When breastfeeding fails

So, you've decided to breastfeed - great!

At first glance, it seems pretty obvious: pull out breast, attach child and voila! You and your newborn snuggle into one of the sweetest (literally - your milk is sweet!), most vital things you'll ever do for your infant.

Unfortunately for some women, this flow-chart breaks down at the "attach child" phase due to issues with latching - most frequently because the infant is "tongue-tied", which makes them unable to successfully latch on the mother's nipple. There is some dispute on the practice of tongue-clipping and its necessity for successful breastfeeding.

Other women have issues with their milk supply due to poor nutrition, being away from their newborn too often, and/or stress, which often leads them to opt for formula rather than making simple diet and life changes that're more "milk-positive".

Some women choose not to breastfeed because they are taking medications which're potentially risky to their infant.

The reality is the majority of women who fail to breastfeed beyond the first month do so because they lack critical knowledge about breastfeeding and receive little active support from their partner and/or family in the process.

Either way, it's not a major tragedy if you're forced to choose formula, but many women still feel badly about their inability to breastfeed.

If you make an honest effort to breastfeed and fail due to circumstances which're truly beyond your control, don't beat yourself up: you did your best - modern life isn't particularly infant-friendly, especially when it comes to breastfeeding.