Reality Star Olivia Bowen gave birth to her son Abel Jacob Bowen in June this year. It’s her first child with her husband Alex Bowen, whom she first met when they appeared on Love Island in 2017.
Olivia choose World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August) to update her fans on how her feeding journey with her son was going. She posted honestly to her Instagram account, first admitting that she didn’t think she’d ever breastfeed. “I never thought I would breastfeed. I think where I felt like I was not a maternal person whatsoever before Abel was born, I had serious doubts it would work for me & I also didn’t even feel comfortable with the thought of it! I would go as far as to say it freaked me out a bit.”
Her mind changed, however, as soon as she gave birth: “Fast forward to when Abel was born & he first latched in the hospital it couldn’t of felt more natural. The bond & connection I feel with him when feeding I will be forever grateful for.”
Two months into breastfeeding and Olivia is feeling proud of their journey so far but admits it’s not been without its challenges. She shared: “I had a couple of days where he wouldn’t latch properly & I felt like a complete failure, I felt like I was failing myself & failing him – even though I told myself before I wasn’t bothered about breastfeeding. The first week I was squeezing my engorged boobs over the bath, I woke up with wet sheets from leaking & I constantly worried about how much he was getting & was it good enough?!”
Olivia is now hoping to make it to six months of breastfeeding – after first hoping to do it for one month. The bond and connection with her little one whilst he feeds appears to be a big reason why Olivia wants to keep going. “There is no feeling like it. When his little eyes look up at me & when he goes all sleepy & content.”. Olivia is also feeling pride in her body’s ability to nourish her child. She said: “I can’t even explain how amazing it feels to see my baby thriving from my body after growing him from that same body for 9 months…It’s taught me to just trust the process, trust myself & have faith that I’m doing everything I can.”
Olivia finished by saying how lucky she feels to have got to experience breastfeeding her son. “I feel extremely lucky that we’ve got this far, however long this feeding journey lasts, whether it’s months more or weeks more or even days more – I’m grateful I had this amount of time at all 🤍”
Olivia’s followers were quick to comment and celebrate the new mama’s breastfeeding achievement. Fellow reality star and new mama Frankie Essex wrote: “Your doing amazing mumma.” Whilst TV star Vicky Pattison said: “Honestly just in awe of you 😍”.
Some of Olivia’s followers could relate to her not wanting to breastfeed initially, with one commenting: “I had no intention of breast feeding until my baby arrived 11 weeks early & I was told that breast milk was the best thing for him with being premature so I have been expressing for the last 27 days for my little boy to strengthen him up & get him home as soon as I can. “