04/08/2025
🤱 B R E A S T F E E D I N G 🤱
Not a given, not easy and definitely not for every mum and baby out there. There are so many mamas out there who make it look like it’s easy and that everyone can do it, but the reality is, breastfeeding is hard!
I wasn’t able to breastfeed my little boy. I had him towards the end of the pandemic so there was little to no support from feeding teams, and he had an undiagnosed tongue tie which meant he couldn’t latch properly. I spent the first week fiercely pumping and hand expressing because I wanted to give him the best start in life, and caused myself so much stress and worry over it. We eventually settled with formula and topped up with expressed breast milk when I could, and this is what worked best for us as a new family of 3. It also meant daddy could help out with feeds. For all it was our decision I carried so much guilt and felt like I had failed somehow as a mum. I also felt mum shamed on some occasions from other mums, friends and family when they asked “are you breastfeeding?” And “why not?” 😢
Fast forward 3 years and Im breastfeeding my baby girl. Breastfeeding is HARD; cluster feeding in the first few weeks has meant I’ve missed out on precious time with my 3 year old, I’ve felt isolated some days when I’m stuck on the sofa or in bed with her on my breast for what feels like hours at a time and when you have no idea how long or when feeds will happen, it feels difficult and awkward to leave the house. We decided to start giving a bottle of formula at 11pm at night - this means Adam can feed her AND she sleeps for a solid 3-4 hours which gives me some much needed sleep before the whole thing starts again at around 3am!
So my point is, which ever way you decide to feed your baby, it is the right way for you. No guilt, no shame and no pressure. Your choice and your decision.
