What’s true for most is never true for all. There is a bell curve to human anatomy and physiology. What you are taught is the middle of the curve: what most people do. But there is such a wide variety of normal, the people at either end of the spectrum often are lead to believe that what they experience isn’t normal, when it fact it’s just a variation of normal. Breastfeeding is the same. There is a wide variation of normal. For example:

💦It’s normal to leak milk. It’s also normal to not leak milk at all. Many leak for the first 3-4 months and see the leaking slow when supply regulates around 11-14 weeks. Some stop leaking right away and other leak the whole time the breastfeed

🤱🏾Most breastfed babies (once they’re no longer newborns) want to feed every 2-3 hours and average 8-12 feedings in 24 hours. Some breastfed babies will only do 5-6 feedings and others will seem like boob barnacles who are latched all day. As long as your baby is making enough wet and dirty diapers and gaining weight as expected, let them feed how they want

👼🏼Most breast feeders cannot go more than 6 hours without feeding or pumping and maintain their milk supply. The breast needs emptied frequently to get the signal that more milk needs made. But some can go 8-12 hours and not lose supply. While others can’t go more than 2-3 without the same risk. Breast storage capacity is unique in every breast and what’s true for you won’t be true for someone else

If someone tells you “All breastfeeding does/looks like/should be….”, don’t believe them. While there are general guidelines to how breastfeeding works, there is still such a wide variety of normal. And what works for you won’t necessarily work for someone else. If something is working for you, don’t let comparison to someone else’s journey sabotage your own.