Hello. My name is Jennie and I am a breastfeeder!

This month of June I am taking part in BoobieMilk’s Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt. This is a fun way to get people reading, writing, talking and sharing about breastfeeding.

Getting out and about with a new baby is not always easy so I am so excited to be taking part in such a collaborative project about such an important and personal subject.

At the moment I am breastfeeding my daughter, Matilda Mae.

Matilda Mae is my third child. I already have a son and a daughter, 22 month old twins, who were born in 2010, three months premature.

I breastfed Esther and William for 15 months and with Matilda Mae I am on week number 4! She will be just one month old tomorrow.

I did not expect to feel as passionately about breastfeeding as I do but when Esther and William were born so early, because of something wrong with me, breastfeeding them, for as long as I could, seemed the least I could possibly do. They deserved to have the best start in life I could offer them and I knew that the benefits of breast milk made my boobies the very best friends for them.

Breastfeeding carries so many benefits for mother and child but if that child is premature then the benefits for both can be even greater still.

One of the most precious gifts that breastfeeding brings is time. Time to bond with your child in a completely natural way,providing your child with their most primitive needs for food, warmth, safety and love. When a baby is born too early this form of bonding is not always possible but you can still ensure they receive the goodness of your milk through expressing and feeding them through a tube.

Breastfeeding bonds mother in child in another vital way too, with antibodies, providing new babies strengthened protecton from infection, illness and disease. Again making breastmilk even more important for mummies of prems.

Last week our whole family were struck down with a horrible sickness bug, all except Matilda Mae who I like to think was protected by my antibodies passed on through her diet of breastmilk.

Breastfeeding is not easy and it can be a very lonely job indeed but the benefits far outweigh any slight inconvenience there may be.

I am finding one baby harder this time than when I fed the twins. Matilda is a very demanding baby but of course her toddler siblings are demanding too. There is no taking to bed for growth spurts this time around, I so wish I had made more of that kind of opportunity the first time.

For me as a mummy the best breast benefits are that I feel that I am giving my baby a part of myself and offering protection from harm.

Breastfeeding is convenient. No sterilisation required. No preparation of feeds.

More sleep for all. Matilda sleeps in bed with me and while lying side by side she can basically help herself whilst half asleep through the night and no one else need be disturbed. I also love the private moments we have in the early morning as dawn breaks giving me enough light to watch my beautiful daughter sleep or to wake from my own slumber to find her eagerly studying me as if waiting for me to wake.

As well as being emotional breastfeeding is also practical.

We have less paraphernalia to carry around with us when out and about, and with three children under two it is already a military operation to get out of the door.

On days like we have had recently when the heat is unbearable we do not need to worry about whether or not Matilda needs water as my body produces milk in the quantity and consistency that she needs to keep both well nourished and hydrated.

I feel like as well as helping my daughter through breastfeeding I am also helping me. At the beginnng I could literally feel my uterus shrinking back in to shape during feeds.

When Esther and William were in NICU I had to express milk for them that was fed to them through a tube. I had to pump milk every three hours night and day and I had a chart telling me the benefits to me and the babies for each day and then each week and then each month for which they had my milk as their main form of nutrition. It kept me going when the nights were long and my arms were empty.

Now my arms are full to bursting with my bubbly brood. My heart is full to bursting with love for my beautiful children and pride that I have been able to feed them myself.

I hope that through the scavenger hunt this month I can share with you some of my breastfeeding tips and experiences and learn some of yours.

You can read the rules of the hunt here and discover how you can make the most of this month of awareness and also how you could win some fantastic prizes!

Here is a Keep Britain Breastfeeding logo to help you on your way!

Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter the competition to win a fantastic grand prize. To validate your entry leave a comment below this post sharing a hint, tip or breastfeeding story. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To continue your journey on hunt you can check out the following blogs

Twinkle Mummy
Smiling Like Sunshine
Mummy Constant
A New Addition
Circus Queen

The Scavenger Hunt is supported by the fabulous Theraline!