In 2005 I breastfed my son very successfully. We fed exclusively until 6 months when he began to wean. Also being at a child minders he began to self wean from me too. We stopped feeding at 8 months or so and when he was a year I decided to have cosmetic surgery.

In 2006 I had a breast augmentation (implants) and mastopexy (uplift). To do the uplift the surgeon made incisions in the shape of an anchor – surgically removing and repositioning both nipples. I was told at the time that this could hinder any future feeding but that it was very unlikely.

In January 2008 I gave birth to our daughter. She took to the breast very quickly in the first day but was a more ferocious feeder than her brother had been. I was beginning to get pain but was stubborn, insisted I knew what I was doing and needed no extra assistance. Within 3 days she was drawing blood from me and was vomiting strawberry coloured milk. My nipples were both severely cracked and infected.

In my area was very little feeding support and my GP insisted that the operation had probably damaged ducts, she wasn't getting enough milk, which had caused the damage. He told me to stop feeding immediately and use two creams to heal the sores. I did so but insisted on continuing to express. I brought a Medela swing pump and then found myself an NCT counsellor to help me. A lot of advice was that I couldn't express and shouldn't express and bottle feed her EBM as this would cause extreme confusion at just a week old but with the guidance and support from Michelle I did exactly that. I expressed every single feed for 9 days whilst I healed. It was sore but after those 9 days had passed I decided to bite the bullet and relatch my daughter. The left side was tender but OK. The right I used a shield with for the next few days before then going without. She successfully relatched and we had no issues for a while.

Unfortunately as the weeks passed she became so very unsettled and fractious, crying all the time. She was so fussy at the breast – would latch on gasping but within seconds was pulling away and agitated, fractious at every feed. Frustrated. Despite a steady weight gain the Health Visitor insisted she wasn't getting enough milk. I argued away as I could express 7oz in minutes and had a freezer full of milk. She kept insisting that we stop feeding and give formula instead. I am stubborn – I refused. I had fed one baby so easily and didn't believe it was down to the operation. She insisted it must be – damaged and severed milk ducts were preventing her from getting sufficient milk.

Again I went against the advice, trusted my instincts and began to look for other reasons. It transpired that my daughter had severe Silent Reflux. She displayed all the symptoms but because her weight gain was steady, it was continually dismissed. She would scream night and day. I couldn't put her down and she had very frothy, green, explosive bowel movements. I decided to go to A&E and refuse to leave. It's amazing what a continually screaming baby gets in hospital. We were discharged with some reflux medication and booked in to see the Specialist in this area.

When he met Amelia she screamed continually the WHOLE time we were in his room. After 20 minutes he finally decided that she was in considerable pain and wanted her admitted. They decided to put a feeding tube into her and feed her a very specialised Formula whilst I continued to express and whilst I went totally dairy free. It transpired that, not only was she suffering with significant Reflux, but she also had a Cow's Milk protein intolerance and the dairy passing through me to her was making her ill. This meant that had I taken the Health Visitors advice she would have been worse and I'd have lost out on breastfeeding, which to me was the right thing for my children.

Amelia was put onto three times the usual dose of reflux medication, which was continually increased as her weight gained. I fed her until she was just passed 12 months. At that point I was advised to stop for my own health sake as I was suffering with severe Post natal depression and needed significant medication myself. I was heartbroken to stop but am so proud that we fed for so long. I know that my insistence in feeding her was right. She was poorly and I fed her easily and well once we were undergoing treatment. The implants may have been an underlying cause initially. I think the ducts may have been damaged but that we were able to overcome it as the need for milk increased. Not only did I feed my daughter all that time, I expressed a good supply for the freezer to use with weaning etc and I also donated to a milk bank. Clearly the Breast Surgery did not hinder my milk supply in the end.

My experience this time has pushed me to train as a counsellor. There is not enough support in my area and I live in London. I found this shocking and the fact that I was told to give up so many times on badly judged reasons is a shame. I have several friends who suffered similar and did stop feeding at a very early age – only for it to later transpire their child had reflux as well.

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