Many of us recognize that breastfeeding is this glorious gift between mother and baby and it’s a precious time that we can share with our child and, usually, our baby (or toddler) will look super sweet and loving when they’re nursing. I mean, isn’t motherhood the best? It provides us mothers the opportunity to experience something as lovely and special as breastfeeding and nothing could ever compare and on and on and so forth? Having said that, can we also please recognize that breastfeeding can be tedious and tiring? I'll admit, and more than once, I had some pretty unsentimental thoughts while breastfeeding.
Now, I’m a pretty sentimental person in general (guys, I cried at Coyote Ugly. I’m not proud, but that moment when LeAnn Rimes sings the song Piper Perabo’s character wrote? Just beautiful.) but even I found myself grumbling at different stages of my breastfeeding journey. Sometimes, those grumbles were thanks to a few blocked milk ducts, or mastitis, or various other nipple-related ailments. Sometimes, though, I grumbled during perfectly normal, pain-free nursing sessions on my couch with my phone in hand.
In other words, even when breastfeeding can be semi-comfortable, it can still feel taxing. Even though it is beautiful and wonderful and an amazing part of motherhood, it can be "just another thing you have to do." And so, without further ado, here are some thoughts that ran through my mind when I was feeling less-than-sentimental about breastfeeding. I have a feeling (hopefully) that I'm not alone.