Introducing why Sian from Quite Frankly She Said is #PositiveAboutBF

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I was pretty blasé about how I would feed him. The only people that shared their breastfeeding experiences with me had horror stories to tell – about pain, mastitis, low supply.  Even my partner, who already had two older children, didn’t want me to breastfeed. Nobody had anything nice to say about breastfeeding, so I expected the same fate. I expected it would hurt and that I wouldn’t get past a few weeks, and I bought bottles for when that time came.

The reality was very different. I had some challenges in the first week after my eldest son’s birth. I didn’t actually breastfeed until day 5. But do you know what? From that day forward, he nursed like a pro and he weaned at 19 months old, when I was 5 months pregnant with my second baby. 19 MONTHS! And there was me thinking I wouldn’t manage more than a few weeks because I’d heard so much negativity.

I so badly regret not finding out more about breastfeeding while I was pregnant. I’m sure my experiences would have been different if I had. I was better prepared during my second pregnancy and my baby was breastfed from birth.

This is why I'm #positiveaboutbf. I want other mothers-to-be to feel reassured and confident, not bewildered and lost. I want mums to feel comforted that someone else knows what they’re going through. I want other parents to hear real stories from real mums, not extreme examples blown out of proportion by the media. I want to celebrate breastfeeding, but not at the expense of putting anyone else down for their choices. I want to celebrate breastfeeding full stop. 

That’s what #positiveaboutbf is all about. And I am very proud to be part of it.