So many people push “breast is best” and shame moms when they aren’t breast feeding. Trust me I totally understand how nutritious breast milk is for babies! Personally, I never breast feed Brodie because we never made that transition because he was in the NICU so long and we had to teach him to eat from a bottle. So I pumped. I pumped as long as I could. Unfortunately after 3-4 weeks, there was nothing left to pump. I was so discouraged. I tried everything, but I know those weeks he was able to receive that were crucial. With Peyton, I knew how I felt about breast feeding. I honestly wasn’t comfortable trying to “breastfeed” and it was a mental thing that made me uncomfortable, but I would pump for her all day long to make sure she got the nutrients she needed. This time though was a struggle. It was much harder than it was in the past. After a c section your milk takes longer to come in, which I didn’t know that until now. For the first couple of days while we were in the hospital I tried hard to pump and pump and pump, but there was nothing. A couple days after we got home things finally started working! Yay! Right?? Well from there, it was even more struggle. I was able to pump for exactly one week. One whole week and that was it. After one week, it was gone. I tried EVERYTHING. Did it by the book, talked to a lactation consultant, Googled EVERYTHING under the sun and tried everything to keep it going, but for whatever reason, that was it.

We live in a world where parents get shamed so quickly because they do things differently than what “society” thinks they should. What people don’t consider is, maybe there’s a reason. Maybe they just can’t feed their child only breast milk. But I guarantee they are feeding their child and that’s what’s most important. Trust me I idolize those that are able to pump and store MONTHS of “the goods” for their baby, but for some reason it’s not meant for me to produce that way. Even with Brodie, I never produced enough to have a stash. We always had just enough for each feeding. For my littles, they will get food. They will get whatever I can provide for them and that’s what’s most important.

So if you are a momma like me who just can’t provide “the goods” for long periods of time, don’t be discouraged. Don’t let society make you feel less of yourself. Don’t feel bullied or pressured by others. Take care of your baby the best way you can. Fed is best!