How did it happen that the hardest thing I would ever do would be to feed my child? Was it a shock because I was unprepared? Because everything else went so smoothly? Or does every new mom run the physical and emotional gauntlet of trying to meet the nutritional needs of her baby?
When I was pregnant, I read a few books about pregnancy, childbirth, and babies. All said that breastfeeding is best for both mom and baby for dozens of reasons, and most went on to explain the choice between breastfeeding and formula feeding. But what choice? Who would actively choose what is NOT best for her baby?
But according to the CDC, only 19% of new moms in 2008 were still breastfeeding after 12 months.
What else is at work here? Why do new moms not breastfeed? In the four months since my son was born, I discovered, there are too many to count—and you only need one.
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