Giovanna Fletcher "cried so much" in the early days of motherhood.
The 32-year-old author – who has sons Buzz, three, and Buddy, 15 months, with her husband Tom Fletcher – has been open about her own struggles as she navigated through motherhood but is glad she "persevered" with those things she found trickier such as breastfeeding.
She wrote: "OK, I’m no longer breastfeeding my boys but I had quite a time getting to grips with it in the early days with Buzz, something I’ve been very honest about in the past as I think talking about these things can help others who aren’t finding it easy.
"It’s actually where my whole ‘Happy mum, happy baby’ saying comes from, because in those early days I was so consumed with ‘getting it right’ that it interfered with my bonding experience and I was miserable.
"I cried so much and we only really started getting it right 8 weeks in. At 3 months it felt easy. It took time and I’m glad I persevered, but likewise I know it’s not for everyone and that some people simply chose not to or can’t do it. (sic)"
And Giovanna is backing a campaign to support women who have decided to breastfeed their babies but has urged mothers who decided against breastfeeding their little ones to not feel "guilty or inadequate".
She added in a post on Instagram: "So don’t feel guilty or inadequate in anyway if you didn’t go down the boob route, you do what YOU think is best for your child and shouldn’t seek acceptance from others outside your home. The important thing is that your child is fed and loved!
"For those on the boob train, today over 700 mums are coming together as part of #thebigbreastfeedingcafe which’ll give support to those who are ‘milkin’ it’. This was one of the first areas I really needed support in on my mothering adventure, and I got lots thanks to @medela_uk xx (sic)"
Giovanna Fletcher’s motherhood struggles
