'I still can't help being really hard on myself' Mum opens up about her guilt over not breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is an amazing way to bond with your baby, but not every mother has the option of feeding their child this way.

No mother should feel ashamed at being unable breastfeeding, or deciding to stop, but one blogger has opened up about her 'mum guilt' over her decision to stop breastfeeding her daughter.

Mum-of-two Siobhan Rennie breastfed her daughter Aoife until she was four months old. But in an honest Instagram post, the mum admitted to still feeling guilty since moving on to bottle feeding.

'I still feel guilty every day that I'm not breastfeeding Aiofe anymore. Because mum guilt is a HUGE B****', she wrote.

Siobhan revealed there were many reasons for stopping, adding: 'She took hours to B'feed, it wasn't fair on Harry, so many latching probs meant too much air then too much wind and reflux, ohh and my PND and anxiety...'

After her experience, Siobhan made the 'painful decision' to stop breastfeeding after four months.

However, while she said that 'life definitely got easier, we were all a lot happier', she admitted to still feeling guilty.

'But I still, 8 months on, think I gave up too easily.

'I didn't, I know that, but I still can't help being really hard on myself'.

Siobhan even said she's received judgement for bottle-feeding by other women, which made the guilt even worse. She explained: '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 judgey.'

But the mum went on to argue that making sure your baby is fed and happy is more important than the method of feeding. 'FED is best. Aoife was (and still is) more satisfied on the bottle.'

She encouraged fellow mums to make the best decision for them, and to not feel pressured into breastfeeding or guilty about not doing so.

'Never doubt your choices, you have to do what's right for you and your whole family - whether that be breastfeeding until they're toddlers or never being able to even start.'

Siobhan's post seems to have struck a chord with other mums, with many praising the blogger for her honesty and sharing their own stories of breastfeeding.

One Instagram user said: 'Love this currently having so much trouble breastfeeding my second who just isn't capable or interested right now ... Persevering for now but will try not to beat myself up if it doesn't work!'

Another commented: 'Beautiful post. She's got a strong, loving mumma and that's the most important thing.'