As I sat pumping milk for my baby while preparing a breastfeeding class for my midwifery students today, I was struck by how life has come full circle. I’ve supported women with breastfeeding for years – but doing it myself is a completely different experience.
Today in class we talked about antenatal breastfeeding education. I shared with my students that, even as a midwife, I attended a breastfeeding class at 36 weeks pregnant. Because when it’s your baby, everything feels different – and every baby is different too. Knowledge gives you confidence, but nothing prepares you quite like living it yourself.
And here’s the lovely twist – when I logged into that webinar, I realised the midwife teaching it was someone I had once supported with breastfeeding when she had her baby. It made me smile and reminded me how breastfeeding is a circle of shared support and wisdom.
Breastfeeding Peer Support Can Be Incredible
When I had my own baby, peer support from other mums was incredible – a true lifeline. The collective knowledge, shared struggles, tiny tips, and words of encouragement were sometimes more valuable than any textbook. There’s a wealth of wisdom in the voices of women who are right there beside you, doing the night feeds and figuring it out too.
What I’ve realised is this: no matter how many times I teach or talk about breastfeeding, I still learn something new every time – a technique, a phrase, a way to support another mum better. Having the information matters, but staying open to learning and leaning on each other matters even more.
No matter how many times I teach or talk about breastfeeding, I still learn something new every time – a technique, a phrase, a way to support another mum better.
Breastfeeding isn’t one-size-fits-all. It changes with every mother, every baby, every latch and every day.
Midwives supporting mothers. Mothers supporting midwives. And all of us learning, together.
