CLARE, 20 FROM MORECAMBE AND MUM TO BRADEN

Clare lives in Morecambe, North Lancashire with Braden aged 7 months.
Clare had been working in a supermarket till she was 8months pregnant with her first baby, and she has no wish to go back! When the boys are both in nursery she plans to return to work, but she’d like to go to college and get a qualification or training so she can have a career that she will love, rather than just a job to bring in money: She fancies doing something in Interior Design if possible.
She has 2 little kids so doesn’t have much spare time at the moment, but when she gets the chance she loves to catch up with her sister and all the gossip!!
She had a great time at the photo shoot and was surprised by how well the photos came out - she just didn’t think she could look like that!

Please explain why you’ve chosen to breastfeed.
Well, it’s convenient, it’s good for baby, helped me get my figure back quickly – there are lots of health benefits for both of us. To be honest I didn’t ‘choose to breastfeed my eldest son, in fact I planned to bottle feed him and I’d bought all the bottles and the steriliser too, but after he was born the midwife in hospital brought him over to me and asked if I’d like to try feeding him myself, and we just went from there: once I’d got going with breastfeeding I realised how easy it was, and that’s when I realised all the good things about breastfeeding! With my second son there was no other way I would have chosen to feed but breastfeeding, for me it was the natural choice.

What did the people around you think of your decision to breastfeed - eg partner, parents, friends, family?
Everybody was really supportive – and I have to say that helps a lot.

What general advice would you give to expectant mums considering breastfeeding?
Not to expect too much from yourself especially in the beginning, just take it day by day. It’s important that Mums don’t get upset if it isn’t going well, but instead ask for help, and give it time.

What advice would you give to mums whose partner/friends/parents disapprove of breastfeeding?
I find it hard to answer that question as I really haven’t had that experience. If it doesn’t bother the Mum, why should it bother anyone else? If the problem is that other members of the family want to join in with feeding baby then Mum can always express her milk, it’s not that hard to do, then they can get involved.
I don’t understand why people would be negative about a mother’s choice of how she wants to feed her baby - I mean I would have automatically thought of bottles with babies before I had my first baby, but breastfeeding’s natural, isn’t it? What other creature gives another creature’s milk to their young?!!