Stash Pics?!

Namastè!

I'm sitting in my little pump space. I have my chair, my sparkly pump, and my craft of the day--a learning journal for Brother Bear.

Today I had to bag and freeze the milk from yesterday and the day before, and it's 120 ounces!!! My kiddo's stash is remaining steady, and I'm beyond proud.

As a breastfeeding mom--three years in, thank you kindly, with an average of 200K ounces donated per year!--I know the pump doesn't represent anything except another bottle.

It doesn't measure my ability.

It doesn't measure my strength as a mom.

It doesn't even measure my milk, as no pump removes 100%!

But when I look in the freezer or deep freeze, I can't help but feel proud. My body does this, with no magic food or drink. I don't have superhuman powers. I don't even have a ton of support, aside from my mommy friends and a few blogs.

It's amazing to me, and because I'm cataloging every step, I take pictures of the stash. I take pictures when I donate and clear it out. I take pics when I restart. I take pics when it's a burgeoning mother lode.

As I share my journey, I also share my pictures.

And then the weirdness starts.

First off, when I see a mom rocking it, I congratulate her. I don't get any stronger by shaking another moms foundation. I don't make more milk for my baby by taking cheap shots at another mom's stash. And yes, I truly think a stash of 4 ounces is just as important as my current stash of 400 ounces.

Why?

Because I recognize and appreciate the work that goes into even one pump session.

What I don't really get is, why a photo of my success triggers a snapshot of another mother's failure.

It's a picture. It's one mom's journey. Looking at that picture of her journey should not effect negative feelings toward your own!