6 Reasons to Prevent Breastfeeding Failure Depression

If anybody is shaming or belittling you for not breastfeeding your child, don’t bother to care, okay? Yes, breastfeeding is a beautiful experience and your child does require the nutrition of breast milk. However, a mother could be unable to breastfeed for a lot of reasons. Sore nipples, Insufficient glandular tissue (IGT), mastitis, anemia, and several other serious illnesses can create breastfeeding complications. It is important not to fall into breastfeeding failure depression because of other people’s comments.

Breastfeeding Struggles

Sometimes it is out of your control or you could simply choose not to breastfeed because you don’t feel comfortable. It’s okay, it won’t make you a terrible mother, trust me. 

At the end of the day, it’s your body. I know how exhausted a mother can be immediately after the delivery. I know this for a fact because every inch of my body hurt and I was tired all day post-pregnancy. 

The reason I am saying all this is because I don’t want you to feel guilty for not breastfeeding. My own son lived on formula food throughout his entire babyhood. He turned 8 a few months ago and is perfectly healthy. 

Still can’t shake the feeling of guilt and anxiety? Let me give you 6 good reasons that’ll explain why it’s totally cool if you don’t breastfeed

Bottle-feeding is a Safe Alternative

Look, I am not going to claim that formula is the perfect substitute of breastmilk because it’s not. Breast milk is customized by nature herself for your baby’s nutritional needs. Apart from the essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins, it also contains antibodies, antioxidants, and even hormones to promote healthy growth of your little one. 

However, many top-branded formulas also contain an adequate amount of nutrients. If you choose the right formula and stay consistent with the feeding schedule, it would be a decent alternative to breastfeeding.

Some mothers are worried about bottle-feeding causing colic pain and acid reflux. (Check out also our reviews on the best formula for colic pain) This is a legitimate risk, I admit. However, gas buildup mostly occurs due to using the wrong feeding bottle. 

These bottle nipples cannot control the milk flow. As a result, your baby ends up swallowing too much air which gets trapped in his delicate digestive system. Using a high-quality baby bottle for gas and colic instead of the regular bottle would easily solve this problem. 

You Will Still Bond with Your Baby

Breastfeeding time is the perfect bonding time for moms and children. But this isn’t the only way to build a close relationship with your junior. You two could bond over playtime, bathing time and even nap time as well. 

Play with your little angels in the bathtub with their favorite toys, give them gentle belly rubs till they can’t stop giggling, sing lullabies to them, rock them when they are in pain, swaddle them when they can’t sleep. Here are some of the best baby bath products you can consider using.

Your baby will love you, no matter what. You don’t really have to abide by strict rules to bond with your munchkin. Let that sink in.

Your Choice Matters Too

Your baby will indeed depend on you for everything. And as a mother, it’s your divine responsibility to cater to his needs. But let’s not forget that your choice, comfort, and discomfort matters too. I have spoken to a lot of moms in my career who (some bravely and some reluctantly) admitted to hating breastfeeding. 

“Hate” is a big word, I know. But it is what it is. How can a woman enjoy breastfeeding when her nipples are bleeding or hurting? What if the mother had a complicated pregnancy and is too exhausted to breastfeed? 

If you can relate to any of the above, please don’t blame yourself for hating breastfeeding. It is not an obligation, alright? Your duty is to keep your child well-fed and give him lots of love and attention. As long as he is well-fed and receiving your love, it doesn’t matter if the food is coming from your breast or a factory.

Moms Deserve a Break

As mothers of newborns and toddlers, we have to devote 24 hours to taking care of our baby’s needs. But we have a life outside our baby world too.

There are errands to run, food to cook, work deadlines to meet. And after juggling with multiple tasks, we need some alone- time to cool off too. Breastfeeding a baby multiple times a day can be very difficult for busy moms like us. 

So it’s okay if we breastfeed sparingly when going through a hectic week in the office. Keeping a baby attached to the body 24/7 is not something every mom is capable of doing.

Your Partner Gets to Do the Honors for a Change

All the dads, grandparents and nannies reading this article, this section is especially for you. Babies have survived and turned out to be perfectly healthy individuals without breast milk since the dawn of humanity. You don’t have to be a lactating mother to raise a child. Humans are not designed to be so fragile. 

You can bond with and nurture the baby the same way his mother would do by feeding him through a bottle. And to the moms reading this, bottle-feeding is a great way to involve your partner more into the baby caring process.

You are Allowed to Have a Drink, Chill!

Mommying isn’t easy. It could be both physically and emotionally exhausting at times. You don’t get to have a proper sleep for days. I remember not getting a chance to even take a shower for 2 days straight when Adrian was 2 months old. 

The strongest people can crack under such pressure. So it’s okay you would like to take a break from breastfeeding and enjoy a glass of chianti. I am not promoting the idea of drinking while breastfeeding. Avoid it completely if you can. But if you are really desperate and have to stop breastfeeding for a day or two for this, don’t feel guilty. 

The alcohol in your body won’t affect your child’s health if you drink in moderation, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is a popular myth that alcohol gets trapped in breast milk. Alcohol in your body channelizes through the bloodstream and breastmilk. The alcohol level will reduce after two or three hours.

The Bottom Line for Breastfeeding Failure Depression

Breastfeeding is a very important aspect of motherhood but it’s not customary. Your baby won’t hate you for not doing it. And he won’t certainly fall sick solely because of the lack of breast milk. Jennifer Lopez told People magazine that her mother didn’t breastfeed.

Do I really need to cite any other examples to ease your mind right now? I guess not. How do you overcome your breastfeeding failure situation? Leave a comment below to share your story.

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