Welcome back to another instalment of The Baby Feeding Series, where we spotlight real stories from real parents navigating the messy, emotional, and often confusing journey of feeding their babies. My hope is that this space becomes a comforting corner where others who feel lost or overwhelmed can read these experiences and feel a little less alone. Parenthood is hands-down the toughest role out there, but it’s also the most beautiful. Through these stories, I want to honour both the struggle and the joys.
I’ve been genuinely overwhelmed by all the wonderful parents who’ve reached out to take part in this series, so a huge thank you to each and every one of you. This month, we’re kicking off another beautiful instalment with Ky from Snapshots and Adventures, who’s sharing a thoughtful and touching reflection on the end of her breastfeeding journey—something we haven’t yet covered in the series.
I absolutely adored reading Ky’s post. It’s an honest glimpse into her evolving thoughts as she continues to breastfeed her three-year-old daughter - a choice that’s sometimes made her feel embarrassed, though she absolutely shouldn’t. Personally, I think it’s amazing and incredibly powerful. So now, I’ll hand you over to the lovely Ky to tell her story in her own words.
GOODBYE BREASTFEEDING - END OF OUR JOURNEY
In just under 2 months time I will have a 3-year-old! I can’t quite believe just how quickly she is growing up. Over the last few months, the changes she has been going through are incredible. She currently goes to a local pre-school two mornings a week, but from September it will be more. Just a few weekends ago we witnessed her make a friend in the local park and play for ages with them. Now I know this probably isn’t a big deal for most, but she isn’t one to usually do that. She can be a bit wary of other kids. She also has a friend at school that she talks about a lot. It’s so cute. She is slowly becoming more independent and less reliant on us.
One of the things that has slowly been coming to an end is our journey with breastfeeding. Now, this isn’t something I’ve discussed for a while. In fact, I’ve actually been rather embarrassed about the fact that I am still breastfeeding her. Most people who choose to breastfeed their baby don’t continue past a year at the most. So to still be going at almost 3 years seems amazing to me.
Obviously we haven’t been feeding like we did when she was a newborn. It’s mostly been at naps and bedtime for the last year. There has been the odd occasion where she has fed during the day but not anymore. The feeds started getting quicker and smaller, until the last few weeks when it was down to literally a minute and then she turned round and said ‘mama your boob-bees not working anymore’.
It was at this point I knew our breastfeeding journey had come to an end.
I had been preparing myself for when the time came, I knew it would be happening soon. But it still gave me a huge wave of emotions. After nearly 3 years of our time – it was over. Breastfeeding is without a doubt one of the hardest parts of being a mother. Or at least it was for me. Our journey didn’t start off easy. I almost gave up after just 3 days. My milk was just starting to get established but due to a bad latch, it meant feeding was very difficult and extremely painful. This resulted in me getting very stressed out and sore. My nipples were cracked and bleeding and the last thing I wanted to do was carry on. I would burst into tears every time she wanted to feed, which as a newborn was all the time.
However a lovely midwife came round to check on us, could see I was struggling and sat down with me. She talked us through positions and different holds. Over the next few days surrounded by pillows and cushions, we finally got the hang of it. I can still remember the first time I attempted to feed in public. I was absolutely terrified, and I found it so awkward. In my mind everyone was staring, when the reality was no one even noticed. It’s safe to say that we soon got the hang of that as well, and would do it almost anywhere.
The main thing I am excited about is getting my body back!
I can start wearing whatever I want, I no longer have to think about the possibility of having to feed her. I used to constantly wear a vest under everything I wore as it made it easier. But now I don’t need to do that, although I do still find myself doing it. I can wear dresses that don’t have buttons down the front. I can start to be me again.
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About Ky
Ky lives in sunny Hove with her partner Jesse and their little girl Clem. They moved to Hove at the end of 2016, having previously lived in Surrey. Then headed to the coast in search of new adventures and some fresh air! They also moved from a flat into a house, with a garden so you can expect to see quite a bit of home décor on her blog. There will also be a lot of posts about Brighton and Hove.
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