Psst...

...I have a secret to tell you.

I'm not breastfeeding Audrey.

Say that too loud in some circles, and people will make you feel like you're the worst mother ever. But guess what? It doesn't work for everyone. I tried it for 10 days... 10. Long. Days... and it just wasn't right for us. I wasn't producing enough milk to sustain her (as in, like, 1/2 ounce after 20 minutes of pumping); I was in extreme pain; each feeding was taking 1.5-2 hours (breastfeed, supplement with formula, cuddle for a little bit, then pump); she was freaking out at every feeding because she was starving; in short, we were both miserable.

So we decided to quit... but before doing so, I did a lot of research. I wanted to know if my guilt would go away or if I'd always feel like I'd failed our child. What a crock - the so-called "experts" proclaimed that the reason moms probably feel guilty for stopping breastfeeding is because "you know you're denying your child the most nutritious meal you can provide." Can you say SUCK IT?! I was furious to read that. I think that made my guilt subside immediately, just out of spite.

Well, OK, not immediately. I still felt bad about it for a couple of days. The irony was that I didn't feel bad about my lack of ability to breastfeed; I felt bad because I didn't want to do it anymore. But now, I am 110% confident that we made the right decision - and we're all happier for it. Besides, I was a formula-fed baby and seemed to turn out just fine...

...and our little princess will be fine, too. :)