One Mother's Story

Reading Laura Cook-Crotty’s article in Newsweek, Formula is Fine, was like someone had finally thrown open the window of honesty about how difficult breastfeeding can be. This mom went through hell with mastitis, even surgery, presumably to drain an abscess and still tried pumping and everything she could to breastfeed her infant. It was painful to read it, and yet after all my years practicing as a women’s health nurse practitioner, it was all too familiar.

The truth is, that some babies do take to breastfeeding like ducks to water. They and their moms don’t need much assistance. But just like so many other aspects of life, not everyone falls into a nice neat little, easy-to-manage package, and different levels of assistance are required to breastfeed. And here’s another important point, not everyone can breastfeed. Oh my gosh, I said it. Even with all kinds of assistance from every available expert, there are situations where moms can not breastfeed their babies, no matter how hard they try. And let me tell you, there are moms who would stand on their heads if it meant that they’d be able to breastfeed. There have been situations where we’ve tried everything to help from supplemental nursing systems, where a small feeding tube is attached to the breast, to medications from Canada, to nasal sprays, to pumping every 2 hours. You name it, I’ve seen it.

It has to be ok to take an objective look at the situation and make the decision that it’s ok to stop. And, it has to be ok to stop even if every possible remedy hasn’t been tried. Women do not have to prove themselves by going through hell, before a health care provider or lactation consultant gives a mom permission to stop. It’s ok for professionals to say, “You know what, this is not working for you or for your baby. You need to give your little one nourishment, so that they can grow and develop. Whether it comes from your breast or from a bottle, the most important thing here is to feed your baby.”