“Feeding is a hot button for new moms everywhere. There’s so much controversy around it. Should you breastfeed, should you bottle feed, should you pump, is formula good or bad — the list goes on. What you need to remember here is that at the end of the day, we have to feed the baby. 

“And the best way to feed your baby is the one that allows you to enjoy the postpartum period the best you can. For some moms, it’s bottle feeding; for others, it’s breastfeeding, and there’s no right or wrong answer. 

“If you’re thinking about making changes (i.e., switching from breast to bottle), try to get some outside support before you make any hard decisions. In my experience, many moms want to give up on breastfeeding when they’ve had a difficult few days in the process, but you don’t want to give up too quickly because it may be just a phase (see point #2 above). If you’ve never experienced this kind of bump in the road, you might panic about feeding your baby and immediately seek out the thing that makes you feel better. 

“Before you do, take a moment to lean into your village (see point #1 above). Even if that person tells you, “It’s normal, it happens, and here’s how we get through it,” they’re far enough outside the intimacy of the situation to give you some perspective and maybe some peace of mind.”