Ahh… you can’t understand it unless you’ve been there, but for those who have tried to breastfeed, but the baby wouldn’t do it - so you had to pump instead - and then discovered pumping is one of the most agrivating, painful experiences of your entire life - this link is for you.

I had to pump to keep up my supply for my daughter who didn’t want anything to do with my boob 70% of the time, wouldn’t drink my milk from a bottle and to top it off - I had a leaky, inefficient hand pump I’d brought from the states that took twice the time to get an ounce out, AND gave my tendonitis a horrible flare-up.  Oh, and every time I had letdown, I had an intense urge to kill myself.

For anyone who had a decent or wonderful experience nursing, I applaud you.  But for those of us who didn’t and/or couldn’t, thanks to Julie for this fabulous entry about letting ourselves off the guilt train.

Yep, WonderToddler hated nursing, and it ruined the first 3 months of our time together. Heck, she didn’t even drink formula half the time!  And now at 19 months - she recognizes every letter in the alphabet and can count to 10.  She walked early and has a vocabulary as large as most kids a whole year older.  She’s taller than every 2 year old we know.

I don’t have any regrets, except that I wish I would have stopped forcing it on us when it was obvious that it wasn’t going to work.  WonderToddler is indeed a wonder, and loved the crap out of me once I stopped being her caterer, and started being her mom.

So if you can - WOOHOO!!!!  And if you can’t - it’s no one’s beezwax but yours.  Stop hating yoursef and get cracking on giving them what they really need - loving both your baby and yourself.