Here is a little throwback to one of my favourite days as a photographer so far!
I had such a lovely time at the breastfeeding support group in Bolsover back in March 2020 (just before COVID stopped play). I took my backdrop but we also used the space outside too as it was such a beautiful day.
The little ones (and their mamas) were all amazing. Some of them were a bit distracted doing the indoor photos with my camera clicking away and the flash going off but that just meant I could get some photos of their beautiful faces too!
I wanted to work with the group because I’m a firm believer in capturing these quiet moments before it’s too late. Feeding, burping and changing your baby are such a giant part of their first months and years and I think it all should be documented too, not just the moments where they’re dressed in their best clothes looking picture perfect.
Feeding my first baby started out as super stressful. My milk didn’t come in, he was hungry, I was exhausted and no one was getting any rest or enjoying those first precious days. I SO wanted to breastfeed but it wasn’t working. My amazing sister-in-law suggested we bottle fed instead (which hadn’t even crossed my sleep deprived mind) and that’s what we did.
I remember bursting into tears any time anyone asked me about feeding, at first I thought I was an absolute failure. My body was messed up with hyperemesis gravidarum for the whole of my pregnancy and now my boobs couldn’t even do the thing they were made to do! But I quickly came to realise how much happier we all were once my son started getting some food in him, no more midwives threatening hospital stays if he didn’t put on weight and he was actually sleeping.
When I was pregnant with my daughter I decided I would try breastfeeding again but without all the pressure. If it worked then great, if not then I knew we would all be OK if she had to have formula (which she did).
Everyone's journey is different and I think however you feed is amazing, whether it’s boob, bottle, pumping, tube, 100% chocolate cake (ok maybe not the last one). I'll always be in awe of breastfeeding and pumping mamas and definitely a little jealous; it was something I wanted to give to my babies but in the end it wasn't to be. And that's OK! Tube feeding mamas are superheroes too, having so much patience and dealing with all the trials of tube feeding your child.
I've gone a little way away from photography in this blog but it's all part of why I want to document your feeding journey! No matter how exhausted you were at the time and how much easier it is once they start eating sandwiches, I can guarantee you'll still miss those little hands stroking your chest as they feed or those gorgeous, big eyes gazing up at you over their bottle.
If you're interested in some photographs of you feeding during a normal session, or even a session dedicated to capturing a feed then please, please, please get in touch.
Bolsover & Chesterfield Feeding Together Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/Chesterfieldbfgroup/
North East Derbyshire List of services available: www.dchs.nhs.uk/home/our-services/find_services_by_topic/healthvisiting/map_of_our_services/hvs_north_east_derbyshire