By Steph Montgomery
courtesy of Steph Montgomery
It seems like the phrase, “breast is best” is everywhere. I am currently pregnant with my third baby, and I see it at the OB-GYN’s office, on my pregnancy app, in magazines, on social media, and even on cans of formula. As a mom, public health professional, and infant-feeding advocate, you’d think that I’d love how ubiquitous this message is, but I honestly hate it. You see, breast wasn’t best for me or my babies. In fact, the pressure to breastfeed made me want to die.
On Tuesday, I read a story on Facebook about Florence Leung, a young mother who died last year after she lost her battle with postpartum depression. Two months after her death, her husband, Kim Chen, made a statement on a Facebook page dedicated to her memory and shared more of her story. He encouraged new moms to get help and to not succumb to pressures to breastfeed.
Read more at Romper.