Breastmilk is a strong source of nutrition for babies, yet only about 1 in 4 infants get it exclusively, according to the CDC.
August kicks off with World Breastfeed Week.
It is a question moms-to-be hear for nine months -- do you plan to breastfeed?
Tia Kling, a registered nurse at Elkhart General Hospital and mom of three, says she knew the answer all along.
"I knew I wanted to breastfeed as soon as I found out I was pregnant," said Kling.
Even for Kling, who spends much of her time helping and teaching other moms to do it, she herself faced struggles breastfeeding with her second child.
She says at first it can be discouraging, but it is part of a journey many moms and babies go through together.
Michelle Kaufman, a Certified Nurse Midwife with Beacon Medical Group, says the reason she and so many other professionals encourage moms like Kling to keep going is because it has so many benefits.
"For babies, it helps to decrease the risk of asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes, they get sick less often. And for moms, it decreases the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and interestingly, we're also learning it also improves our heart health," said Kaufman.
With benefits like that in mind, Kling sought out extra support during her journey with an option many might not know they have -- a private lactation consultant.
There, professionals do things like weigh the baby, and reassure mom that things are going the way they should.
It was a resource Kling says was incredibly helpful.
"Each challenge, I had to re-learn her. And she had to also learn how to overcome that challenge. I found comfort in knowing that it's a learning process. There's a growth curve with each child, and that is the bonding that we talk about with breastfeeding," said Kling.
While it can be discouraging when things do not seem to click right away, Kaufman says there are options.
She says natural does not necessarily mean easy, and that you do not have to be "all-in."
"Any amount is going to be helpful for both mom and baby. We have formula and it can be very helpful. And so we're here to support people in whatever their goals and plans are, those things can change," said Kaufman.
Kaufman recommends breastfeeding classes for moms-to-be and their support systems, as up to four hands are initially needed to start breastfeeding.
In her words, it takes a village.
And during a month that emphasizes the education on and awareness of breastfeeding, Kaufman and Kling say that is sometimes all mom and baby really need.
"The more we can normalize it and support it, the more likely that more people can do it," said Kaufman.
"The socialization and normalizing of breastfeeding is so much more important than I knew before I had my first child. What you can do is just be understanding that not everybody's journey looks like yours. Maybe you breastfed a baby that did tolerate a cover, or maybe you breastfed a baby who did feed on a schedule, but not everybody's baby is like that. So I think that having confidence in maternal instincts that that mom knows best what her baby needs and where her baby needs to feed is helpful to a breastfeeding mom," said Kling.