If you're currently in the trenches of breastfeeding, consider yours truly the best friend you didn’t know you needed. I have experienced virtually every single breastfeeding problem in existence, and come out the other side relatively unscathed. I have tried a million different remedies for what feels like a million little issues and I have experienced an insane amount of pain but, for some reason, I've kept at it. While my reasons to continue breastfeeding (even though it was difficult) vary and are personal, I'd be lying if I said the moments that made all the breastfeeding struggles worth it didn't have anything to do with my decision to keep strong and carry on. Those moments, for me, were just that powerful.
This does not make me a better mother than anyone else. In fact, I'm sure my decision to "power through" could be used to make a solid case for why I may or may not have slightly lost my mind. After all, the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result, right? Thankfully, I did end up with different results, in the end and after eight months of continuous problems. I’m happy to say that I now have a wonderful breastfeeding relationship with my son, as I did with my daughter before him, but it was definitely hard fought.
All of this is to say that, having been through some seriously tough times, I would never judge another mom for choosing an easier or less stressful or more successful way of feeding her child. We all do what is best for ourselves and our babies, and there isn't a person in the world more capable of making those decisions. If you are struggling with breastfeeding and decide to supplement with formula, or make the switch entirely, that's entirely your decision and you shouldn't be made to feel guilty about it. I am simply saying that I made the choice that was best for me; continuing breastfeeding while simultaneously celebrating those precious moments that made all of those tough times feel completely worth going through: