lactation failures

One of those things that is not talked about, but should be.

While I didn't have a "failure," I had real challenges. Which included the milk taking so long to come in that my baby's lips were chapped with dehydration. And which included feeds that took between an hour and 4 hours, probably becuase the flow was so low. And which meant that I was not able to pump more than a few ounces at a time, which would have made continued breastfeeding very difficult if I'd needed to return to work.

I think it's good to encourage people who want to breastfeed to not give up too early. But we also have to acknowledge that a copious milk supply does not come to all. Failing to acknowledge this can lead to consequences for both the mother and the baby (as in the case of one breastfed infant who starved to death.