The good news is that breast milk is not only a wonderful nutritional supplement, but it can also be a powerful emotional connector. As a mom working with breastfeeding moms, I know that it can be difficult and draining for some moms, which can be both frustrating and heartwarming at the same time. When I’m working with a new mom who’s breastfeeding, I see a lot of moms who are on an emotional roller coaster.
I find that a lot of moms I work with feel like they are going through a “stomach ache” every time they have to nurse. The difference being that this stomach ache is not the consequence of being hungry, but rather the result of feeling that something is wrong with the baby and needs to be corrected.
For many women, the feeling of not being able to breastfeed their newborn for various reasons is the most challenging feeling. But this too is a feeling that can be corrected because a lot of it occurs on a mental level. The feelings of “I’m breastfeeding” are similar in that they are a mental block that needs to be removed or bypassed. Allowing your body to do the feeding on its own is a good thing.
The feeling of not being able to breastfeed your newborn is just as challenging as not being able to breastfeed, but a very different type of challenge. There is a lot of fear involved, but by overcoming that fear you can overcome the issue that is holding you back. In the same way that a person with a fear of heights can overcome that fear, you can overcome that fear of not being able to breastfeed a baby.
I am not advocating breastfeeding in any way, shape, or form. I am simply asking you to not let the thought of breastfeeding hold you back from doing as many things you enjoy. No one should ever be forced to feed a baby. However, it is possible to overcome the fear of not being able to breastfeed and to not let that fear hold you back. I’m not saying you should give up your favorite foods. I’m not saying you should stop breastfeeding right away.
Breastfeeding is a normal part of being a parent. But the thing that many mothers dread most about being a parent is the thought that their child will stop being a part of their lives after they are no longer breastfeeding. That is a scary prospect that many women are told they cannot handle.
The fact is, though, you can overcome that fear by practicing what you learned about parenting when you have a baby. Most families find it easier to accept a child who is not breastfed. The biggest thing that we learned by going through that experience is that we must be willing to let go of that fear.
After all, if you love your baby, then you don’t need to let them go and you don’t need to worry about them. If you are going to have a baby, it means you are going to love it and you will have to let go of not loving it.
The first step in letting go of something is admitting that you have it and that you are not ready to give it up. That is something a lot of women experience from the beginning of motherhood. It is a very difficult transition to make because it requires a lot of emotional strength and focus, but the payoff is great. It is when we can finally let go that we can really focus on the things that really matter to us.
When I was first pregnant, I was extremely self-conscious about breastfeeding. I didn’t want anyone in the house to see me nursing. I worried that it would set me back in my parenting and that I would feel guilty about it later. I was afraid that it would make me a bad parent because I would have to stop breastfeeding. Then, I got pregnant again, and the fear was gone.
