Stacey Solomon has opened up about struggling to breastfeed her new baby, saying it “came as a bit of a shock” that the experience was not “blissful breast time”.
The Loose Women star welcomed her son with partner Joe Swash last month.
On Wednesday, she shared a picture of herself feeding with a slightly pained expression, as she told her fans she wanted to remind anyone else struggling with it that “it’s perfectly OK, there’s nothing wrong with you, and you’re doing amazingly”.
Solomon, who has two sons from previous relationships, said: “Trying to smile. This is my face every time he latches on.
“I didn’t breastfeed Leighton and I don’t remember 11 years ago with Zach so it came as a bit of a shock to me when my feeding experience wasn’t blissful breast time and expressing pints of milk in between!
“After not mastering the latch that leaving my boobs engorged and my nipples feeling like they’d been rubbed on sandpaper I think we are finally getting there.
“I’ve been milked by just about every health visitor and breastfeeding specialist around (for which I am eternally grateful) and my baby can finally get his tiny mouth around, what Zach and Leighton call, my Pepperami nipples!”
She continued: “We still haven’t mastered it yet and we might never master it – that’s ok too.
“I just thought for anyone out there struggling or who struggled to breastfeed that it’s perfectly OK, there’s nothing wrong with you, and you’re doing amazingly.
“All things I’ve struggled to believe at times.”
The star said it was “wonderful” to see other people’s happy breastfeeding pictures but that “from somebody who is lucky to express 10ml if not dust when I put a pump on I would have loved to see some different experiences too”.
“Here’s to making it work no matter what way round you do it! Breast or bottle, Mammas, YOU ARE INCREDIBLE!” she said.