When Liz approached me to help make this book a reality, I was almost ready to birth my second child – and my first one was taking most of my free minutes, as toddlers do. However, as chaotic as life was at the time, something deep within, compelled me to take on this project. It is a topic close to my heart and one that means so much to me. If in producing this book, I have some part to play in providing comfort, solidarity and helpful information to other mothers and parents, it will be among my proudest achievements.
I am one of those mothers for whom breastfeeding was not as straight- forward as I imagined or hoped. I share my story with you, like the other remarkable women in this book, to raise awareness of the sheer breadth of joy and struggle we face, as mothers.
In editing this collection, I’ve had the honour of handling some of the most heart-warming, inspiring stories which have somehow helped me to heal on my own journey. It was beautiful to read of the women who had incredibly good and positive breastfeeding experiences, in all the vulnerability and honesty in which they were written. It was humbling to read of the multiple births, premature births and infant losses, and of navigating how to feed a new baby after a double mastectomy. We are also privileged to have the shared experiences of some loving dads and partners, as well as poignant stories recounted from grandmothers, which span generations of experience. My hope is that these stories will serve as companions for any new mother, reminding her that she’s not alone.
Liz crossed my path when I was a wide-eyed and scared new mother, needing breastfeeding support. She is a woman who has spent four decades in Australian healthcare and in that time, she has seen significant changes to the way new mothers are cared for and educated about their own bodies and babies. Liz has steadily collected the accounts you’ll read in this book in her own time, over many years and I thank her, for her dedication to the cause of women and babies.
Dani
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