🌸 “The Truth About My Breastfeeding Journey: From Nipple Shields to Formula and Finding Peace”

When you’re pregnant, you hear so many stories about breastfeeding—some mums say it’s the most natural thing in the world, while others admit it’s the hardest part of early motherhood. What no one really prepares you for are the emotions, the pressure, and the guilt that can come when things don’t go as planned. This is my honest story about our feeding journey—the highs, the lows, and how I finally found peace.

Before I was pregnant, I honestly didn’t mind if I couldn’t breastfeed. I didn’t think it would be possible for me, and I was okay with that. But the moment my little girl was born, everything changed. Suddenly, I longed for that connection during feeds—the closeness, the skin-to-skin, the extra cuddles.

Our breastfeeding journey was anything but easy. My daughter was born premature, and right from the start, she struggled to latch. On top of that, I had elastic, flat nipples that made feeding even harder.

In the hospital, no one seemed able to help. After failed attempts and endless tears, I gave up. But when we came home, the reality hit me—I did want to breastfeed. I could feel my milk had come in, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was failing her.

Then, on a midwife visit, everything shifted. She introduced me to nipple shields—and it was a complete game changer.

With the shields, my baby finally latched. I could feed her, and she was getting my milk. But it still wasn’t smooth sailing. When I tried to move her back onto my bare nipple, she’d latch for a few minutes and then give up. Fixing the shield constantly was stressful, and every feed felt like a battle.

She also seemed fussy, gassy, and only slept in two-hour stretches—even when she was full. My milk was nourishing her, but it felt like it wasn’t giving either of us peace.

When she was around three months old, after a particularly rough night, I decided to try a formula bottle. She slept for four hours straight. For the first time, I saw her settled. I tried mixing formula during the day and breastfeeding at night, but that only lasted a day before she weaned herself off completely.

That decision brought up all the emotions from the early weeks—the feelings of failure, the “why can’t I do this?” thoughts. But it also brought relief. Formula gave us rest, routine, and calm. She was less fussy, I could finally put her down, and we both began thriving in a different way.

No one prepares you for how much guilt and pressure can come with feeding your baby. You see so many stories of mums with “easy” breastfeeding journeys, but rarely the messy, complicated, emotional ones.

So, if you’re in the thick of it right now—please hear this: don’t be hard on yourself. Whether it’s breast, formula, or a mix of both, you are not failing. Every baby, every mum, and every journey is different. What matters most is that your baby is loved, fed, and happy—and that you are too. 💕