If you are afraid of breastfeeding, not to worry, this is a common fear especially if you are a first-time mother. It is also a common fear among mothers who had a negative experience breastfeeding with their first child. There are many reasons why mothers are afraid to breast feed; these include, afraid of leakage, afraid of feeding in public, afraid of the pain and much more. The good news is that you can overcome these fears by applying a few practical tips. In this article you will learn about what can be the fears of breastfeeding and ways to overcome difficulties of breastfeeding.
What Can be the Fears of Breastfeeding?
What can be the fears of breastfeeding is a question that many new mothers want the answer to. Here are some of the most common breastfeeding fears:
- Afraid to Breastfeed in Public: Nursing in public can be a frightening experience, many mothers are afraid of what people will say, and they are also afraid of exposing themselves. Whether mothers should breastfeed in public has been a long-standing debate, some are for it, and others are against it. The bottom line is that if your child is hungry, they must be fed, so it shouldn’t be something you are afraid of because your child’s health must come first.
- Afraid of the Pain: There is no doubt that breastfeeding can be a painful experience, the nipple area can become very sensitive with bleeding, cracked nipples and blisters. This can make the process very painful and uncomfortable.
- Afraid of the Inconvenience: As stated, when your baby is hungry, they must be fed. There is no established time as to how long it can take which means that any other plans that you may have had can go out the window.
- Afraid of Leaking: You have probably heard of or experienced your own horror stories of leaky breasts in public, whether it’s at a board meeting or in the line at the grocery store. Either way, you don’t want to experience that type of embarrassment.
- Afraid That Your Body Will Change: Your body is not going to rebound back into shape as soon as you have given birth. In fact, it will take some time before things go back to normal. So, whether you breastfeed or not, your breasts are going to change.
Ways to Overcome the Difficulties of Breastfeeding
- Afraid to Breastfeed in Public: There are several ways you can breastfeed in public without exposing yourself, these include doing the following:
- Use a breastfeeding cover or a large swaddling blanket to cover yourself.
- If you are at a friends or a family members house, ask to nurse in a separate room.
- You will get into a set routine of your baby’s feeding and sleeping times, so you can plan your outings around these times.
- Afraid of the Pain: After a few weeks your body will adjust, and you won’t find it so uncomfortable to breastfeed. You will also learn how to latch and unlatch your baby to eliminate the pain. There are several things you can do to make the experience less painful:
- Learn the best techniques for the latching process, you can get advice from your nurse or lactation specialist.
- Before and after every breastfeeding session, apply lanolin cream.
- When you are experiencing any pain, take some Tylenol.
- Relax – it doesn’t help when you are stressed out
- Afraid of the Inconvenience: First time mothers especially find this difficult because they want to be free to do what they want like everyone else. However, this feeling won’t last forever, it’s impossible to fight the inevitable so you simply have to find ways to cope with it. Instead of focusing on the inconvenience, enjoy the fact that your partner or your family members are going to have to do things for you when you are nursing like bring you breakfast in bed, wash the dishes, and do the laundry!
- Afraid of Leaking: Some mothers state that they have never leaked in public; however, if you want to make sure that you are fully protected, make sure you wear nursing pads. You can pop them in your bra when you are going out, you can either purchase disposable or washable nursing pads.
- Afraid That Your Body Will Change: Your body is going to change during pregnancy, this is a fact that you can’t escape. Breastfeeding will not alter the shape of your body any more than the pregnancy itself. When you learn to accept this, things will become a lot easier for you. The good news is that after a few months, your body will eventually go back to normal.
Conclusion
Regardless of your fears, you can have a successful experience with breastfeeding if you follow the practical tips that have been highlighted in this article.
