I remember when I had my first child and was in the hospital about to attempt breastfeeding for the first time. I was terrified, and the nurse came in, grabbed my breast and squeezed it so hard I slapped her!
Breastfeeding can be a truly daunting experience, and no matter what we read in the books, it’s not the same for everyone. Some women love it and embrace it with painless joy while others battle for all sorts of reasons. We spoke to five women who share their experiences and tell us some of the things that the books don’t mention.
‘MY BABY COULDN’T LATCH’
When Clare had Kathryn, she just couldn’t get her to latch. “During the first few days we sometimes had to bottle feed her tiny bits of formula because she wasn’t getting enough colostrum. Or so we thought. Eventually a friend told me about a breastfeeding expert who could help me breastfeed,” Clare says.
There are professional lactation consultants whose job it is to help you breastfeed your baby in
