Saturday, January 22, 2011

WHAT?! Was my milk supply not sufficient for YOU!?

One of my pet peeves as a new mom is when other moms tell you that you are wrong for doing things a certain way or try to make you feel bad.  I had this lady today ask me if i was still breastfeeding my son. For those who don't know, b/c of PCOS I literally made almost no supply. Even after 3 weeks of breastfeeding/pumping I was only getting 1/2 oz instead of the expected 4-6oz per pump.  At that point i was breastfeeding for 30-45 mins and feeding a full bottle after each session. Needless to say I did everything to get my supply up but had no luck. After feeling defeated and talking to my OB (who is REALLY knowledgable about PCOS) I ended up stopping breastfeeding. I beat myself up so badly over it b/c i really loved doing it but it wasn't doing myself of brayden and good.  So... back to my story. So this woman asks me if i am still breasfeeding and i old her I was not. She SEEMED nice at first so i explained briefly that i have a hormonal medical condition that inhibited my milk supply. She then proceeded to tell me that i was wrong and that hormones have nothing to do with it. That your body knows it's supply based on demand and that i was wrong.  Oh.. and that she has twins (that are grown up now) and she was able to breastfeed and make enough milk to feed both of them. I seriouly wanted to punch this woman in the face. Not only did she try to discredit my "medical basis" but was trying to make me feel like an awful mother for not being able to breastfeed my child. She made it like it was my choice and i was just a lazy person.  Of couse she insisted on knowing how long i was able to breastfeed and her snide remark was "well i guess he alteast got the collostrum".  OH OK!... sorry not everyone can have a supply like you. Some people are SO ignorant to peoples feelings. It never ceases to amaze me how insensitive and judgemental people can be when it comes to infertility and how it can effect more than conception. All i know is people take for granted all of the things that come so easy to them and they just don't realize how good they have it!

3 comments:

  1. Yea I thk she would've gotten a good piece of my mind!

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  2. OMG--let's go get her! It's like the lady who stopped me in the Wal-Mart we stopped at on the way back home with Conor. I took him into the bathroom to change him...and she proceeded to look at him and tell him how cute he was, then ask how old he was. When I told her, she went off about how a new baby like that should be at home, not out in public! I smiled, said, "Perhaps. However, since we adopted him and just went up North to bring him home to L.A., that's not really an option for us." She had that foot-in-mouth look. And she deserved it. Then, she started all these "God Bless you and your baby!" Some people should just shut it.

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  3. OMFG-this is my BIGGEST pet peeve. If a woman even attempts to breastfeed she should get kudos. It's hard work. And like you PCOS killed my supply and I was distraught over not being able to have that special bond. Its hard enough beating yourself up...but then to be beat up by strangers who have no clue what you are talking about! They can suck a big one!!

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