One mama’s honest post about breastfeeding: “It sure didn’t feel worth it to me”

Breastfeeding is not easy for every mama. Period. As much as society tries to encourage mothers to breastfeed their children, we have to be honest about the fact that it can be a challenging and even painful journey for some.

This mama gets real in a moving Instagram post and reminds us to be mindful of the words we use when speaking to mothers. Because while some things in motherhood may be easy for one mama, that isn’t always true for the next.

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“Every so often I get triggered by things people say, and it leads me to thinking how important it is to be mindful of our words.

Today I was triggered by something online that was meant to be positive, but my inner ‘past self’ felt an immense amount of negative emotion after reading It.

She was talking about breastfeeding.

“It’s not easy, but it’s sure worth it.”

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Is it though? Or are you just on the other end of those times where it really didn’t feel worth it at all? 

Because when my nipples were bleeding and I was googling “can they fall off from breastfeeding,” it sure didn’t feel worth it to me.

When the baby was screaming and pooping blood because he was allergic to everything I ate, it sure didn’t feel worth it to me.

When my baby was starving because I couldn’t provide him enough food, it sure didn’t feel worth it to me. 

When I had blocked ducts and mastitis and was in so much pain I couldn’t sleep, it sure didn’t feel worth it to me. 

All of the times I felt ashamed, anxious and helpless trying to feed my child in public, it didn’t always feel worth it to me.

These are the moments I remember. And these are the reasons I will never try to override someone’s struggles with the idea that it might get better or one day might be worth it.

Because in the moment, it sure doesn’t feel like it. 

It’s easy to take for granted how far I’ve come, but I refuse to forget where I came from.” 

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