Katie & Ffion
Here’s a little poem about my Mummy’s milky, it really is incredible; smooth, warm & silky. Whenever I’m feeling tired, hungry or sad, she cuddles me close to booby which makes me feel glad. The way she looks lovingly into my eyes, a bond like this never dies. Then she breaks into that familiar smile, just for me, and I know that her love is endless and free. She is my blanket of safety whenever I’m feeling scared. For the rest of my life she has helped me to feel prepared.
My Mummy is a doctor who wants me to be healthy, she believes breast milk is best, even if you’re wealthy. It reduces my risk of SIDS, asthma, gastroenteritis and infection, it really does provide me with oh so much protection. The effects are long-lasting into adulthood too, less chance of obesity, cardiovascular disease & diabetes (type 2), and not only does it protect me but Mummy as well, now I think that is pretty swell! With reduced risk of osteoporosis, alongside cancer of the ovary and breast, it’s no wonder research proves that it quite simply is the best!
The early days however were really rather tough, I was new to the world and Mummy always looked so rough! We did it all ‘right’: early skin-to-skin, the breast crawl, did these have any impact at all?! The feeds became a struggle – lots of clicking, blocked ducts and me falling asleep, Mummy’s toes curled in pain and she said naughty words which require a bleep! Cluster feeding into the wee early hour, it was hard for her to sneak away, even for a shower! But she was determined to breast feed for all of the reasons above, so she ploughed on, with a heart full of love. Daddy and fellow Mummy friends were an amazing source of support, and she’d like to thank you all, without whom she would have been distraught!
After many weeks of struggling, Mummy wondering how long she could cope, a tongue tie was diagnosed, giving us some hope. Should we cut it, should we not – the jury is still out, after lots of discussion with Daddy we went ahead, no doubt. Although not pleasant, the procedure was easy and swift, giving us all a much needed lift. It took us a few weeks to re-learn our new latch, but now I’m an expert, with a mobile tongue to match! These days we very much enjoy every feed, it is literally there whenever I need.
I’m here to share the message that breast milk is liquid gold, I’ll be reaping the benefits even when I’m old. Simply ask UNICEF or the World Health Organisation, they recommend the following is a good foundation: Exclusive breast feeding until 6 months of age, then alongside complementary foods up to 2 years, or even beyond this stage. It’s so sad that the UK has one of the lowest breast feeding rates worldwide, is it because new Mums feel they need to hide? Breast feeding has the potential to save our NHS millions of pounds, we need more support for new parents, based solely on these grounds. My Mummy has now trained as a Peer Supporter to help others, let’s work together and empower these wonderful mothers! Surely with the amazing benefits we could ALL take it in our stride, #NormaliseBreastFeeding #MotherNurture, in us you can confide.
Mother Nurture is an ongoing portrait series created to celebrate breastfeeding Mothers. If you would like to take part drop me a message at hello@sarahhailephoto.com