Breastfeeding Support – From One New Mum to Another

I chose to breastfeed my baby as I believe that a mothers’ milk is one of the best gifts a mother can give to her newborn as it is uniquely made for her baby, it protects her baby from immediate and long-term infections and diseases and it’s available on demand.  Breastfeeding also provides health benefits for the mother and not to mention that breastfeeding is a special way to build up a strong relationship between mother and baby from day one which will last a lifetime.

I knew I wanted to breastfeed my baby early on in pregnancy and I naively assumed, along with many other new mums, that it would be easy and come naturally to me and my baby. I soon learned that sometimes women need to be taught how to breastfeed. I had problems from the first day my baby was born, I found it difficult to not only hold my baby in the correct position but also get through the early pains endured with breastfeeding. I wasn’t prepared for the pain and soreness; no-one told me it was going to be painful! For the first few days I really struggled. I found it physically and emotionally draining, especially having been exhausted from carrying an overdue baby and just having been through childbirth. I was prepared for sleepless nights and feeding my baby at all hours, but I was not prepared for spending the early hours of the morning crying because I was dreading the sound of my baby crying for her next feed. Knowing that it was going to make my toes curl and that I had to breathe through the pain was enough to make me consider using the emergency tin of formula milk that I had hidden from myself in the kitchen cupboard.

Feeling this way made question my strength to be a good mum, I felt and thought that I would be a failure if I wasn’t able to give my tiny baby the nutrients and comfort she deserved from my milk. It was heart-breaking that I was upsetting and stressing my baby at feeding time (every two hours) because I was so upset and stressed for each feed.

During my stay at the birth centre the Families and Babies (FAB) team visited me to help give tips and advice on breastfeeding. They gave me heaps of information and a 24 hour helpline to call if I needed anything.  I never expected to call them sobbing at 4am the following morning when I had a mini meltdown and felt as though I was the worlds’ worst mum. My baby was crying, I was crying and my husband felt helpless as he couldn’t console either of us. The lady on the phone was amazing; she instantly calmed me down and gave me advice to get me through the next few hours. At 8am they called back to check I was okay and at 9am a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter was sat with me at my home.

Gillian from Families and Babies was so patient, caring and supportive when she came to help me. She talked me through positioning and attachment, breast comfort, frequency and pattern of feeds, feeding cues, hand expressing,  the importance of exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months and told me about local breastfeeding support groups. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when Gillian left as she made me believe that I did have the ability to get through the painful early stages and most importantly told me that what I was feeling was completely normal and justified. I had never breastfed before and neither had my baby, we both had to learn how to do it together. This gave me the confidence to persevere as I knew it was in my daughters’ best interest for me to carry on feeding her myself.

I knew I didn’t want to fall amongst the high percentage of mothers that gave up on breastfeeding. According to the NHS statistics more than 73% of women in the UK start breastfeeding and only 17% of babies are still being exclusively breastfed at three months.

6 weeks on I am still exclusively breastfeeding pain and stress free, thanks to Gillian and a whole load of Lansinoh Lanolin nipple cream (highly recommended). I really didn’t believe friends or professionals when they told me that the pain would ease and it would become a pleasure. I am very proud of myself for not giving up on doing what is best for my baby. I know that without the advice and support from the FAB team I would have given in to formula milk, which I wanted to avoid.

I now look forward to feeding time as I get to have extra cuddles with my girl: seeing her looking up at me with her big beautiful eyes, I know I have fought and I am doing the best for her which I will do for the rest of my life. I know that I have helped to reduce the risk of my daughter getting infections, diarrhoea and vomiting, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. And for myself I lowered the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, osteoporosis and obesity.

I would like to thank the Families and Babies team for getting me through my struggles with breastfeeding by training to be a Volunteer Breastfeeding Peer Supporter which will enable me to support mums new to breastfeeding as it can be very daunting and lonely. By providing one on one support I want to help other mums overcome their worries and struggles and guide them through the tough parts as it’s a truly amazing experience once you come out the other side.

For further information on breastfeeding please visit the Families and Babies website where you will find lots of useful information and videos which I referred to for support and tips numerous times in my first few weeks of feeding –  www.familiesandbabies.org.uk