Instagram is nowadays becoming a huge platform for moms encouraging breastfeeding and sharing many stories of motherhood. Most often you’ll see are raw, heartfelt stories and very inspirational especially for the newbies in the parenting world.
(But before I present my recent top picks for ‘Instagram breastfeeding stories to follow’, let me share with you my own.)
As a breastfeeding mom of two myself (at the time of this writing, my firstborn is almost 5 years old and my youngest has just turned 3 months), I would say, breastfeeding is not only a privilege but a great blessing — a great gift I was given. To be honest, I have always been anxious about many things motherhood would bring — whether I’m able to give my kids all that’s best for them, just like any other new momma out there.
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I struggled so hard when I first began my breastfeeding journey with my firstborn five years ago. The lack of gentle support and encouragement around has put so much pressure on me that I felt and thought about it as a daunting task. I believe, for every first-time mom, it is common to struggle at it — from learning the correct feeding positions, intervals to breastfeeding diet and everything else including breastfeeding myths that most people feed around are, too much mental load for a new mom.
I myself experienced it. I came to a point where I felt like the surrounding people were just too pushy to get me going faster than my natural body’s response to feeding my child. I remember elders massaging me like I was a cow being milked on. I remember them scolding me for not producing milk. Not to mention that at that time, I was still recuperating, I was literally in bed recovering from a CS operation.
The pressure, the aches, and pain were just too overwhelming for me to be able to focus on nursing. I felt too pressured to breastfeed. I felt like I had no choice despite not producing milk at that time. I felt like all the weight of the world was upon my shoulders and although I knew the elders mean no ill intention at all, I felt hopeless, stressed and thought I failed at my first phase of motherhood already.
As a first time mom, that was indeed a traumatic experience but despite everything, I did not give up. I still tried and eventually realized that though motherhood may take its toll on your mental, physical and emotional health, you’d still be willing to do everything for your precious child.
I became rather thankful that I was able to continue nursing my firstborn up to now, she’s almost 5 and we do tandem breastfeeding sometimes. I am thankful that I did, and I know not all moms are gifted to do so. Though I have learned it the hard way, I truly value and appreciate it as a priceless gift I’m able to give my children.
This breastfeeding journey may not be easy and not always beautiful, but remember that our children will not forever be little, and in this journey, we are never alone.
And hey, please don’t forget to give me a follow also so we can interact and in small ways maybe help build a more empowered community of mommas (breastfeeding or not) together.
P.s.
I support breastfeeding moms all the way but I don’t judge formula feeding moms. To each his own as we say. It is not a ‘one size fits all’ kind of parenting practice. Others may have some health issues thus, nursing their beloved babies is not an option. We all parent differently. We follow different beliefs, traditions, principles hence, here we would like to encourage and aim to have a community that does not judge, nor shame other moms but rather offer helpful advice to one another to conquer the daily struggles that we face.
My wish is to have more moms (and dads) be informed and supported in a most gentle and accepting way.
Hence, this blog site is created to inspire, inform, support moms and moms-to-be in their journey.
This is a must read for women and every lady wishing to have a kid of her own. Sharing this story has really enlighten me a lot on facts bon breastfeeding which people do not know and I will start following you to get more updates and I will take it upon myself to share this information to women and ladies. Thanks for sharing this information.
I honestly think that this article is great Mai. I am a father of two little boys and this is something very inspirational and cute. My wife and I have a one Instagram profile and I know that my girl will like this although she never thinks about it. We live in a hard time and this is something very motivating to see as we need to fight for our little babies and give them the best future.
I am so sorry that you had to experience that. People just need to be aware that we are different, good for you that you did not give up 🙂 Thank you for sharing all these stories, I admire them. I will share you post to two of my friends that they are expecting in a few months so they do not have to stress out. What an empowering post!
Breastfeeding is a gift for motherhood but not all women have the privilege to breastfeed their baby, and to some who have the privilege to do so do not value it. The issue of producing milk for breastfeeding is not always available for all women and you learnt yours in a hard way. I think being over anxious can even contribute to the problems you had with breastfeeding coz anxiety inhibits some hormones in the body and it could inhibit the hormones responsible for milk production.
