OK, I am not a health professional or a breastfeeding counsellor but I thought I'd add my bit on the reality of breastfeeding.

When I was pregnant for the first time I was determined to breastfeed.  I knew it was meant to be the best start to your child, that it is full of all sorts of goodies that help them develop.  I knew as an asthmatic and with diabetes in the family that it would lessen my child's chances of developing these two conditions.

I didn't know how hard it could be.  I asked for advice during pregnancy but did not get any worthwhile advice - I think I asked the wrong people!

My son was born by emergency caesarian and it was several hours before I could feed him.  This was not the best start imaginable and it deteriorated.  Due to various factors, by the time we left hospital, he was bottle fed and I was expressing milk & topping it up with formula.  I was determined, though, and with the right help got there in the end. 

Some of the things I learned are: that with the right help, most issues can be worked around and that, although breastfeeding was difficult for my boy due to his tongue-tie, it was the best thing for stretching his tongue.

It was difficult to change from bottles as  breastfeeding is less controlled.  The baby determines how much they need & when and you can't monitor exactly how much they have had.  As my son was so small this made it hard to face the constant weighings and questions about his growth.  I did wonder if I had done the right thing.

However as I loved it I was determined to continue.  It brought us closer together and he loved it too.  As he grew it was a comfort and bond as well as food - I came to think of it as 'soul food' for both of us.  I felt that I was doing something worthwhile - despite the difficult pregnancy & birth I was doing what I could to give him a good start.  Your status as a mother should not be determined by how well you birth and whether you breastfeed - but for me somehow it was.

I have since discovered that breastmilk is better than I ever realised.  It has probiotics and fats that can't be replicated and it changes for the needs of your child.  You need to trust that it is sufficient for your child (at least for the first six months) - for me that was hard. 

With my second child it has been much easier.  She was a 'natural' birth and latched on within half an hour of birth.  She grows like I never imagined and is very strong & healthy.  My body seemed to remember how to do it and we had no issues at all.

Now that she is starting solids I have realised how convenient breastfeeding is.  You can leave the house with just you & baby (& a nappy) - no need for a bag of food & bottles.  There is no need to worry about heating things up and sterilising everything.  I now have to remember to pack things for her as I am not used to it. 

Another great thing about breastfeeding is that it makes me stop!  I have to sit (or lie) down to feed her, no matter what I am doing.  While this is inconvenient sometimes (like when we are out shopping) it means I pace myself and can take a break.  For half an hour we can just sit together and look at each other (or talk to her older brother).  This helps me get through the day.

As I said, this is not a medical guide and you should seek advice from the RIGHT people if you are having issues, but this is my experience of breastfeeding. I wanted to share with you all some of the non-medical reasons that I love sharing this ability with my children and encourage you, if you are thinking about it, to give it a go.  I know it is not for everyone and we should never judge one another (we are already our harshest critics) but this is what has worked for us and has been one of the best things I ever did.