Lucy Mecklenburgh says breastfeeding and being a new mum is the "hardest thing" she's ever done.
Lucy Mecklenburgh
The former 'TOWIE' star - who has 10-month-old Roman with Ryan Thomas - found it tough to breastfeed her newborn son, but she now believes it is one of the "most rewarding" things she has done.
She told the Results Wellness Lifestyle Magazine: “I’ve climbed a mountain, cycled part of the Tour de France, survived 30 days on a deserted island, but breastfeeding and being a new mum has been the hardest and most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.
“I hadn’t done a lot of research on breastfeeding beforehand, which I regret, but the lack of sleep and the extreme highs and extreme lows of the hormones were a rollercoaster for me."
When the 29-year-old star was having trouble breastfeeding she found out Roman had tongue tie - where the skin joining a baby's tongue to the bottom of their mouth is shorter than usual - but Lucy was determined not to quit.
She explained: "Roman was really sick for a long time and I constantly doubted myself and questioned why he wasn’t getting better at feeding, It wasn’t until I found out, weeks later, that he had tongue tie, meaning he physically couldn’t suck the thicker milk, that I understood what was going on.
“But even after that I had this determination not to quit, because I think that’s what my past has always been about. I put a lot of pressure on myself to keep going, even though I was really struggling."
At first, Lucy felt like she was doing something wrong after looking at other influencers on social media, but she doesn't think they were always sharing the reality of motherhood.
She added: “When I was pregnant I started following lots of mummy influencers on Instagram and saw all their amazing pictures with their kids.
“But when I actually became a mum I thought, 'Why does it not feel like that for me? Why does breastfeeding hurt me? Why do I not look perfect like her?' Then I realised, 'Oh my god, that’s not the reality.'
“I do post pictures of Roman when he looks all cute, but I’ve also posted pictures of myself covered in baby sick, or with my nipple pads still on, or watching TV with a breast pump, because that’s the reality and I think it’s important to show both sides.”
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