There are many things that have changed throughout the course of my life that I am amazed by.
The progress we've made in gay rights, equal pay for equal work, to name a few. There have been many things that have changed in my nearly 33 years, it's really remarkable to think about how different the world was "when I was a kid."
One of the things that has really changed is how widely accepted breastfeeding is nowadays. My mother didn't breastfeed my siblings or I. The first time I ever saw a woman breastfeed, I was 10 years-old and just amazed (and slightly horrified) by the whole thing. Maybe it was just in my world, but breastfeeding was just not something people did. Formula and bottles were everywhere when my siblings were young, and then when my parents' friends and family members began having babies.
With less than four months to go until my baby is expected, I am now faced with a choice: To breastfeed or not to breastfeed.
Sure, it doesn't seem as prophetic as Hamlet's to be or not to be, but to me it almost is.
Everything I've read since becoming pregnant encourages new moms to breastfeed. It's healthier for the baby, it's a way for mommy and baby to bond, it's what we were born to do, etc.
But then I read stories of women who can't breastfeed and then worry that their child is going to go without the necessary nutrients, or that they won't bond, or that it means they've failed as a mother because it's what we as women were born to do.
Neither my husband nor I have strong feelings around how we feed our child. This will be the first child for both of us, so we're both not sure what to expect in a lot of areas, breastfeeding is just one of them.
So following this past World Breastfeeding Week 2015, I ask you dear reader: How did you decide to breastfeed (if you did)? If you didn't, why not? Give this soon-to-be-mom your breastfeeding truths and words of wisdom. I could really use them right now.
RELATED: 6 Steps To Get Your Best Start With Breastfeeding
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