During World Breastfeeding Week, thousands of mothers share their breastfeeding experiences. For many people, World Breastfeeding Week can be a cathartic way to tell their stories and highlight the good and the bad.
For some, their journey ended before it truly began and for others, they celebrate months and even years of breastfeeding their little ones. One thing is for sure – whilst no one journey has been the same, there are similar challenges many breastfeeding mamas face.
Breastfeeding challenges can be physical, emotional, and mental. The demands of feeding our young cannot be underestimated which is why breastfeeding support is so key. This support is particularly crucial at the start of a person’s breastfeeding journey to ensure breastfeeding gets off to a good start. When breastfeeding starts off well then mothers are more likely to breastfeed for longer.
Let’s look at the common themes coming through from people’s social media posts during World Breastfeeding Week.
Breastfeeding is hard but can be incredibly rewarding
They say nothing in life worth having is easy and that’s certainly the case for breastfeeding! Lots of breastfeeding mamas admit breastfeeding is hard – it takes work – but it also brings immense joy and pride.
Jiu-Jitsu Champion Leoni wrote: “Breastfeeding has been easily one of the hardest things I’ve ever done – but it’s one that I am most proud of. Only 1% of women in the UK are exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months, I’m hoping to clock a full year.”
Ash is a mama of two under two and is currently breastfeeding her nine-month-old. She said: “Breastfeeding is hard, tiring, draining, painful, long and stressful but the rewards are always worth it!
Breastfeeding mama Alyssa from Orlando wanted to let her followers know that whilst breastfeeding is hard, it’s something to be incredibly proud of. She captioned her reel for World Breastfeeding Week: “Breastfeeding is hard. Whether you did it for a day, a month, or a year, I’m proud of you ❤️”
Breastfeeding support can make or break the journey
Good breastfeeding support can be hard to come for many people. Unfortunately, many people don’t have support close to home, or are given out-dated information or mixed messaging with regards breastfeeding.
For Stephanie Metcalfe, a lack of support meant she ended her breastfeding journey with her older children sooner than she would have liked. Now that she is feeding her fourth baby, she realises what she missed out on. “I am proudly feeding my fourth baby at 11 months old. I had fed all three of my other children and sadly stopped between 2-4 weeks old due to lack of support. I’ve always felt like I failed them and truly grieved breastfeeding…”
As a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter Faith Smith knows how crucial good support is. She credits her support network for enabling her to breastfed her son until toddlerhood. She writes: “Breastfeeding is hard! It’s also one of the most beautiful and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. One of the biggest reasons I was able to breastfeed for so long was definitely the support I had.”
Digital Creator Charntel Wright used World Breastfeeding Week as an opportunity to call upon workplaces to step up their game when it comes to breastfeeding support. She said: “Studies have shown implementing suitable breastfeeding support to employees may help mitigate lost productivity and absences by reducing the risk of some short and long term health issues for women and children.” We couldn’t agree more!
Breastfeeding is physically, emotionally and mentally tiring
Often we focus on the physical challenges of breastfeeding but the emotional and mental impact of breastfeeding is important to recognise too.
When mama of one Taita Thaiday-Shinn posted about her breastfeeding experience during World Breastfeeding Week, she was honest about the impact breastfeeding had on her. She said: “Breastfeeding has been without a doubt, one of the hardest things I have ever done…. It has been physically, emotionally, mentally challenging and exhausting but I’d do it all again, a million times over.”
Online influencer and mama of two Nikki Élise Parker is on her second breastfeeding journey and knows only too well the physical demands that come with breastfeeding. She writes: “From personal experience, breastfeeding can be so tiring and exhausting, it can leave you with a sore neck and sore back, you can feel totally touched-out, and a lot more. But all of those things take a total backseat to the feeling and benefit it brings to not only Baby, but to Mama, too!”
Anyone who has breastfed a newborn know how intense those constant feeding sessions are. Joanne from Scotland made a reel for World Breastfeeding Week and wrote: “Some days I don’t get as much done around the house as I ‘should’. I should be cleaning, doing washing, hoovering or cooking every second I get the chance to. Cluster feeds are tiring and time consuming.”
The end of the journey brings sadness
When a person’s breastfeeding journey comes to an end it can bring a mix of emotions – including sadness.
Triplet mama Abi Rose said she felt sad when her journey ended: “I miss it so much, that feeling of connection and closeness. Occasionally, one of the babies will knead or burrow into my chest and I tell them that “the booby bar is closed”, and it makes me sad. “
For Laura, her breastfeeding journey ended sooner than she would have wanted due to a string of feeding challenges. She said: “I’m proud to say we hit nearly 5 months breastfeeding, it was hard and nothing quite prepares you for it, the engorgement, the letdown, the mastitis, the pain, the exhaustion, the love… I was heartbroken to finish our journey early and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish I just pushed through but it got the better of me and that’s ok.
Dr Tuesday Watts-Overall captured her last ever feed with her child, and whilst she knew it was time to end their journey it still made her feel sad. “I was so ready to bring breastfeeding to an end at this point….But I also feel a bit sad when I look at this photo, not knowing whether I will ever breastfeed again.”