My breastfeeding journey has come to an end for the third time.

Breastfeeding is such a personal, intimate choice for people. I am so grateful I was able to breastfeed but I never put any pressure on myself or allowed anyone to put pressure on me when it came to feeding my babies, because feeding them was the most important thing, regardless of what form that came in.

I had three very different experiences of breastfeeding; all challenging and rewarding in different ways. I’ve experienced the soreness, the latching, the bonding, the learning, the comforting, the discomfort, the closeness, the exhaustion, the relaxing and that ‘last time’, I didn’t know would be the last time.
  
My first experience lasted 12 weeks, my second baby nursed for nine months and my third time round lasted 17 months. I had no timescales or plan for any of them. I just went with what felt right for me, the baby and our family.
  
It doesn’t matter how long you nurse for, stopping can be tough. Cabbage leaves help reduce breast inflammation and relieve the pain and discomfort that breast engorgement, an overabundant supply of breast milk, or weaning a baby from breastfeeding can cause.
      
Leave the cold leaves on for 20 minutes and repeat three times a day. Any more than 20 minutes and the cabbage starts to heat up and smell. The cool leaves feel soooooo good.
  
Breastfeeding isn’t really part of the hypnobirthing course but it always comes up. Either questions about my experience or advice.
  
Few breastfeeding facts:

• With each subsequent pregnancy your breast milk glands almost double.
• Breastfeeding burns between 500-600 calories a day.
• Your brain releases the hormones prolactin and oxytocin during breastfeeding, which help you to bond with baby and ease those normal feelings of stress and anxiety, as well as reducing the risk of PND.
• Almost 70% of all most breast milk is produced in the right breast, whether the the mum is are right or left handed.
• Breastfeeding saves a family approximately €2 – 4 thousand annually cleared to formula fed families.

Thanks boobies, for keeping my babies nourished and giving us such a special time together.

Boobs are amazing!