Breast is best, you know.

Breastfed babies don’t thrive.

You’ll get your figure back straight away.

Your husband won’t like it.

It’ll be attached to you forever.

You’re being used as a dummy.

It’s the most natural and beautiful thing I’ve ever done.

Well, I fed you on condensed milk and rusks and you’ve turned out OK.

You’ll have boobs down to your knees afterwards.

It’s disgusting.

I’d never do it in public.

My parents didn’t like me to do it in front of them.

I don’t tell anyone I’m still feeding him.

It was damn hard work but I’m glad I did it.

I’ve only received positive comments.

I was supported all the way.

I felt under pressure to be successful.

My nipples cracked and I would dread every feed.

I feel so guilty about not trying, I’ve failed my child.

I gave my best, it wasn’t meant to be, I’d try again next time.

Now I know more, I’d feel confident to try.

It’s what my breasts are for, what else would I have done.

You’re thinking about breastfeeding? You’ve asked your friends? Then you’ve heard most of the above. I am fortunate enough to have three children, all of whom have been breastfed. I don’t want to pass on facts and figures or old wives tales. I just want to share my experience. If any readers have things to add or questions, then these are very welcome!

As I grew up I saw many babies being breastfed, some until well into toddlerdom. So, my first experience of breastfeeding was “normal”. It’s how you feed a baby. Having grown up on a farm and seen many, many baby animals being born and taking their first slurps of colostrum, bottle feeding wasn’t even present as a reality in my head. I didn’t make a choice because I wasn’t 100% aware that one could! I was very lucky, when my first baby was born, I had great advice from my midwife who was also a breastfeeding counsellor and I also had a baby who knew what she was doing. After an initial blip in which I got her latched on completely wrongly (and got a nipple blister as reward) we were doing fine. In fact, I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about when people asked me if it was going alright! And those friends of mine who had babies who didn’t feed well and didn’t sleep…well, in the arrogance of youth and inexperience, I assumed they were just doing it wrong!