Breastfeeding in Real Life

Vital Signs

August 2025 Edition: Written by Dr. Erica Walters, Pediatrician

August is National Breastfeeding Month and is a time to promote, support, and protect lactating parents. As a pediatrician, lactation consultant, and mom, I have seen firsthand both how beautiful and meaningful – and how difficult and complicated – breastfeeding can be.

The internet and social media can have a lot of beautiful, inspiring content out there about breastfeeding. A sweet cozy newborn, smiling parents, an effortless latch, with the caption highlighting that warm fuzzy feeling of bonding with your baby in such a special way. If this is your reality - AMAZING! However, for many families, this social media portrayal is not accurate, and real life is a lot messier and filled with a lot more tears and emotions.

So, while I could talk to you all about the benefits of breastfeeding (of which there are many!), I’d rather talk to you about breastfeeding in real life and why doing it your way is more than good enough.

Breastfeeding is a journey

How you choose to feed your baby isn’t a one-time decision, and it is okay to change how you feed your baby. Some families start with nursing and later introduce bottles of expressed breastmilk or formula. Some families exclusively pump from the get-go. Other families use donor milk. Some will try everything they can for weeks or months to provide their own breastmilk and ultimately switch to formula. There is not a one-size-fits-all version of success when it comes to breastfeeding.

Social media isn’t reality 

We’ve all seen the dreamy nursing photos with soft lighting and peaceful babies. What we don’t often see are the milk-stained shirts, tears after a spilled bottle of pumped breastmilk, and the midnight Google searches of “why does breastfeeding hurt?” And we definitely don’t see the moments of frustration and self-doubt that most parents experience at some point. If your breastfeeding journey doesn’t seem Instagram-worthy, you’re not alone.

Hard doesn’t mean you’re failing

Breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt (and if it does, please reach out for help for professional lactation support), but the emotional side of breastfeeding can be just as hard. There can be so much judgment and pressure – from strangers on the internet, family and friends, and sometimes even healthcare professionals – to “do it right.” There’s even self-inflicted guilt over supplementing and feeling like you’re not enough.

But you are NOT a better parent because you breastfeed, and you are NOT a worse parent because you don’t. What matters most is that your baby is fed, loved, and growing and that YOU feel supported and cared for, too.

Support makes all the difference

If you feel like cursing at the people who say “breastfeeding is natural” because you’re struggling, you’re not failing – you just may need some extra support, and that’s normal! Lactation support isn’t just for the early newborn days. Whether you’re weeks in or months down the road, help is available.

At Associated Physicians, we’re here to help you – whether you’re nursing, pumping, combo feeding, or weaning. Our goal is to support your goals with evidence-based care and no judgment.

Celebrate what works for you

How you feed your baby is shaped by your baby’s needs, your body, your family life, your job, and your mental health. What works for one family may not work for another. Let’s shift the conversation from perfect to real, from pressure to support.

So, this National Breastfeeding Month, let’s celebrate the real stories. The messy ones. The imperfect ones. The resilient ones. The bottle-fed, the breastfed, the pumped and frozen and supplemented ones. The families who love their babies fiercely and are doing their best every day.

That includes you.

~ Dr. Erica

Dr. Erica Walters, Pediatrician

Local Lactation Resources

●      Associated Physicians

• 608-233-9746

●      Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) Breastfeeding Support Line

• English: 608-243-0449

• Español: 608-243-0380

●      UnityPoint Health - Meriter Hospital

• Provides breastfeeding classes (free and some fee)

• Breastfeeding Warmline: 608-417-6547 or 1-800-261-4449

●      SSM Health - St. Mary’s Hospital

• Breastfeeding helpline: 608-258-6474 or 1-800-336-6650

• Lactation services: 608-250-1571

• Free breastfeeding class information: 608-512-4001

●      WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors - 608-267-1111

• Provides breastfeeding support for WIC clients

●      Madison Area Donor Milk Alliance, Inc.

• Donate milk and get free donor milk (all donors are screened and tested)

• https://www.madmilkalliance.org/

●      La Leche League of Madison Area

• https://lllmadison.wordpress.com/