When I was pregnant with my first baby, I naively thought that feeding her would be the most natural thing in the world. I put a lot of unnecessary pressure on myself that I should be able to feed her exclusively. But in truth, after a traumatic emergency caesarian, we were both not in a great starting position. I wish I’d been kinder to myself, even down to making sure I ate, in order to fuel the milk production, but I was simply overwhelmed. She was admitted to the NICU at 3 weeks old, and we ended up settling into a feeding routine of feeding, expressing and feeding with my expressed milk, and then a top up of formula. It was exhausting. When she got to a healthy weight and I was able to stop expressing, I happily did so! And then fed exclusively until she started weaning.
I had thought my Mum would be able to help me figure the breastfeeding out, but she just couldn’t remember it being a struggle! She’d had four of us… and I’m sure would have had similar struggles with my eldest brother as he was very premature. Now I’m a mum of two, I can understand that we do forget the intensity of that time somewhat, as we are wrapped up in the current struggles of whatever age our children are in!
My son was a very healthy 9lb 9 when he was born, and took to feeding like a pro. I had more confidence second time around and I just think we were lucky we got off to a good start. You cannot under estimate the amount of difficulties facing new mums and babies, down to the birth they have just been through, to whether the baby has any underlying problems such as tongue tie.
I subscribe to the ‘fed is best’ approach. And truly believe that a mother’s happiness is important, she should be supported in whatever way she needs for whichever way she wants to feed her baby.
I have shared my experience for those new mums to know that those first few weeks and months of feeding your baby can be so hard and to be kind to yourself as you navigate this new way of life.
I love to capture those tender moments of a mother feeding her baby, whichever way that may be. But will only ever share breastfeeding with the mother’s permission.
However you are feeding your new baby, we will take time in your photo session for baby to have their feeds as and when they need.
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