The Ugly Duckling: Breastfeeding in a Bottle-Feeding Culture

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What does your pond look like?

Support can make a world of difference to a new mom and her baby.

If moms are surrounded by breastfeeding babies, they know what to expect from their own baby. They know that it can take time to find their groove in the mother-baby dance of breastfeeding. They know who to turn to for the typical missteps as they learn to breastfeed. They know their “ugly duckling” is a cygnet, and is supposed to look this way before growing into a beautiful swan.

But if moms are surrounded by bottle-feeding babies, they might look at their own baby and wonder: Is my baby an ugly duckling because he doesn’t eat or sleep like friends’ newborns?

Surround yourself with a breastfeeding culture, with supportive friends, family, and caregivers. A pond full of swans and cygnets doesn’t look like a pond full of ducks and ducklings.

What does your pond look like? Where were you able to find families like yours?

First Latchexpectations, support, ugly duckling, Breastfeeding, breastmilk, baby, bottle feeding, motherhood