Breastfeeding mums on their most trusted sources of support

Mothers: do you remember those early days attempting to breastfeed? Perhaps you’re pregnant now and feeling anxious about whether breastfeeding will work for you? Whatever your situation, we all need a good support network to help get us through. This year, the theme for World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August) is ‘Support for All’, which aims to address the inequalities that women across the world face in accessing good quality care and support during their breastfeeding journey.

There are quite a few mums at Royce, so it got us thinking about how some of us coped during the early days with our new babies. Breastfeeding may be ‘natural’ but that certainly doesn’t mean it comes naturally to everyone, particularly if you’ve never done it before! Who showed us the ropes? Where did we find trusted advice? Who made us feel supported and a little less alone if everything wasn’t going quite as planned?

The women of Royce share their stories of where they found that crucial support when breastfeeding their babies…

Claire Boote, Marketing Manager: “My lactation specialist was fantastic”

“When I had my initial meeting with the midwife a few days after the birth, she said my baby’s latch was great and my positioning was good, so I felt relaxed and everything was fine. But I always struggled with pumping and so never got that respite. Unfortunately, we got to our 12-week review and he was underweight. His feeding position wasn’t correct, his head was turned to the side instead of being face onto the breast, so he didn’t get enough milk.

FAVOURITE NURSING BRA – BLOSSOM

“The midwife arranged for me to see a lactation specialist who was fantastic. She gave me so much advice and helped with getting his position correct – I could feel the difference in his latch straight away. I feel it’s so important for mothers to have access to lactation specialists. If you ever have any doubts on how well your baby is feeding, or even if you just want to be reassured that everything is OK, I’d ask to be referred to one. You could even see a private lactation specialist, there are a few that I followed on Instagram who give great tips and advice such as @imogenibclc, @thebreastfeedingmentor and @boobingit. NCT also has a great video on breastfeeding positions that I’d recommend watching.

Francesca Fleming, Commercial Director: “I had access to breastfeeding specialists in hospital. “

Overall, I was very lucky with breastfeeding, so didn’t need too much support but I did have a WhatsApp group of NCT mums to talk to for advice, plus my friends who had recently breastfed. However, after giving birth I had to stay in hospital for almost a week – this was unfortunate but meant I had access to breastfeeding specialists. Someone came and showed me how to use a breast pump and express, which was brilliant as my partner could then try to feed our baby and give me a break.”

FAVOURITE NURSING BRA – CARA

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to exclusively breastfeed. I don’t know why – it could be society or just my own expectations. By the time my baby was four months old, I was absolutely exhausted and feeling quite overwhelmed. After much deliberation, I started to give my baby one bottle a day just before bed which was a big relief and eased the pressure on me a bit.”

Hanna Mayr, Sales Manager: “Our midwife was really helpful”

“While we were still in hospital we didn’t get any help, it was so disappointing. I thought my son had latched on but he wasn’t actually drinking. No one gave me the time of the day to actually sit with me and help. We had to bottle feed him to start with. I kept trying when we got home but it just didn’t really work so we kept bottle feeding, I started using nipple shields which worked a bit. “The one helpful person was our midwife – at the three-day checkup, she showed me how to get him to latch on properly and he fed well, although it was still a big struggle for the first two to three weeks. I also got support from my mum friends, the NCT group and the health visitor was a big help. The internet was also a useful source of advice.

FAVOURITE NURSING BRA – INDIE

“It then became really easy and natural. I guess I didn’t realise that my son didn’t have a clue what he was doing, same as me, and we both had to learn. Once we both got the hang of it, it was the easiest thing (besides the sore and bleeding nipples!).”

Gemma de Diego, Design Manager: “Reaching out to friends with little ones was a lifeline”

“I’ve had a real love/hate relationship with breastfeeding. [My first baby] had a slight tongue tie and my milk only came in on one breast, so he lost weight. I had to pump as well as introduce the bottle and feed him every two hours – this was totally unmanageable and I was exhausted. Also, my son had a really strong suckle and would make me bleed on several occasions, so I decided to end my breastfeeding journey at just six weeks. I did have lots of help from the midwifes, the Oxfordshire breastfeeding support team and I talked to NCT friends, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

FAVOURITE SLEEP NURSING BRA – MIA

“When I had my little girl it was still hard but I was more mentally prepared. Similarly, she lost weight but I pushed through with the breastfeeding and once we got to around 12 weeks it was clear sailing. I managed it for 13 months in total and enjoyed it. This time round support mainly came from friends – this was at the height of lockdown so there were no groups to go to. Reaching out to friends with little ones was a lifeline.”

Where to find help and support for breastfeeding

Whether you need practical help or emotional support, don’t hesitate to reach out to healthcare professionals, your NCT network or a friend who may have gone through the same thing. Try these expert organisations and read our ‘Beginners’ Guide to Breastfeeding’ for more:

The Breastfeeding Network

NHS – How to breastfeed

La Leche League GB

NCT – Breastfeeding support

Alongside your fabulous friends and brilliant professionals, your collection of nursing bras is also there to make your breastfeeding days, weeks and months a little easier. When designing our maternity and nursing bras, we involve pregnant and breastfeeding women in the design process – this results in bras that are fit for the job, whether that’s providing a great fit for fluctuating cup size; easy-to-release clips and a design that allows more skin-to-skin contact; quality fabrics to keep you firmly supported; and stylish looks to make you feel good.

Maternity & Nursing Bras