Why I chose exclusive breastfeeding. It wasn't an ideal, but a choice based on 'reality'.

Originally, I wasn't the type who said, 'I absolutely want to raise my child on breast milk!'
I was fine with mixed feeding, and I felt like, 'If I have breast milk, I'll give it to them.'

But in the end, I ended up exclusively breastfeeding.
One of the reasons was that a lump in my breast was pointed out during pregnancy.

Another reason was that I developed milk blebs, which made it easy for my ducts to get clogged.

Breast milk clogs even more if you don't express it, right?
In addition to that, it's said that breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer,

so I thought, 'If it helps with prevention even a little...'
and before I knew it, I was exclusively breastfeeding.

But honestly speaking,

far from cancer prevention,
I felt like I was going to collapse first from lack of sleep and exhaustion. lol

Nighttime feedings are tough, and I have almost no time for myself.
There have been many times when I've thought, 'Is there really any point in continuing this?'

Even so, one way or another, I'm still continuing it now.

I really feel that you can't continue exclusive breastfeeding on ideals alone.
There are days when I find it tough, but even so, I'm still breastfeeding today.

I want to cherish the time I can spend with this child, even if just a little.

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