I really want to focus on. I have felt resentment toward my husband because, for the last 7 months, I have been the sole lifeline for our baby! I’m continually searching for the motivation to continue pumping at work, for a date nights, or weekends away.
We recently traveled to New York for a wedding, without kids. I almost hit my breaking point, spending hours pumping in airport bathrooms, and other random places. I would set my alarm for the middle of the night so that I could keep my supply up. The craziest part was dumping all of that milk down the drain. I didn’t want to deal with transporting so many ounces of breast milk and keeping it fresh while traveling. I’m not going to lie, a tear or two was shed the first time warm milk was poured down the airport sink. 😆 Nevertheless, it was an incredible 48-hour trip and I didn’t quit.
.
All moms, breastfeeding, or not, know the joyful moments always outshine the worries, pain, exhaustion, frustration, and giving of yourself. It’s all worth it.
Not everyone will relate to my story, but I’m thankful to share it. While there is nothing better than portraying happy and proud mom moments on social media, it also feels so good to share the struggles of motherhood, too!
❤️Chelsea