Breastfeeding
For some lucky Mothers out there perhaps breastfeeding is intuitive and comes 'naturally' but I'd hazard a guess that for the vast majority of us it initially feels more like this cute baby is trying to claw us to death with their little talons and cause nipple damage by ineffectively latching whilst crying in hunger as we frantically try and attach them to our boobs!
It's challenging.
The first week for me was a blur of nipple blisters followed by sudden engorgement and feeling as though you have breasts the size of watermelons that your precious baby now has difficulty attaching to. I was lucky to have wonderful midwives who helped me through those initial days of breastfeeding and would assist me to position her correctly, expressed some of my milk off for me to soften the breast for her to attach to and were just wonderful sources of support when I was doubting myself.
As time went on I quickly realised from chatting to other Mums just how different and varied womens' breastfeeding journeys are. Some Mothers struggle with low supply, others have oversupply, some battle with mastitis, some have inverted nipples, some are pumping and preparing to return to work, some are triple feeding with breast, expressed milk and formula... the list goes on. Some babies suddenly decide they only want the bottle and others refuse the bottle completely.
I had a brief period of time where Isla only wanted to be fed with me standing, rocking and singing or lying in a dark room with the curtains closed or she'd become distracted by something else and wouldn't want to feed. For several months my let down would come out like a jet stream with nozzles of milk flying in all directions covering clothing, furniture, the car and anything else in its path leaving the entire house with a slight sour cream smell and little Isla would often pull away gagging!
We all have unique challenges and difficulties.
Yet despite the challenges, I have been lucky and breastfeeding has been the most beautiful and rewarding journey with immeasurable special moments. The ones where she'll lovingly look up and smile at me in the midst of a feed, make happy contented gurgling noises as her tummy fills, feeling her little warm body pressed against mine and feeling her little hand wander up and stroke my chest.
I am passionate about trying to help women breastfeed their babies if this is what they choose and are able to do. There are already many barriers and something I didn't expect was just how difficult some clothing would be to nurse in. I'm sure we've all been there when you suddenly realise you'll have to almost completely undress or hike your dress up over your undies in order to feed your baby. Our vision is for Rex and Isla clothing to make breastfeeding easier, more comfortable and to empower women to nurse their babies when out and about.
We want this to be a platform where Mothers can share their unique experiences of feeding their babies. No judgment please. This is a safe space where we support and lift each other up through more talk and shared experiences of motherhood.
Here's a couple of helpful resources for breastfeeding Mamas:
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