10 breastfeeding struggles no one tells you about

Don’t you just love those cute little bundles of joy? But making sure little Johnny or little Suzie doesn’t cry means he or she has to be well fed and this means breastfeeding.

Truth of the matter is, it may be natural but it is not simple. If anything it is challenging, full of unexpected but very breathtaking. To help you understand, let’s delve into those breastfeeding struggles no one tells you about.

For many women latching isn’t easy and this causes pain as the baby suckles. This balance has to be met by both mother and child to make sure the at least half the areola is completely sucked by the baby’s mouth. If not, this results in cracked and very sore nipples.

Before you write this off as an old housewives’ tale, breastfeeding actually does burn calories resulting in weight loss. How you ask? Because you have no time to eat.

If you thought only urine changes color when you eat lots of beetroot and other colored vegetables, you are wrong. Some women have reported bright blue milk as a result of what they are consuming.

If you notice your baby is crying a lot or a change in behaviour when nursing something could be up. And more likely than not it could be from something you ate. If you had a spicy treat that’s not normally part of your regular diet, this could affect the taste of your milk. This could result in the baby developing a tummy ache or its bottom turning red.

When breastfeeding, the hormone oxytocin is released. It helps your uterus contract back to its normal size and that’s why in early days of breastfeeding you may feel cramping or contractions in your stomach just after your let down.

One breast is always bigger than the other and that is thought to be due to the glandular tissue that produces the milk. To make matters worse the baby might favor one breast over the other regardless of how much milk it is producing.

Many mothers apparently feel a tingling sensation when their milk lets down which is very normal. This especially during the first few weeks of nursing. Leaking can be triggered when you hear the cry of your baby or any other baby which is completely normal.

For those women who have flat or inverted nipples, latching becomes tough for the baby. Depending on how bad, some mothers are forced to pump out the milk or use breast shields but only for a short time.

This happens when your breasts become very full at least once while nursing usually three to five days after birth when their milk comes in. While it can be very uncomfortable, it generally corrects itself once mother’s supply adapts to the baby's demands.

This is caused by bacteria entering your breast through the nipple and might make your breasts appear red and feel tender. A fever and other flulike symptoms may develop and in most cases, mastitis requires antibiotics. Should this be the case, contact your doctor immediately.