Well I can, so what's wrong with her?

I heard this the other day from a woman who wrote me to say that she was able to breastfeed twins for a year and managed to work full time.   First of all, that is incredible and impressive, and something that most women aren't able to do.  So congratulations, and I'm very happy that her experience worked out for her.  Now, what she had an issue with was that she felt that if she accomplished this, that is breastfeed twins exclusively and work full time, then anyone else could do the same. It's an interesting point of view. And, what she also mentioned was that not only could they do the same, but they 
should.

Now, my perspective is a bit different.  I breastfed my son, but I don't use my own personal experience as the benchmark for everyone else.  I use my work with thousands of women, who have had their own individual experiences, triumphs and challenges with feeding their babies as my guide.  I would like for every woman to be able to breastfeed for as long as they would like to, no matter how long or short that is.  What I hope for is to support women, provide them the resources they need and eliminate judgement from any interaction.

Moms are doing the best they can for their babies and their children.  I am working with a mom of twins right now, who is breastfeeding exclusively and she has a full time nanny and her mom to help her.  She said without both, there was no way she could do this.  She doesn't work outside the home, either.  I'm also working with a mom who has one baby and stopped breast feeding at 3 weeks because her milk supply was so low despite every single possible intervention from 3 
lactation consultants and 1 pediatrician.  She had to move to formula.

Both moms are happy, both moms are doing what's best for their  babies.  I asked the mom with twins if she thought that other moms should follow in her footsteps.  She was surprised by the question, so I told her about the reader who felt that everyone could and should breastfeed exclusively for 1 year, even if they have twins and even if they have to return to work.  She said no, that this was so difficult and for her nearly impossible, that she would not want to impose her idea of what was best on another woman.

(This blog was originally published in 2009)