NHS Scotland has its own supportive website - the feedgood factor - which is crammed full of useful advice and trouble shooting for mums who are starting out with breastfeeding.
The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers are supporting the week with a Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt of blogs where you can read real stories from real mums.
I have been fortunate enough to breastfeed both my boys. I happen to find it fairly easy to do, pretty convenient and of course it is free! Having said that both boys have also taken formula from very early on as well so my partner can be involved in feeding, so I can have a break to keep up with those "growth spurts" or just for convenience. I never got the hang of expressing, and I never felt bad about this.
I know plenty of mums who don't find it easy to breastfeed and have been on a terrible journey of trying to do the 'right' thing as promoted by all and sundry in the confusing early days with a newborn. In an ideal world all of us would love to be able to find it easy to breastfeed. But it is a fact that some women will find it easier than others to do - a bit like walking in high heels, something I have never mastered!
For those that find breastfeeding tricky or choose not to do it, formula feeding should be seen as a valid choice and not a poor second best where mums re made to feel guilty or allowed to feel as if they have "failed" an early motherhood exam. Formula feeding is a valid choice for some women and baby milks are after all designed for babies!!!!
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