nursing

It's World Breastfeeding Week, a time for nursing moms post their favorite photos and share stories. And a week formula feeders demand equal representation.

When I first realized I wasn’t going to really breastfeed, I was determined that everyone knew why. We need to stop shaming mothers into breastfeeding.

When we see each other, we see ourselves. And when we see ourselves, we know we are strong and capable and worthy.

Science, as it turns out, is not the answer to everything — certainly not breastfeeding.

My daughter nursed (and was supplemented with formula, then milk) for 18 months, and when we weaned, it was because we were ready. After that first bottle, I should have realized that supplementing was great for both me and my daughter.

With bottle feeding, you are able to fill the bottle with a very specific amount of formula or breast milk and are able to physically see how much Baby is taking at each feeding. With breastfeeding, that isn’t quite as easy. We know that they are eating, but we aren’t able to tell exactly how much — until now.

She didn’t wean herself. There was no gradual decline in the frequency of nursing sessions, no mounting interest in outside activities, no moment of clarity in which she realized she didn’t need breastmilk. She would NEVER NOT NEED BREASTMILK. Breastmilk was the literal source of life for her.

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