Give credit where credit is due

After a lot of hard work involving blood, sweat, and tears, you finally got breastfeeding established? Yeeeeessssss. Take all the credit, you deserve it!

"Last but not least, I wanna thank me. I wanna thank me for believing in me. I wanna thank me for doing all this hard work. I wanna thank me for having no days off. I wanna thank me for never quitting. I wanna thank me for always being a giver and trying to give more than I receive. I wanna thank me for trying to do more right than wrong. I wanna thank me for just being me at all times." Snoop Dogg being awarded his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Breastfeeding moms: You might feel like it took a village to get yourself and your baby to this point. The nurses in the hospital who helped your baby latch, the lactation consultant you met with, your partner who encouraged you, the pediatrician who gave you some tips, your OB who prescribed nipple cream, and even your baby who FINALLY figured it out, NONE of them earned this like YOU did. Because you were there every minute, persisting, enduring pain, problem solving, sometimes crying, trying different things, learning new skills, pushing through exhaustion, and above all not quitting. YOU did it! So pat yourself on the back, new mama! You're amazing.

One of my favorite things about being a lactation consultant is watching new moms become empowered through the process of making breastfeeding work. I know first hand how frustrating and difficult it can be in the beginning. Almost no one is prepared for that. I recall one of the moms in the support group that I lead saying, "This is hands down the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And I have a PhD from Wash U." If you are reading this right now and breastfeeding is not going well, it's OK. You are in the same boat as millions of other new moms. The fact that you are in this struggle with that new baby of yours, is bonding the two of you for life. When you figure it out, you will be triumphant like you never imagined. You guys did it together - you're a TEAM! What seems impossible IS possible. Take things one day at a time. That's crucial. If you had a long term goal, like "I plan to breastfeed my baby for a year," don't even think about that right now. Ask yourself, "Can I just get through today?" Can you keep working on the latch, letting baby cluster-feed, or triple-feeding if necessary? Can you tap into all your resources and ask for help? Can you find a support group?

When it finally all comes together and feels as natural and easy as say, using a fork & knife, you will have arrived. You did it, maybe with the help of your village, but the ultimate responsibility was yours, and you rose to the challenge. So reap the rewards! Bask in the glory! Strut around with the confidence of Snoop Dogg, knowing that YOU are a rock star.