“I stopped breastfeeding and hit the darkest days of my life – why didn’t anyone warn me of the mental health implications?”

Tired mum head in hands

Credit: Getty

Strong Women


“I stopped breastfeeding and hit the darkest days of my life – why didn’t anyone warn me of the mental health implications?”

By Katie Scott

9 months ago

5 min read

When breastfeeding comes to an end, it should be a liberating rite of passage for any new mum, but when writer Katie Scott stopped, she hit rock bottom. It was only after crying alone in a car park that she found out that lots of her friends had experienced a similar patch of poor mental health after weaning their babies. Here, she chats to experts in the field about why those pesky pregnancy hormones can have such a devastating impact months or years after giving birth, and asks if it’s something that can be mitigated.  


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