A Legacy of Love: Following in My Mum’s Breastfeeding Footsteps

My mum is one of my favourite people in the world. Her kindness, generosity, wit, and intelligence, all reflected in her beautiful blue eyes, have shaped my life in countless ways. Her influence is woven into the fabric of my life, guiding everything from my first steps to my decision to breastfeed.

I am the second of five children, and my mum breastfed all of us. While I knew she had breastfed my older sister and me, I didn’t fully grasp the significance until she remarried and had my younger siblings when I was fourteen. At that age, I didn’t have much experience with babies, so whatever my mum did just felt normal. My friends would often come over to our house, and my mum would breastfeed in front of them. It was never awkward or shameful; she was simply feeding my little sister or brother. It was natural and uncomplicated.

My friends would often come over to our house, and my mum would breastfeed in front of them.

Breastfeeding Was Ingrained In Me

Unsurprisingly, long before I ever became pregnant, the idea of breastfeeding was already ingrained in me, a natural extension of my mum’s example. It never felt like a conscious choice—it was simply a given. Watching my mum do it so naturally made it seem like the only option. I had little experience of anyone bottle-feeding, so it was something I never even questioned. 

In 2022, my world was turned upside down when my mum moved to Australia. Just before she left, I shared the news of my pregnancy with her. Without her by my side, my pregnancy felt achingly lonely, despite our regular FaceTime calls. Her virtual presence was a lifeline, but it couldn’t replace the comfort of her physical presence. She was beyond encouraging, comforting me with being only a call away if I ever needed her. And boy, did I!

Beginning My Own Breastfeeding Journey

After giving birth and coming home, I was up all night feeding relentlessly. Maeve, my daughter, was a natural at this breastfeeding malarkey, I was not! And despite my extensive research and reading before giving birth, I felt like I was doing something wrong. Surely, my baby didn’t need this much milk? Am I not producing enough for her? Is she even latched on properly? Why does she only want the left side? So, in the middle of the night, I would message my mum; who, as promised, was there!

Her kind words, gentle advice and encouragement got me through the sleepless nights of wonder. I am now 20 months into my breastfeeding journey, and I still fall back on my mum when something isn’t quite right. 

Breastfeeding my daughter gave me the time and perspective to appreciate how my mum managed to breastfeed all five of us, and the incredible energy and mental resilience it required. This reflection gave me the strength to persevere through sleepless nights, breast refusal, and mastitis.

A Breastfeeding Photo To Treasure

Recently, I discovered a photo of my mum breastfeeding me as a newborn, the rush of admiration was instantaneous because I knew just how my mum must have felt in that snapshot. This is a photo I will cherish forever. Hopefully, one day Maeve will think the same about the many images I have of me breastfeeding her. 

Breastfeeding my daughter gave me the time and perspective to appreciate how my mum managed to breastfeed all five of us, and the incredible energy and mental resilience it required.

My mum is one of my favourite people in the whole world. She taught me how to pronounce ‘th’ properly, the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody, how to hang washing on the line and most recently, how to trust my body to feed my baby. She is the mum I aspire to be for my little girl, guiding her with the same unwavering love and support which far exceeds childhood. Perhaps one day, I’ll have the honour of guiding her through her own journey of motherhood, just as my mum did for me.