Roselyn and Finley’s breastfeeding story

I’ve got two children, my breastfeeding with both has been very different. My first was born in 2019 I was in hospital for 4-5 days after having him. I’d had gestational diabetes, so it was very important for him to be fine and fed.

It wasn’t until I had caught up with the initial exhaustion, that I said I want to breast feed, I don’t want to use formula. Then the midwife said let’s try to express you and she showed me how to hand express. Then she brought me one of the hospital pumps and then I was able to breast feed. She also helped me with the latch.

I then mentioned breastfeeding to anyone I came into contact with who asked me about the baby. At the time I had an SSBC mentor as I was in their postcode areas. I asked anyone who came to see me how the latch was and asked for support. And I did get a breast-feeding specialist who did come to see me and she was a great help.  She gave me adjustments so he could latch. He was small and tired and would fall asleep a lot. She explained about waking him up and making him feed for a certain amount of time. And the family mentor also helped, she was always helping me as I had never breast fed before.

In terms of continuing support for breast feeding, a few of my friends were currently or had breast fed and they pointed me to an online breasting support group and that was like ‘my Bible’. Any time I had questions, like is my baby too hungry, all of that information came from this Facebook group where other people were posting. That is where I learnt to be confident in what I was doing.

From this Facebook group where other people were posting. That is where I learnt to be confident in what I was doing.

I would say don’t give up on a bad day, that was my moto, it was fine if I didn’t want to do it one day, but if I was feeling like it was too hard, that decision was fine, as long as my ultimate decision to give up was on a good day not a bad day. In fact I breast fed for 14 months.

Some people would say he’s a hungry baby. My son fed constantly in the first few weeks. Some people without the right guidance would switch to formula. But actually in the beginning they are putting their order in, he just needed more milk. I didn’t know if I could produce what he needs, but I could. So I would say just keep going. As long as your baby is doing lots of wet and dirty nappies that is what to go on. And if you are in contact with professionals just ask them to watch you breast feeding.