Breastfeeding is one of the natural and wonderful things in the world but many parents have their reasons to choose a different route.
One woman whose sister-in-law has just given birth said she was left feeling horrified after seeing the mother completely stressed and exhausted from trying to breastfeed.
“When I dropped the food off I was shocked at how bad my sister-in-law looked. She literally looked like the walking dead, barely awake, not showered and she was actually crying because she was so frustrated,” the woman wrote on Reddit.
“It actually scared me how bad she looked,” she continued.
“At first I didn’t want to butt in but it bothered me so much I went back to the store and got a can of baby formula. I figured it would give her a break and my niece could eat.”
When she came back with the formula, the new mother cried even more and said that she was the first person to tell her that it was okay if she could not breastfeed. It turned out that their family members are pressuring her to breastfeed her daughter even though it was difficult for her newborn to latch on.
“I was so angry at my brother because he sat back while my sister-in-law suffered. There was no way he didn’t see how bad she looked (no offense but she looked terrible),” the woman went on.
“I got my sister-in-law to shower after my niece ate and fell asleep and I changed the sheets on the bed and told her to sleep while my niece slept and I said I would get more baby formula.”
The woman thought that she had done the right thing as her sister-in-law finally got some sleep while her newborn niece was fully fed.
However, her brother told their family members about what happened and they were not happy about it.
“My parents and cousin are furious at me and my sister-in-law’s sister agreed with them and left me an angry voicemail full of swearing,” she expressed.
“My dad said I overstepped and should not have butted in. Normally I’m big on minding my own business, but this time I was scared s***less after seeing my sister-in-law looking so unwell.
“Since I’m not a mother or baby expert I have no idea what it is like with a newborn. I’m second guessing now after feeling like I did the right thing because everyone is angry with me.”
Her post received hundreds of comments, with one Reddit user saying: “ You totally did the right thing. Some women no matter how much they want to breastfeed, just can’t for various reasons. The mom and the baby should not have to suffer for it.”
Another wrote: “You probably saved the baby’s life. Husband should have taken her to the hospital and they would have probably done the same thing, giving the baby formula. Some people are so smug about thinking they are right they ignore the facts under their nose.”
A third said: “I’m glad you were brave and caring for your sister-in-law and her baby. Good job, you’re a good person and I’m sure she is very thankful for all you did.”
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