![]() ![]() But even then, the conversation wasn’t “Breastfeeding isn’t working.” It was “There must be something wrong with your baby.” The poor kid got a million and one blood tests. He’d dropped nearly 2 pounds from his birth weight. Then when my baby was a month old, we went in for his well visit. “Don’t give up!” I kept hearing that message, over and over again. After an hour hooked up to the pump, I didn’t even have an ounce of milk to show for it. People said “formula” in hushed tones, as if it was something foul and loathsome “He seems hungry all the time.” The answer I got from everyone, from other moms to our pediatrician, was “No!” Whatever you do, don’t give your baby formula. Moms at the La Leche League meeting I went to told me to just relax. I had milk, but I was certain it wasn’t enough. When he was about 6 days old, I started to get a sneaking suspicion that something was wrong. We saw a lactation consultant in the hospital, and again shortly after he came home. Then my son was born, and I set about to breastfeed him. I heard the warnings that breastfeeding can be tricky to master, but I figured I’d be fine. Before my first baby was born, I fully planned on it. But as much as I loved seeing all those beautiful images being shared across the Web, they also made me a little sad. They’re not they’re feeding a hungry child. No, they shouldn’t be told to cover up or that they’re being inappropriate. No, women shouldn’t be shamed for breastfeeding in public. And I think that’s an important and powerful sentiment to share. ![]() ![]() The images started as part of an effort to normalize breastfeeding. (Unrelated, how did I not know about this app before now?) The images were beautiful and breathtaking: mothers feeding their children, with a “tree of life” image incorporated as a symbolic homage to the life-giving power of breast milk. This past weekend, my social media newsfeeds were taken over by a lovely phenomenon: the Tree of Life “brelfies” - breastfeeding selfies - that mamas all over the world started posting, thanks to the amazing app PicsArt. ![]()
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