# @lifewiththeswinneys on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CKXEszND5LF
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/77366653-lifewiththeswinneys-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/1b4ed2d4f9.jpg
- **Posted:** 2021-01-22T20:23:01.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Dom&Alex | Dallas Influencer + Family fun (@lifewiththeswinneys) — https://gondola.cc/lifewiththeswinneys

## Caption

Getting pregnant young I’ve always felt this need to prove myself to whoever was looking...
And one of the biggest ways I found my “worth” as a young mom, was in breastfeeding.

I prided myself on being able to say that I’ve breastfed all my kids! Pumping around the clock, breastfeeding on demand, anything to make sure that formula never touched my kids lips unless absolutely necessary.. 

I’ve always felt that breastfeeding made me awesome.
That is made me a better mom.
That if I gave my children formula, It would look like I can’t handle being a mom and breastfeeding...

Then I had baby number 6. 
And I told my husband that I would give him formula AND breast milk because I wanted to be able to leave him, and sleep a little more, and maybe not be as stressed.
I thought I was prepared to do what was best for me and not let the stigma around “breast is best” get to me...

Then the time came and all I could think about was how judged I would be if people knew I gave my child formula. 
All the questions I would get..
Did your milk not come in?
Did he have a bad latch?
Was it too hard to breastfeed and stay at home with 5 other small kids?

So at first I didn’t give him any formula.. 
and then I did, but I hid it. 
I didn’t want anyone to know.
I didn’t want anyone to think less of me because I’m not exclusively breastfeeding.. 
because I could if I wanted to. 

But I WANT to give him formula.. 

Maybe to you that makes me selfish or a bad mom. 

But I’m choosing to no longer let the fear of man stop me from not only doing what’s best for me and my baby, but being open about it as well.. 
And I hope you can too 🤍🖤

Let’s cheer each other on, 
let’s purposely find others who are raising their kids differently, and let’s choose to see the good in them.
We are all fighting an uphill battle trying to parent during a pandemic. 
CHOOSE to cheer another mama on, even when you don’t agree. 
❤️ 
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#imperfectlyperfect #motherhoodunplugged #yournotalone #youwillmakeit #youareloved #powerofpositivity #positivethinking #motherhood #momblogger #boymom #postpartum #newborn #4thtrimester #pandemic #survivingmotherhood

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 381
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 50

## Credits

No public credits are recorded here. This does not identify who made the post.

## Tags

imperfectlyperfect, newborn, powerofpositivity, motherhoodunplugged, youareloved, pandemic, youwillmakeit, survivingmotherhood, momblogger, positivethinking, motherhood, yournotalone, postpartum, 4thtrimester, boymom

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