Lee-Anns feeding Journey:
My story spans over the last 5 years, beginning in South Africa. It is only today with my third child that my breastfeeding journey has really begun.
My first baby was born via emergency c-section, the whole birth was traumatic for me and I also landed back in hospital a week later with an infection. I tried to breastfeed but with a baby who had colic, a mumma in pain all over and then add postnatal depression to the mix, breastfeeding was just not working. We were left with an unhappy mum and an unhappy baby. So we switched straight to formula. When my daughter was born I was refused a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), so another c-section it was and I only got to hold her once I was out of recovery. I started breastfeeding at the hospital but she suffered from bad reflux from day one, just about projectile vomiting after each feed, so straight onto formula again.
Fast forward to today, in beautiful New Zealand, I had the most amazing home birth experience only a couple of weeks ago now. This time round I was determined to try get this breastfeeding thing right. My little girl is just short of 2 weeks and I am still exclusively breastfeeding. It is still early days and going well so far, however this time round I feel much more supported, I also believe my birthing experience this time round plays a huge factor. I don't feel like I have a useless body anymore, I can do this. At the end of the day my other two children are just as happy and healthy as any other kid, I believe breast is best but fed is better. At the end of the day you want a happy mumma and bubs. For me this time round I am enjoying and looking forward to the rest of this breastfeeding journey as it's all new to me too.
How do/did you feed your baby?
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| I mix fed using breastmilk & formula
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Did you make this decision before baby was born?:
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| No, I had other plans but circumstances meant plans changed |
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Did you face any issues with feeding your baby?:
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| Yes |
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If yes, please feel free to let us know.:
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| Pain, lopsided breasts and not producing milk |
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Are you happy with your feeding journey?:
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| Yes |
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Did you find support and information easily accessible for both breastfeeding and bottle feeding mothers in New Zealand?:
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| Yes, there are many options and I found them very useful |
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If yes, who or what services did you use or felt were most helpful and informative?:
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My midwife provided me with a lot of information and help. There are also a number of local companies which regularly post useful advice on Instagram.
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