Letters to my Fanny by Cherry Healey

Author:Cherry Healey
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781405919807
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2016-04-21T04:00:00+00:00

OK, I am bracing myself for the backlash but that’s what long runs and friends are for.

So, with all this new knowledge of boobs, machines, lotions and helplines, when my second child Bear popped out I felt like a commando about to go into battle. And when I could tell that the same problem was happening, I immediately called upon the expert help of the breastfeeding guru Clare Byam-Cook to come and have a gander. (I promise she does not sponsor me; I just believe her to be magic.) She gave me some sage advice – which she has been deeply criticized for – but which made perfect sense to me. It went along the lines of: ‘Give breastfeeding a go; it’s definitely better for the baby and the mum, but if it’s causing distress then try mix-feeding, or expressing or bottle-feeding. Essentially your baby will be fine, but screaming into your arm at 5 a.m. isn’t right.’ Clare also says “If neither the baby nor a breast pump can get enough milk out of your breasts, it’s better to supplement with formula than to have an unhappy, hungry and underweight baby”. Formula milk is not liquid poison.

So that’s what I did. When breastfeeding started making me want to recite Eminem’s raps, I decided to both boob-feed and express and use formula. And lo and behold, because I was giving them a break, my boobs never became horrendously painful so I was able to continue breastfeeding for longer. I even got into that lovely place where I looked forward to feeding time. About a month after giving birth, my boobs had calmed down and they became soft enough for Bear to get a comfortable latch fairly easily. It was beautifully cosy. And for a while I could see why some women are so evangelical about it, almost to the point of aggression – because when it works, it’s wonderful, and essentially their motive is positive and loving because it comes from their desire for other women and babies to enjoy that experience.

I’m glad I persevered the second time, even if it’s just to say with experience that sometimes the bottle isn’t evil. For me and other women, it’s a breathing space for their boobs to recover, which can, in turn, give them enough strength to carry on trying to breastfeed for longer.

OK, I’ll see you on Twitter for what I imagine will be a colourful response. (Brace! Brace!)

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