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It’s Not Easy To Be A Mother
The best mother in the world will tell you that the responsibility is challenging. She will also tell you it’s the most rewarding thing she’s ever done in her life—all things being equal, of course. Some mothers are excellent, but refuse to give themselves personal accolades, or presume to advise others; so they won’t say a word.
Just think of your own mother, as a point of reference; or perhaps your grandmother or aunt, if you don’t have a mother available to consider in that regard. Motherhood is a core institution of humanity, and every girl is born with a capacity resting deep in her heart to be a fine mother. But what experienced moms will also tell you is that there’s a learning curve.
Whenever there’s a learning curve, you want to be sure you give yourself tools necessary for success. This writing isn’t expansive enough to be comprehensive in that regard, but following are three considerations you’re likely going to encounter, and what you can do to make them less complex.
Breastmilk Production Challenges
There can be a lot of reasons you’re having trouble producing breast milk. There are situations where nothing can be done—some mothers simply can’t breastfeed. Thankfully, they’re the exception rather than the rule. However, this reality does exist, and you need to think about it.
Encouraging expression through breast pumps for stored breastmilk can be helpful. Also, when your baby has eaten his or her fill, get out the pumps and get all the milk out that is still waiting to be expressed. You can keep it in the fridge for a week or put it in the freezer for many months—up to a year, in a deep freeze.
Issues With Latching Are Very Common
Your baby has never fed from a breast before, and if you’ve never been a mom, you’ve probably never had to feed a child in this way. Look at this link of common breastfeeding latch problems. You’re not alone, certainly, and there are solutions.
Assuring you’re properly expressing milk is a good idea, and assuring the baby fully latches with the whole nipple in their mouth and their chin touching your breast is the proscribed method.
The Expense Of Parenthood: Support Networks
Did you know that there are government programs for childcare? They’re not the only options out there, either. Church organizations, school programs, community groups independent of any larger organization, and online informational resources can all be support avenues.
Some will provide you with informational resources, others with nutritional resources, and some may even give you a financial leg up when you need it. Of these support networks, the most valuable are those which help you in terms of best practices and experience. Friends and family are key here, but you also want a network of moms you can contact in a pinch.
Enabling Yourself To Succeed As A Mother
Producing breast milk can be a challenge, as can latching. Also, parenthood isn’t cheap. It’s not as expensive as some parents make it out to be, but if you’re doing it right, you’re not going to have a lot of spare cash lying around; even if you’re in the “upper middle-class” echelon of society.
So look into reasons why you’re having breast milk production issues, follow best practices to overcome latching issues, and see what sort of government assistance may be available for your situation. There are also non-government programs that may help as well; many diverse organizations make parental resources a core prerogative.
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