Breaking the Silence: Addressing Breastfeeding Shaming and Supporting Moms

In today’s world, mom shaming has become an unfortunate reality for mothers. The judgment and criticism come from all directions, whether it’s about staying home or going to work, screen time allowances, or the food choices we make for our children. However, there is one form of mom-shaming that often goes unspoken – breastfeeding shaming.

As we celebrate August as Breastfeeding Month, it’s time to shed light on this issue that deserves attention and understanding. Breastfeeding mothers face unwarranted criticism and judgment, and it’s about time we address this pervasive problem. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to, this blog post is for you.

Breastfeeding Shaming: The Silent Struggle

While society has taken steps to eliminate mom shaming around formula feeding, the same cannot be said for breastfeeding. Discussions about the benefits of breastfeeding or advice for breastfeeding mothers are frequently misconstrued as attacks on those who choose not to breastfeed. This phenomenon has created a climate where supporting breastfeeding mothers is viewed as mom shaming, leading to a reluctance to address this issue publicly.

Breastfeeding mothers face a barrage of unwelcome comments and judgment from others, often coming from family members, friends, or even strangers. Some of the hurtful remarks include questioning the mother’s milk supply, suggesting that breastfeeding is causing problems for the baby, and even labeling breastfeeding mothers as selfish for wanting to breastfeed their babies.

The Impact of Breastfeeding Shaming

Countless mothers have experienced breastfeeding shaming, and they bravely shared their stories to shed light on this unspoken struggle. One mother’s mother-in-law discouraged her from breastfeeding, believing it would spoil the baby. Another mother faced criticism from a friend of her mom visiting from the UK, who deemed public breastfeeding unacceptable. The stories are endless, with people blaming breastfeeding for various issues without any basis.

Breastfeeding Tips and Empowerment

To create a supportive environment for breastfeeding mothers, we need to encourage understanding, empathy, and empowerment. Here are some tips from experienced breastfeeding moms:

Ignore Negativity

Don’t let the negativity of others undermine your confidence in breastfeeding. Trust yourself and your medical team in making the right decisions for you and your baby.

Seek Correct Information

Learn about proper latching techniques to avoid pain during feeding sessions and promote a better breastfeeding experience.

Encourage Night-Time Feeding

Night-time feedings can help babies sleep better, and moms can learn to rest while feeding their little ones.

Embrace Comfort

Find a comfortable feeding position for you and your baby, making the experience enjoyable for both.

Nourish Yourself

Breastfeeding requires extra energy, so nourish yourself with healthy, balanced meals to ensure quality breast milk for your baby.

Support Groups

Seek support from breastfeeding support groups or friends who have experience. Empowerment and shared stories can be invaluable during your breastfeeding journey.

Understand Your Baby’s Needs

Every baby is different, so learn to understand your baby’s feeding cues and schedule to ensure they are well-nourished.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding shaming is a pervasive issue that deserves our attention and support. Just like formula feeding, breastfeeding is a personal choice made by each mother based on her unique circumstances. It’s crucial that we break the silence around breastfeeding shaming and create a supportive environment for all moms, regardless of their feeding choices.

Let’s stand together as a community, offering empathy, understanding, and encouragement to breastfeeding mothers. After all, what matters most is a happy, healthy baby and a confident, empowered mom.

Next Steps

You might have questions about how to handle tantrums. Or how to help your kids learn to talk, or get them started learning to read. But you don’t have hours to sift through all the competing online resources! You might be feeling the pressure of advice from others, or feeling guilty that your life is not like that of other parents.

Check out our FREE Discerning Parenting Toolkit and Resource Library.

Do you want to take the guesswork out of parenting your new baby? You may want to visit Hatch&Grow. Created by Pediatricians, Hatch&Grow provides you with up-to-date, evidence-based child-rearing and healthcare information, takes away the stress of guesswork for a parent, and, hopefully, brings back the joy of confidently raising a child.