Breastfeeding Week 2026
A couple of weeks ago me and 8 other women and their children spent the evening in the woods. Feeding our babies, chatting together, taking photos in the golden sunset light, kids running around us playing in the trees.
I wanted to organise this group photoshoot to celebrate breastfeeding, motherhood and women coming together. Breastfeeding is something that I’m immensely proud of and very passionate about.
This photo shoot was not only to celebrate these women’s breastfeeding journeys but also for others too. It’s for the new mum who can’t imagine feeding outside the house yet without cushions holding her and baby up. It’s for the mum who feels the judging eyes and moves somewhere private to feed even though it means she misses out on the conversation. It’s for the people who suggest we feed our babies in a public toilet. It’s for the mum who desperately wants to breastfeed but is told ‘why don’t you just try formula’ when she’s struggling. It’s for the mums who get constantly asked when they plan to stop breastfeeding. It’s for the pregnant mum who has never seen someone breastfeeding before. It’s my past self who sat in hospital on my own pumping tiny amounts of milk, while thinking my breastfeeding journey was coming to an end before it had even started.
We need stronger support systems in place around breastfeeding. We need mothers to see other mothers feeding. We need better education and more funding for healthcare professionals to be able to actually give accurate and helpful breastfeeding support. We need accessible feeding support for everyone without having to pay private fees. We need more awareness within families and wider society.
It’s not just about being fed. Supported and informed is best for both baby and mother.
Huge thank you to all the women who were involved in this. It was wonderful to spend the evening with you and here all your stories. You’re all incredible.
‘I’ve been breastfeeding now continuously for nearly 5 and a half years – 4 years 7 months with our eldest daughter, 10 months tandem feeding them both after our second daughter was born, and 19 months and counting with our youngest. It has been very challenging at times but also the most special thing and one of my greatest achievements.
When our first baby was born, it was during the covid pandemic and unfortunately this played a large part in turning our planned home birth into a very traumatic hospital birth, ending in Scott not being allowed to be there for the birth and me feeling like I had been assaulted. I then went on to have more traumatic experiences with various members of medical staff while all being on my own because of Covid. This meant that like many women who experience traumatic births this had a big effect on breastfeeding, by day 5 my milk still hadn’t come in and we were readmitted for jaundice and weight loss, once again alone in a hospital room. There in a room with no windows, zero breastfeeding support as I was on a children’s ward they had no staff to help me postnatally, I felt my dreams of breastfeeding were being taken away from me. But I just felt I couldn’t let what had happened to us take this away too. We ended up triple feeding – breast, pumping and then formula feeding. Again due to the pandemic there was no in person support, however I found help through social media and in particular Instagram pages of lactation consultants. Slowly we got back to exclusively breastfeeding (other than when we went back to shooting weddings at 13 weeks old and she had a bottle). Breastfeeding felt like it saved me after
the awful experience we had from the birth and then going on to have PTSD and birth trauma. It took me from the first thought when meeting my baby of ‘this might not even be my child’ to having a beautiful strong connection, when it was just me and her and she was on my chest. The instant feeling of safety and connection and feeling her body sink into mine.
I never planned on breastfeeding for so long, my goal moved from weeks, to months, to the ultimate goal of 2 years as recommended by the WHO. However we passed that and it was still such an important part of my relationship with my daughter. It helped her calm, it helped with transitions, it helped her terrible sleep haha. Breastfeeding was a huge comfort for her.
When our second daughter was born I knew we would probably end up tandem feeding. And although this was daunting, I knew it was possible and would hopefully help our eldest with the transition and change. After the most incredible and healing free birth at home, we started my second breastfeeding journey in our living room, lit by the sun rising through the window, with Scott by my side and just our doula in the room. My baby still attached to her umbilical cord and to me. Our eldest daughter came home a few hours later and we started tandem feeding with both on my chest together. After the most beautiful birth experience I could have wished for, I did not expect to end up suffering so badly with postpartum depression, however this was my reality. And with that unfortunately came intense and overwhelming aversion when feeding our eldest. It made feeding her extremely hard and had a real impact on my already fragile mental health. I had a dream of going fully child-led natural term weaning, however there came a point where I just couldn’t continue. We carried on for 10 months and I spent a good few months of that slowly and very gently working towards weaning. There was no big end, no emotional send off, just less and less each day until one day was our last.
Our second daughter breastfeeding wasn’t as easy as I had expected (given my years of experience at this point). She struggled with her latch, much like our first, and I had to spend the first two months advocating for her to have a tongue tie assessed. My instincts were right and once she had it cut things slowly settled. This time preparing to return to work at 8 weeks felt even harder, postpartum depression meant I found pumping to create a freezer supply extremely hard. And after tandem feeding both this was just an extra step my body and mind couldn’t handle. So after a suggestion from our wonderful doula we got in touch with another mum who was donating breast milk. Another taboo was crossed as we gratefully took this wonderful gift to feed our baby another mothers milk while we were at work. Over the next few months I met up again with another mum who donated her milk to us. We met in a car park and laughed together about how this felt like a dodgy deal in the boot of her car. But this was an example of how when stigma is removed as mothers we can support each other, the village that our ancestors would have raised their babies in.
