A new mother named Annie May has brought some much-needed awareness to Instagram with a raw, heartfelt post about her own struggles to produce milk for her newborn. These days, mothers feel an enormous amount of pressure to feed their children entirely from the breast. Many even feel shamed for using any formula at all. May's post reveals that such attitudes, even if they are well-meaning, do not take into account what such a mother may be dealing with herself. Reading it, it's impossible not to empathize.
May's caption reads:
The feeling you get when your newborn cries for milk is hard to describe. The heartbreak you feel when your newborn cries and you don't have milk is even harder to describe. Nevermind that the nipples are cracked and sore, baby's cries sound like ringing alarms INside the brain and I'm desperate to do anything to alleviate his discomforts and meet his needs. When the night hits, I have to make a choice to supplement with formula or let him sleep hungry. Or more like wake up every hour, stress and fuss to calm his hungry cries, fight with my loving partner, and feel like a failure--shame. And still, which ever choice we make, nobody wins--shame. What the hell is in formula? Why does this stuff smell like rubber? Will my milk ever come in? Am I doing something wrong? Nobody ever told me. Nobody ever told me about the challenges of breastfeeding. This must be an unspoken reality for SO many new moms. I speak to myself and whoever may be struggling to feed their newborn. Feel no guilt or shame as you continue into your journey of motherhood. Some things we just cannot control, and so, we will make the best choices that we know how and we will have done it all with love in our hearts SO full that it cries out from our eyes. I love you. Bo.
Ps. God is good and community is even better. Because milkmaids are a thing and I have sisters. Sisters with babies who love me and love my baby!! Community community community community. Sisterhood sisterhood sisterhood sisterhood. Mothers before me before her before her before her.
Pps. Milk increases everyday and we have to supplement less and less each night
Best of luck to Annie May and her beautiful baby.