Breastfeeding struggles are normal and don't make you any less of a mum

Many new mums struggle with breastfeeding but don't feel comfortable enough to talk about it for fear of being judged.

However, it's so important for us to have these conversations as it'll normalise the topic and encourage others to do so.

Sharing our own experiences is key, which is why mum of twins Dominique is sharing her story.

She opened up to HerFamily.ie about the struggles she faced when she first started breastfeeding her babies.

Dominique explained that she had no idea how difficult breastfeeding was until she experienced her own issues.

She said both of her sons were tongue-tied when they were born which made things difficult for her.

"Breastfeeding is something I really wanted to do but I had no idea how difficult breastfeeding was."

"I had my heart set on it but the two boys had a really bad latch at the start so it was really hard for me to start feeding them in the beginning.

"But the team at The Coombe helped resolve the tongue tie which did make a massive difference in the first few weeks.

"I literally had no milk. Some days I was sitting there trying to feed them for two hours. It really was a lot," Dominique said.

Dominique admitted she felt guilty because she couldn't breastfeed and started to blame herself.

"You think it's your fault because you're not producing enough or you don't know what you're doing, but I was very determined and didn't want to stop trying," she said.

Dominique was able to lean on her loved ones for support but it was the team at The Coombe who really helped her on her breastfeeding journey.

The mum said they were constantly in touch with her and supplied her with plans and advice from the get-go.

"They reassured me that I wasn't the only person but it is actually something most women struggle with. They helped through every step of the entire process."

One key piece of advice the team shared with Dominique was to remember that things can change for the better.

"There was one woman who didn't produce any milk for the first week but was then exclusively breastfeeding.

"Knowing there were women going through the exact same was comforting. It just made me feel a little bit more confident that I'd be able to do it in the end."

The Coombe's Clinical Midwife Specialist, Kathy Cleere said supporting mums on their breastfeeding journey is so important to them.

"Breastfeeding offers so many benefits for both mother and baby. It’s vital no mother is left behind when she needs support to breastfeed. That’s why we have Lactation Consultants here in the Coombe Hospital and we are happy to support all our mothers on their breastfeeding journey with their new baby. 

"If there are breastfeeding challenges, we aim to work with mothers and babies to achieve their breastfeeding goals," she added.

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