Home / Parenting / Real Feeding Stories from Real Mamas Breastfeeding: it’s wanting to stop & it’s not wanting to stop ... all at the same time. By Michelle Sonier July 2, 2021 Rectangle It’s waiting for your milk to come in It’s sore, hard boobs and cluster feeding. You’re told it’s natural, but it feels so unnatural. It’s sore nipples and nipple creams. Nursing bras and nursing pads It’s pumping in the middle of the night, then cleaning and disinfecting, just to start all over again. It’s trying to get them to take a bottle. It’s a partner feeling helpless It’s a bad latch and then it’s lactation consultants, tongue ties and lip ties It’s not enough milk so it’s supplements and supplementing and even more pumping It’s warm compresses. It’s too much milk It’s leaking through your shirt and waking up with wet bedsheets, so then It’s cold compresses. It’s side-lying, football hold, trying to remember which side to feed from next. It’s clogged ducts, fevers, Mastitis. Allergies and changing your diet. It’s debating having that drink, taking that medication and using that product. It’s nourishment. It’s loving skin to skin and then feeling touched out It’s “Are they getting enough?” It’s stressfully watching every single oz you pump. It’s crying over spilled milk It’s frustration It’s some looks of judgement and some looks of empathy It’s hormone fluctuation It’s fulfilling and beautiful. Affordable and convenient. It’s a tiny hand reaching up for you. Touching your face or wrapping around your finger. Then it’s nails reaching up to scratch you. It’s tiring. Being used as a pacifier. Never having a break. It’s physically demanding and mentally draining. It’s bonding. It’s wanting to stop and it’s not wanting to stop All at the same time. data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version=”4″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”> Tags: Breastfeeding, Essays, Feeding baby Related articles Baby Feeding Guides & Schedules Common breastfeeding challenges and the products we swear by to help solve them August 16, 2021 Baby Feeding Guides & Schedules Black breastfeeding resources from moms who’ve been there, done that January 4, 2022 Life Breastfeeding while you’re sick is harder than I ever imagined March 31, 2020 Life I didn’t like breastfeeding so I didn’t do it August 16, 2019 Celebrity News Chrissy Teigen tries to save her breastmilk—and we can so relate July 18, 2018