World Breastfeeding Week 2014: When Breastfeeding Doesn't Work

When a woman makes the choice to breastfeed, she usually doesn't anticipate that it won't work. After all, we are told that almost everyone can breastfeed--and this is true: Lactation is a robust biological process that almost always works. But though there are only a few medical conditions in which breastfeeding may be limited, there are many medical circumstances that can present lactation and feeding challenges. Mothers who wean early for medical reasons or who are never able to breastfeed at all suffer a loss and may experience a spectrum of emotions that range from disappointment, frustration and anger to guilt, sadness and grief to relief and acceptance.