A mum who struggled to breastfeed her daughter has openly told “mum guilt” to “F off”.
Siobhan Rennie, from Australia, said she feels guilty everyday that she doesn’t breastfeed, but encouraged others not to doubt their choices, as “fed is best”.
“You have to do what’s right for you and your whole family,” she wrote on 17 November.
“Whether that be breastfeeding until they’re toddlers or never being able to even start. Tell mum guilt to just F off.”
Rennie explained she stopped feeding her daughter Aoife because she had latching problems and she suffered from postnatal depression.
“At four months we called it quits and it was such a painful decision,” she wrote.
“But still, eight months on, I think I gave up too easily.
“I still can’t help being really hard on myself... and add to that the stare I got from a woman today at the park when I pulled out Aoife’s bottle... Jesus, it was so judge-y.”
The mum went on to say to other mums that it doesn’t matter how babies get food, as long as they’re nourished and happy.
“Never doubt your choices,” she added. “Mum guilt is a huge bitch.”
Other mums were able to relate to Rennie’s post.
“You made the right decision, don’t look back,” one person wrote.
“I had a cry reading your post as us mummas want nothing more than give our babies the best.
“It upsets me too that if you feed your baby the bottle someone has something negative to say and then if you go on to breastfeed too long people have something to say to that also.
“We should trust in our decisions made for our children as they come from an honest and nurturing place of unconditional love.”
Another commented: “Beautiful post. She’s got a strong, loving mumma and that’s the most important thing.”