25 Things That Could Be Harder Than Breastfeeding

Is breastfeeding hard?  With all the breastfeeding booby traps facing women it's no wonder so many give up or never even consider it.  But unless she is one of the small percentage that physically can not breastfeed (google Insufficient Glandular Tissue, this and other real physical problems DO happen), when it comes to breastfeeding most women have already faced harder challenges and came through them stronger more resilient versions of themselves.

I asked the Facebook Leakies what were some things they have faced that were harder for them than breastfeeding.  Out of the 51 comments only a very small few said breastfeeding was the hardest thing they'd ever done, most listed other physical and even a few emotional experiences way above the early difficult days of breastfeeding.  Several said that most everything was harder than breastfeeding for them, it was just that easy in their experience- don't hate them those luckies!  Considering that many women regularly have their hair pulled out of their skin with teasers plucking one at a time or wax ripping the whole kit 'n caboodle off at once, I seriously doubt there is much one could through at us that would be too hard.


25 Thing that could be harder than breastfeeding.
What you may or may not face or maybe even already have that is harder than breastfeeding or breastmilk pumping.  Many thanks to the Facebook Leakies for this list!


Emotional and stressful situation challenges:

• Depression
• Isolation
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Deployments
• Finding a balance between kiddos and being at peace with a messy house
• Recovering from birth trauma 
• Relationship issues

Out of our own control Physical and Illness Challenges:

• Morning sickness
• Hemorrhoids
• Urinary Tract Infection
• Period cramps
• Recovering from an emergency C Section
• Food poisoning
• Being sick while having to take care of a baby
• Walking in the last month of pregnancy
• Labor
• Stubbing your toe
• Stomach flu
• Constipation
• Lack of sleep
• Sinus infections
• Gallbladder pain
• Episiotomy recovery or 4th degree tear
• Back pain
• Strep Throat
• Kidney Stones          
• Tooth ache

 
Elective Physical Challenges:

• Bikini wax 
• Tattoo  
• Running around the block (or running at all)

Please don't think I'm saying that women that don't breastfeed are wimps or that it being too hard is the only reason women don't breastfeed.  I know this isn't true.  I also know that any combination of these things could make breastfeeding not only very difficult but a part of a more encompassing difficulty.  Sometimes though, if everything does work right we just need to see that while it may be challenging we can already handle hard.


Breastfeeding hard?  Yeah, maybe sometimes it is.  Bring it baby, women can handle hard.