World Breastfeeding Week!

This week is World Breastfeeding Week.  I am a supporter of breastfeeding and a mothers right to feed her child as and when she needs to.  I breastfed my eldest son and, thankfully, was never challenged but mother are still being told to stop, feed in the toilets, that it's disgusting and akin to peeing in public.  This shows an appalling attitude to mothers feeding their child in the normal, natural way.

Before anyone starts on about how difficult it is I will tell you now I struggled and, despite great support from the Royal Berkshire Hospital Breastfeeding Clinic and the Breastfeeding Network, who have sessions throughout Reading, I only managed 3 1/2 months.  My youngest was 91/2 weeks premature so was fed expressed breastmilk for 7 months.

I was so grateful for the support I received with my eldest I trained as a breastfeeding helper and could regularly be found at the Battle Library session until I went back to work.

You don't have to have had a great breastfeeding experience to be supportive, or even have breasts, but it is so important people get over their embarrassment and prejudices and allow mothers to feed their baby's in peace.

Here are some useful links for Reading mums:

Breastfeeding Groups with the Breastfeeding Network: http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/reading.html
Royal Berkshire Hospital Breast Feeding Support Clinic: http://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/wards__departments/m/maternity/breast_feeding_support_clinic.aspx?theme=Patient