Latch On: The Blog

No-one tells you how much of your own health gets parked when you’re breastfeeding. With my first beautiful rainbow baby boy I  thought I was doing everything right. He was thriving & I was so grateful to be able to breastfeed him. Yes, I was exhausted, but isn’t every new mother? I didn't know then that it wasn’t ‘just’ exhaustion. I was lightheaded more often than I admitted out loud. My nails were so brittle that they peeled when I wore closed shoes. I couldn’t sleep even

I share this post because I get asked about breastfeeding and weight loss all the time, not because I believe any lactating mother should be dieting or trying to lose weight. I personally did not weigh myself for at least a year postpartum, because I did not have the time, energy, or desire to track my weight. My weight fluctuated throughout my breastfeeding journey, as did my energy levels - and my stress levels. The relationship between breastfeeding and weight is a complex

I just read the New York Times opinion piece arguing that exclusive breastfeeding and equal parenting are incompatible, that choosing to breastfeed means choosing an “infuriatingly lopsided dynamic,” and that formula is the path to liberation. At first I was seething. Now, I'm mostly disappointed. I have so much compassion for the author. I truly do. Emergency surgery with a 3-month-old, worrying about your older child, the exhaustion of early motherhood, the resentment when

This post isn’t about bashing breastfeeding. I write this as a fierce advocate of breastfeeding beyond infancy and as a mother who sings and shouts about the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and their children alike. But what the conversation is often missing is the hidden cost of lactating in a world which doesn’t recognize just how much you are giving. 365 days a year. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even when your baby’s not literally latched onto you, your body is mak

I grew up in the nineties and we'd wake up to a literal mountain of plastic toys on Christmas Day. Neither of my parents ever had much as children, growing up and honestly? The delight on their faces - from being able to give us so much - was palpable too. Fast forward 35 years to when my son was a toddler, I read that 8 was the ideal number of toys to have. I strived for that - a neat little box of carefully selected items. Then his 3rd birthday arrived. After lockdown. Over

A reflection on where The Breastfeeding Mentor began - and what it’s grown into I think the story of The Breastfeeding Mentor  starts...

I share this blog post in response to the hundreds of comments that I got on a now deleted post in which I shared a sleep training study...

There’s a persistent myth in some cultures: that women - and mothers in particular - are somehow less capable than men. Throw...

“This field - what’s it got to do with your brain?”: Understanding the Weaning Process There’s a viral reel going around. A girl runs...

Understanding the Weaning Process Stopping breastfeeding is often framed as an ending, an unspoken curtain call. But what if it’s also a...

Tips for breastfeeding, heatwaves and hot nights Summer days can be beautiful but summer nights? Not always easy. Especially with a...

When I first shared the screenshot of Medela’s announcement that they’ll no longer sell bottles or teats in the UK, I captioned it: “a...

(Why You Feel Everything So Deeply (and Why That’s Not a Bad Thing) Breastfeeding is often described as nourishing, bonding, instinctive....

When I first heard Karen Millen call breastfeeding a three-year-old “selfish,” on national television, I nearly choked on my tea. If...

(Because misinformation is more dangerous than a 3-year-old asking for “boobie”) Note: I rage write this article around 6am this morning...

Before breast milk flows in abundance, before letdown, before the steady rhythm of feeding finds its way - there is colostrum. Thick....

A science-backed reminder that your milk is still enough — and always has been. Too many mothers are still being told that their milk...

Weaning is one of those tender, bittersweet chapters in the breastfeeding journey — not an end, but a gentle turning of the page. Gentle...

Before I dive in, I want to acknowledge something important: I write this as a mother of one. I haven’t breastfed multiple children...

Breastfeeding is often framed as a radiant connection. It’s seen as a nourishing act, a sacred rite, a profound bond between mother and...