I don’t yet know how my (probably) final breastfeeding journey will end or how long we will go for. But what I do know is that I am strong, I love my children, and I have given my body to them. It has been my superpower, it has been hard and beautiful and tiring. The golden milky thread connecting me and my daughters as they leave my body and go out into the world.’ – Meg and Birdie (19 months)
‘I have breastfed all three of my children, and all three times I have found it a huge challenge at the start (all three had tongue ties) At the start there was a lot of pain and hard work, but long term it has been incredibly rewarding. I breastfed my first two babies to around 18 months and I hope to continue with my third and last baby to 18 months and beyond. It is such a privilege and a joy to bond with my children in this way. The way they stare into my eyes, tiny fingers tracing my lips as they nurse. The lazy mornings feeding in bed, the instant soothing when they bang their head. When my baby nurses time changes, and the mad rush of parenthood is forced to stand still.’ – Becky and Hamish (9 months)
‘Jasper arrived with a bang via and emergency C-section. I felt like my body had let us down a bit. Breastfeeding was always my goal but it became so much more important to me after this. It’s felt healing and I’m so proud of us. We’re working through a tongue tie and reflux but despite this Jasper is healthy and strong and I have my boobs to thank for that 💝✨ ‘ – Niamh and Jasper (7 weeks)
With my first child, breastfeeding felt very natural and instinctive. He latched instantly and from then, despite many comments (God, you’re not STILL feeding him are you?!) we continued nursing until he was almost 3. However, when our second child Iver was born, our feeding journey began very differently. I knew his latch felt different but the midwives just shrugged it off. I continued to feed him whilst in a lot of pain. After a very stressful and frustrating week (I ended up with mastitis and a GP said to me ‘just give him formula’?!!!) he was eventually diagnosed with tongue tie. Now, at 20 months he is still breastfeeding, with no plans to stop in the near future (to be honest I have no idea HOW to even stop-This is not something that anyone tells you!) Breastfeeding is hard, but so so worth it! – Emma and Iver (20 months)
‘When Winnie was born at 38 weeks via C- section, she unfortunately was unable to breathe by herself and was immediately intubated & ventilated in the NICU. I’d hoped to breastfeed but she was incredibly poorly & had to be transferred for stage 1 intensive care, so we were told the chances of her latching & being breastfed were slim. The only thing I could do to help her was pump – so I did, every 2 hours! And despite all the pain, blistered nips & a lot of tears I carried on with the help of some amazing NICU nurses. Then, one night, Lewis came home & woke me up to say Winnie had taken some breastmilk orally & was trying to pull her feeding tube out! They prepared us a bedroom the following day on the unit & we managed to get her to latch the first time (after a lot of wriggling & negotiating positions around wires & tubes!) After 2 days of living in the NICU & exclusively breastfeeding, we got her feeding tube taken out & were prepped to go home! It’s like from the moment she was able to breastfeed, she suddenly came on leaps & bounds & knew that’s what she needed to grow strong. Winnie was a fighter from day 1, but now she is a thriving 7 week old who has almost doubled her birth weight. By no means has it been an easy journey, we missed all the big ‘firsts’ that I was so desperate for after a difficult few years trying to conceive. But I’m so proud that I was able to do this one thing for my daughter & beat the odds of breastfeeding a NICU babe.’ – Jess and Winnie (7 weeks)
‘I feel so incredibly lucky to be breastfeeding again. I fed my first-born child for 2 and a half years, and although at that point we were both ready to stop, after a difficult fertility journey I didn’t think I’d ever get to do it again, but always hoped I would. Breastfeeding my first baby was the most wonderful experience but in the beginning I found it hard- those early weeks marred by pain, feeding plans, weigh-ins and worry. The second time around has been so healing, and I’ve been able to fully enjoy these first precious weeks with our new baby. When our initial feeding journey ended, I had a necklace made with my milk in the shape of a lightning bolt, to remind me of the super power I once had, and now have again. What an honour and a privilege it is to do this.’ – Sarah and Elswyth (3.5 months)
‘When I had my eldest I had the goal of 6 weeks breast feeding, by which point, I was sure I’d have been desperate to ‘have my body back’. But we fed for a year, until he self weaned and now, with my daughter, I am loving how close we feel when it’s just me and her feeding. I just cherish this time, perhaps more so than with my eldest, due to life with a toddler being a little more chaotic. There’s nothing more beautiful than nourishing your baby and I feel so privileged to have been able to.’ – Beth and Edith (6 months)
Breast feeding is many things – it’s a privilege, it’s a full time job, it’s a comfort, it’s a bond – but it is always magic. – Dilly and Clementine (7 months)
‘We are very much only at the beginning of our breastfeeding journey. I always knew I wanted to breastfeed however whilst pregnant I told myself I wasn’t going to put too much pressure on myself if it didn’t work out and that it didn’t need to look like the perfect breastfeeding story. I told myself to give it 2 weeks, then another week, then a few months… I looked into pumping, formula, different bottles etc etc just in case. When Nancy arrived and she instantly latched I knew I was going to try my best to do this for us. The first few weeks, like many breastfeeding journeys, were rocky with nipple trauma, painful engorgement, hand pumps that caused more discomfort than relief, tongue tie… generally breastfeeding a new born in heatwave after heatwave!!! At 4 weeks we decided to add 1 bottle of formula a day for reasons personal to us as a family and little Nancy took to it with no problem. She is generally a baby that takes everything in her stride! And there our combi feeding journey began! I beat myself up for a while but told myself the formula wasn’t taking away the benefits of the breastfeeding but adding it’s own benefits for Nancy and our lives as a family. Now at 9 weeks, she is the happiest little love, sleeps like a dream and the when that little girl stares into my eyes with her big blue eyes whilst we feed and she breaks to flash me a smile… it gives me the strength to keep on trying feed after feed ,day after day. And the days have soon turned time weeks and months and who knows how long for. As long as combination feeding works for us, I will do what it takes. That is my promise to her ❤️ ‘- Olivia and Nancy (9 weeks)
