It is important to respect the individual breastfeeding journey of each woman. Regardless of her journey, any woman who has breastfed for a prolonged period of time feels emotional. Some mothers relish the experience, while others resist it. Indeed, it’s challenging, but the benefits far outweigh the difficulties. This young mother’s letter to us made everything clear.

I’ve always wanted to breastfeed, since since I first learned I was pregnant. I constantly tell myself to give it my all and if it doesn’t work out, that’s okay because I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and slip into a negative blank. Whether breast or bottle feeding, I firmly feel that nursing is better. I never in a million years imagined we would advance to this point. 355 days spent exclusively and concurrently caring for my daughters. I never imagined I would be able to nurse twins, yet here we are, nearly a year later, and things are still going well. I’m not sure how long we’ll go since the girls’ birthdays are coming up; we’ll decide that together.

Yet I am aware that getting there and maintaining it required a lot of commitment, endurance, and perseverance. ⁠ Shaming our bodies is simpler than praising ourselves. The fact that my body has been able to carry, deliver, and care for three infants makes me incredibly pleased, amazed, and appreciative. Sleepless nights, herd feeding, and possibly a few occasions over the past year of being away from them for just over 3 hours are all sacrifices, but they are all well worth it. None of that is anything I would trade for anything.

Now when the females are becoming bigger, it gets harder. When something makes them both laugh and they look at each other and laugh, that is when the three of them begin to laugh. First, they start crawling, climbing, and making fun of each other while eating. My heart can hardly take it, as we both agree.

Even though my body wasn’t mine for much of the past year, I felt stronger than ever and more at peace with the person I have become. Although it’s difficult and not suitable for everyone, it worked for us.