Bearing it All: My Breastfeeding Experience
“Alright, we are going to go around the room and introduce ourselves. Please say your name, how far along you are, and one benefit you heard breastmilk has.”
As we sat, 10 swollen and sweaty women ranging from 32 to 38 weeks pregnant, in an unairconditioned room in Park Slope Brooklyn that summer, I ate everything up — every bit of knowledge about the benefits of breastmilk. I noted every tip and trick on how to get my soon-to-be child to latch on. I welcomed the wives tales about how to increase my supply, and I scribbled “tell hospital no pacifier: NIPPLE CONFUSION!” in my packet of notes. I wanted to breastfeed from the get-go, but by the end of that two hour lactation session I knew I needed to breastfeed.
