I am a breast feeding mumma and I am going to declare that is how far my breastfeeding expertise goes before I go on any further. I had slight grazing of the nipples on day 2 of feeding which healed quickly, I have never had any supply issues and I have never bought a tin of formula.

Reading through some mummies groups on social media and internet forums, it is becoming very apparent that there is a severe lack of antenatal support for women when it comes to breastfeeding. Daily I read posts of women who are very anxious about things that are very normal to breastfeeding and sometimes it’s these things that lead new mums to prematurely stop breast feeding and feel an enormous amount of guilt that they have failed their baby.

Before the 20th century women stuck together and babies were raised by the community around them. Mother’s supported their daughters teaching them how to feed, swaddle, look for babies cues for tiredness and hunger etc. Then in the 20th century women started being sent home from the hospital with tins of formula and told to put their baby on the bottle, in turn creating a society where women don’t feel supported and breastfeeding in public is now frowned upon.

I desperately wanted breastfeed because of the family history of food allergies, diabetes, eczema and well, it’s free and I’m a tight arse. So I read every book I could get my hands on, had a lactation consultant come to my house before Master Menzies was born, went to antenatal classes and spoke to my best friend who had successfully breastfed all three of her babies. The midwives in the hospital even asked if I was sure that I hadn’t done this before because I seemed to be a natural. Well I wasn’t, I was educated, breastfeeding does not come naturally to everyone, and that is a myth that needs to be busted.

Once you have your breastfeeding journey sorted out and you are over the hurdles and have driven through the stop signs, it can be the most wonderful bonding experience you can have with your baby. It gives you the opportunity to soak in your baby’s touch and smell, take time to have a cuddle (when they become a wriggler, like Master Menzies, feeding time may be the only cuddles you get during the day) and enjoy your baby. But you need to get over the hurdles and drive through the stop signs, which you will realise are only give way signs, in order to breastfeed for as long as you want to.

Now that Master Menzies is 14 months old (where the hell did that time go), he is biting far too regularly and I am returning to full time work in the next week, I have decided to fully wean him off the boob. We are down to one feed a day, but I just can’t bring myself to stop that feed yet. I am relishing in the new found freedom I have of being able to confidently leave my baby to be cared for by others and not worry they haven’t put expressed milk in the microwave, or that I am going to leak everywhere or that I have to be back by a certain time to feed. But it is sad too, my baby is a toddler now and already becoming independent.

So mummas out there who want help breastfeeding, all you need to do is ask. If your health professional is saying give up breastfeeding and it is not what you want to do, get a second opinion.

I am not saying that formula feeding is the evil of all the Earth. It definitely has its place, my philosophy is that all we need to have is a happy and healthy baby. If formula is the way you need to keep your baby happy and healthy, there is nothing wrong with that.

Here’s a list of awesome resources that you can use to help you on your breastfeeding journey:

• The Australian Breastfeeding Association – https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/
• Pinky McKay Breastfeeding blog – http://www.pinkymckay.com/blog/breastfeeding/
• Maternal and Child Health Live (Victoria) – http://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/parents/support/pages/mchline.aspx
• Baby Centre – http://www.babycenter.com.au/breastfeeding