Former Strictly Come Dancing star Gemma Atkinson has been candid about her experience of motherhood since welcoming daughter Mia Louise back in July, and now she has opened up about her decision to stop breastfeeding her at eight weeks old.
Joining Giovanna Fletcher on her Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast tour, the new mum revealed that while Mia latched on straightaway after birth, breastfeeding her tiny tot became tiring because of her constant needs, and, subsequently, Gemma was in pain with her C section scar.
"I was knackered," she confessed. "I'd think, 'Oh My God, I'm failing at breastfeeding. I couldn't deliver and now I can't even get her to suck my boobs.' But then I'd hear other women say, 'well I never even produced milk' and you think, 'oh well, its different for every single person.' "
She later shared that it was her Strictly pro boyfriend Gorka Marquez who encouraged her to make the final decision: "I stopped breastfeeding at like eight and a half weeks and I discussed it with Gorka from four weeks but it took that long to decide because I was saying, 'but I kind of feel like I’m not giving her the nutrients that she needs'.
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"Gorka said, 'whatever you decide to do, I will support you. But what I will say is you've done so well but you don't seem to have enjoyed it.' And he was right, I did enjoy seeing Mia thrive but me mentally I was tired."
The 34-year-old added: "I sometimes look at Mia when she is feeding and wonder if I've done the right thing and I have, because she is happy baby. Fed is best," she reassured the crowd, who were witnessing the podcast recording live.
Mia's birth back in July was a very traumatic experience for Gemma. The former Emmerdale star had to deliver her first daughter via an emergency C section and later suffered a haemorrhage, losing a lot of blood.
However, the former soap actress has since recovered and recently started exercising and spending more time outside of the house. Two weeks ago, she travelled to London with Gorka, leaving Mia for the first time, in order to appear on Loose Women where they openly spoke about becoming parents.