The charm and the challenge
of being a first-time mother
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends mothers worldwide to exclusively
breastfeed infants during the child’s first six months to achieve optimal
growth, development and health. But while mother’s milk always should be the first
choice, some mothers experiencing illness and pain find great support in infant
formulas.
Earlier this year, 36-year-old Linnea from Sweden gave birth
to her first child, Carl. Just like many first-time mothers would
do, she describes the experience as very emotional and the
biggest thing in a woman’s life. But not all things turned out
the way Linnea had expected.
“The biggest surprise for me was when it came to breastfeeding”,
Linnea says. “I don’t think you talk that much about
it and you just expect it to work by itself, as the most natural
thing.”
But when Carl was only a few weeks old, there were
a lot of challenges for Linnea who struggled with several
high fevers and lots of pain. This, of course, had serious
consequences for Carl who became dehydrated and didn’t
gain weight as expected. Linnea contacted her doctor and
scheduled an appointment.
“The doctor recommended us to add, for a limited time, some
formula as a compliment to the breastfeeding, so that’s what
we did. It was such a relief for me as a mother and it really
helped us both a lot. Carl became very satisfied and full.”
Linnea explains that the most important thing for her
during this period was to support her baby and to be able to
relax and take away the pressure she had felt.
“I know that breastfeeding is the best for him, and now,
after four months, we are doing great with it”, Linnea says.
“My advice to other first-time mothers is to try to stay strong
with the breastfeeding and continue for at least six months.
But don’t be afraid to ask for help because there is help to
get.”
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