Catherine’s Breastfeeding Story.

Friends had told us that it was amazing but that you needed to be a little bit determined as well.

We used an online course with sections on sleep and feeding etc to help us prepare.

I was lucky to have a strong supply from birth but those initial latches still took time and a lot of support in hospital.

Our baby didn’t necessarily want to feed on the schedule and catching him at the right moment was definitely a new skill.

Our biggest challenge was I started to get an oversupply which was something I knew nearly nothing about. I started to get a temperature and soreness and was terrified I’d get mastitis.

Thankfully the breastfeeding support midwives were phoning daily and I was paired with a peer support mum.

They taught me techniques to help relieve the oversupply and more than anything gave me the support and reassurance to push through this stage.

I love being able to look down at our baby, feel that connection and know he’s getting a great start.

Now, I confidently feed in public, although the first time was a little nerve wracking.

For us, breastfeeding was the right fit and our baby is thriving and a very healthy weight.

My advice to anyone hoping to breastfeed was given to me by our health visitor: work constantly with the midwives when in hospital and get those early latches right. It can make all the difference.