Breastfeeding, a PSA

Normally I wouldn't post about such topics, but I know I have several friends who are currently pregnant who read this blog.  Plus, after you give birth and spend 3 days in the hospital, your body is no longer your own, so why not post about it on the internet?

I have seen a ton of baby items that use this statement:

(Experts Agree) Breastfeeding is Best.

I have to respectfully disagree with the experts.  FEEDING YOUR BABY is best.  Breastfeeding may be ideal, but you have to feed the baby.

I take the "Breastfeeding is Best" slogan really hard because breastfeeding (at least in it's natural form) didn't work for me.  I have tried- I really did.  I went to a breastfeeding class before he was born.  I read up on issues.  But when we went to the doctor 5 days after he was born, he had lost 14% of his body weight.  That is too much, and they told me I needed to start supplementing with formula.

Supplementing was a pretty easy adjustment to make on the fly, because I wanted my child to be happy and healthy and well fed.  But when I sat back and thought about it, I was frustrated.  I wanted to do what the experts said was "the best."  I wanted to be able to say "yes" to the doctors and nurses when they asked if we were breastfeeding.  But both Drew and I have some small problems that would make breastfeeding hard, and I'm only producing about 1/2 the milk he needs at each feeding.  My child literally couldn't survive with just breastmilk.

So now I pump and give him what I can, and supplement in formula.  And I'm trying not to beat myself up over the breastfeeding not working.  I was a formula-fed baby, and I turned out ok.  I'm doing every possible thing that I can to produce more milk and give him as much breastmilk as I can.

I still think breastfeeding is worth it and I hope that every mother would give it a try.  But each mom can only do what is best for her child, even if the experts don't agree.