Mother Portraits
Mothers from the Holding Time project across the country, talk about their experiences of breastfeeding.
I need to leave a legacy for him somehow
I was so tired I wasn’t coping
I think a lot of the pressure for me came from myself…
I think being pregnant was the first time in my life I appreciated my body
I was having to go for all these tests, and my baby was really poorly
Nabaya
I had my baby at 28 weeks. The biggest thing they said was, “She needs breastmilk”
It’s about talking to and having that support system around you to talk to
I never could have prepared myself for the first time. I think no one can, no matter what you read
Nobody seemed to understand how important it was to me and why it was so important.
I researched so much about it and it just still wasn’t working
It’s not just about feeding; it’s about connection, about learning
It’s not just feeding them. If they hurt themselves, you can offer milk, and that’s a comfort
I knew about the benefits for mum and baby, and just thought it was something that I would do without question
It’s about having choices, being informed, and feeling in control of my body and birth
I knew how hard it was going to be
A lot of birth and those early postpartum days are a blur
I had a lot of guilt and shame that I’ve had to work through
