This Mom's Confession About Breastfeeding Challenges Is Everything
Instagram/Elaina Bellis
In a perfect world, anyone who wanted to be able to breastfeed would simply be able to. Milk would come rushing in, babies would magically latch on, and things like cracked nipples, clogged ducts, and low milk supply would cease to exist.
A girl can dream, can't she?
Just ask Elaina Bellis, who recently gave birth to twin daughters in California, and who took a minute to get real about her breastfeeding problems on Instagram last week. The art director posted a photo of herself nursing both daughters at the same time—which looked like total #NewMomGoals, until you read the caption.
"Breastfeeding: I tried everything in my power to build a supply for my girls," she wrote. "Pumping, lactation consultants, mothers milk tea/vitamins, formula wired to my nipples, up all hours of the night and having emotional breakdowns not understanding why my body couldn't build up any milk over the last month. Due to the way my birth went and excess of fluids in my body and trauma, my breasts aren't able to supply even enough milk for one baby. I never thought I would have problems breastfeeding and realize now I did the absolute best I could do."
The new mama then went on to thank a few of her currently breastfeeding besties for graciously supplying her girls with milk. "I also feel like people don't talk about how hard breastfeeding can be," she added. "If you can BF you're incredibly lucky. I pump all day to be able to provide my girls with one ounce of my milk, and I've excepted that's the best I can do. All I can give them is my love and that's most important."
Not surprisingly, Bellis' raw and honest post has struck a chord, and now other moms are chiming in to confess their own issues with breastfeeding and voice their support.
"Low supply is a real problem, and there isn't enough out there to figure out the cause," writes one commenter. "You are enough, and how you feed your babies will never dictate the type of mom you are."
Amen!
Hollee Actman Becker is a freelance writer, blogger, and a mom. Check out her website holleeactmanbecker.com for more, and then follow her on twitter at @holleewoodworld.
