Most moms have a love-hate relationship with breastfeeding; what’s unique from mom-to-mom is the exact measure of the emotions involved.

No one loves the pain of getting started, with all the glamour of cracked nipples, leakage and balloonage. Balloonage is not a word, in case you’re wondering, but anyone who has breastfed or is allergic to beestings knows what “balloonage” means.

Your baby might start crying because Uncle Francis is wearing too much Aqua Velva. Even though your own eyes are burning and you can taste his cologne in the air, instinctually, a baby’s tears, heck — any baby’s tears, plus probably when dogs bark — and you suddenly feel like your baby is hungry and you’re not making enough breast milk.

Then there’s that first taste of post-natal freedom where you skip out of the house to make a grocery store run. You’ve never been so exhilarated by a solo car ride since you were handed your driver’s license. Then you wind up behind an extreme couponer at checkout, which makes you hyperventilate because you’re going to be late for the next feed.

On the Other Hand… :: keep reading …

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