Hi! Thank you for sharing your experience breastfeeding. Yeah, I agree with you! If people around the first-time mom knew how much pressure and stress they are adding, I believe they would be more careful with their comments. Imagine elders scolding you for not producing milk. LOL.
Thanks for also putting together these inspirational stories on Instagram. They are a huge help.
I also do feel like that about breastfeeding – it’s such a privilege and blessing to create such close bonds with your own child. It’s nothing like I’ve ever done.
In that regard, I do feel sad for those women, who don’t have the experience for whatever reason it may be.
And I can totally relate to what you said about the pushy people around us.
And then there’s those, who for the stupidest things find it disgusting and are giving off all kinds of impolite, rude and unkind remarks to say the least… I mean, how can you think of such a natural of a process as something disgusting?
Sorry for my language but that’s just ***** up.
I’m glad I have a husband who’s very familiar with the law and who always got into those people’s faces, who allowed themselves to give any kinds of unpleasant remarks. Any such remarks account for a violation of equality (discrimination), which can be sued and gotten compensations for from whoever who is giving out such remarks. 🙂
I appreciate you sharing your experiences and accumulating the ones by others.
Thanks for this. I had trouble breastfeeding my first due to lack of proper support. And felt horribly guilty about it. I tried my best with my second one: tongue tie release, supplementation at the breast with a lactation tube, great IBCLC support. We successfully breastfed until he was 4 years old. Then I had to gently stop because I needed my sleep and body back. He’s 5 now and still asks for mommy’s milk. Our bond with our children is there forever, whether we breastfed our kids or not.
This is a must read for women and every lady wishing to have a kid of her own. Sharing this story has really enlighten me a lot on facts bon breastfeeding which people do not know and I will start following you to get more updates and I will take it upon myself to share this information to women and ladies. Thanks for sharing this information.
I honestly think that this article is great Mai. I am a father of two little boys and this is something very inspirational and cute. My wife and I have a one Instagram profile and I know that my girl will like this although she never thinks about it. We live in a hard time and this is something very motivating to see as we need to fight for our little babies and give them the best future.
I am so sorry that you had to experience that. People just need to be aware that we are different, good for you that you did not give up 🙂 Thank you for sharing all these stories, I admire them. I will share you post to two of my friends that they are expecting in a few months so they do not have to stress out. What an empowering post!
Breastfeeding is a gift for motherhood but not all women have the privilege to breastfeed their baby, and to some who have the privilege to do so do not value it. The issue of producing milk for breastfeeding is not always available for all women and you learnt yours in a hard way. I think being over anxious can even contribute to the problems you had with breastfeeding coz anxiety inhibits some hormones in the body and it could inhibit the hormones responsible for milk production.
Hi! Thank you for sharing your experience breastfeeding. Yeah, I agree with you! If people around the first-time mom knew how much pressure and stress they are adding, I believe they would be more careful with their comments. Imagine elders scolding you for not producing milk. LOL.
Thanks for also putting together these inspirational stories on Instagram. They are a huge help.
I also do feel like that about breastfeeding – it’s such a privilege and blessing to create such close bonds with your own child. It’s nothing like I’ve ever done.
In that regard, I do feel sad for those women, who don’t have the experience for whatever reason it may be.
And I can totally relate to what you said about the pushy people around us.
And then there’s those, who for the stupidest things find it disgusting and are giving off all kinds of impolite, rude and unkind remarks to say the least… I mean, how can you think of such a natural of a process as something disgusting?
Sorry for my language but that’s just ***** up.
I’m glad I have a husband who’s very familiar with the law and who always got into those people’s faces, who allowed themselves to give any kinds of unpleasant remarks. Any such remarks account for a violation of equality (discrimination), which can be sued and gotten compensations for from whoever who is giving out such remarks. 🙂
I appreciate you sharing your experiences and accumulating the ones by others.
Have a Wonderful Day!
Rasa
Thanks for this. I had trouble breastfeeding my first due to lack of proper support. And felt horribly guilty about it. I tried my best with my second one: tongue tie release, supplementation at the breast with a lactation tube, great IBCLC support. We successfully breastfed until he was 4 years old. Then I had to gently stop because I needed my sleep and body back. He’s 5 now and still asks for mommy’s milk. Our bond with our children is there forever, whether we breastfed our kids or not.