"There's so much we don't say out loud, not because it's not true, not because it doesn't matter, but because somewhere along the way, we were taught that strength looks like silence and that if we're struggling, it must mean we're doing something wrong."
"The fourth trimester was the hardest thing I've ever been through. Harder than our 30-hour calls in residency. Harder than the all-nighters I pulled in medical school before an exam."
"Breastfeeding didn't come naturally like I thought it would. When my baby's weight dropped to the 3rd percentile in the hospital, I blamed myself. Supplementing felt like failure."
"I tracked every session obsessively, convinced that if I just tried harder, my supply would improve. I equated my ability to nourish my baby with my worth as a mother."
The experience of motherhood can be overwhelming, especially during the fourth trimester. Many women feel pressured to maintain a facade of strength, often equating their worth with their ability to breastfeed. The struggle with breastfeeding can lead to feelings of failure and inadequacy, particularly when societal messages emphasize that 'breast is best.' The journey of motherhood involves navigating multiple identities and the challenges that come with them, often in silence due to societal expectations.
Read at Psychology Today
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