“I feel overwhelmed, swollen and extremely exhausted,” says new mother Megan McKenna
NEW mum Megan McKenna has admitted she felt ‘overwhelmed, swollen and exhausted’ after the birth of her son.
The former TOWIE star and her footballer fiance Ollie Burke welcomed their son Landon Henry Burke into the world on Monday.
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And recently the 31-year-old described breastfeeding as the “most beautiful and painful thing I have ever experienced.”
But the brunette beauty sparked concern among fans as onlookers rushed in to warn her that painful breastfeeding requires medical attention.
The star gave birth in Germany after moving there with her Bundesliga-playing fiancé.
After moving to the country and starting her new family, Megan has been documenting the details of her new life with her 2.9 million followers.
Read more about Megan McKenna
As they settled into their new home with their first child, Megan wrote, “Landon had his first night home…I can’t stop staring at him, he’s just perfect.”
She revealed his name and revealed that he was born at 8.33am on October 7 and weighed 9lbs 2oz.
She said: “It has stuck to my breasts so well and I have to say, it is the most beautiful and painful thing I have ever experienced at the same time. The first day of latching didn’t go well and caused some nipple damage, so it will take a while for them to get healthy again.
“I’m fighting the razor burn and it’s getting less and less every day.”
But a maternity nurse left a comment under her post advising that while breastfeeding can be painful, it shouldn’t be unbearable.
One person said: “It shouldn’t feel like razor blades though, so maybe have a breastfeeding consultant look at it. Breastfeeding shouldn’t be this painful.
“If it hurts that much, he may not be latching on properly. Your milk supply may be reduced, he may not be getting enough, and it can lead to pain and engorgement. It could be something simple to fix.”
Meanwhile, someone else said: ‘You should never feed on pain. Uncomfortable and strange to start with, but not painful. Breastfeeding shouldn’t be this painful, please seek professional help.”
What are the recommendations regarding breastfeeding?
The NHS recommends exclusively breastfeeding your baby (breastmilk only) for the first six months, but it’s entirely up to you to decide when to end it—and there’s really no right or wrong way to do this.
The NHS says weaning is often gradual as your baby starts to eat more solid foods.
They note that solid foods should not replace breast milk, as there is evidence that breast milk helps a baby’s digestion when processing solid foods for the first time.
“Once your baby is eating solids, he should still have breast milk or formula as his main drink until at least his first birthday,” the NHS recommends.
“Cow’s milk is not suitable as a main drink for babies under one year of age, although it can be added to foods such as mashed potatoes.”
You can also combine breastfeeding with bottle feeding and the NHS says that ‘phasing out’ breastfeeding is often the easiest way.
For example, by dropping one feeding during the day or at night.
After about a week, you can think about dropping another one.
“If your baby is under a year old, you should replace the omitted breast milk with formula or (if over six months old) a cup or cup,” they say.
You can breastfeed for as long as you like, and although the NHS recommends breastfeeding your baby exclusively for the first six months, you shouldn’t feel like you can’t continue this any longer.
The World Health Organization says: “Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended until six months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary feeding until two years of age or older.”
Following fans’ concerns, Megan took to her Instagram Stories to share a photo of herself breastfeeding her son.
Wearing a white robe, Megan continued breastfeeding despite the “pain.” She wrote: “I can’t thank you enough for all your lovely messages, I feel very overwhelmed.
I feel extremely exhausted and have migraines all day… but again, it’s worth every minute
Megan McKenna
“Right now I’m feeding Landon and I’ve had dinner.”
She explained that her sister had helped Milly due to her exhaustion and severe migraines.
Megan McKenna’s TV Timeline
Since her debut on Ex On The Beach, Megan has rarely been away from TV screens. Can you remember all the shows she has appeared in?
- 2009 – Britain’s Got Talent, Series 3 – ITV
- 2015-2016 – Ex On The Beach, series 3-4 – MTV
- 2016 – Celebrity Big Brother, Series 17 – Channel 5
- 2016-2017 – The Only Way is Essex, series 17-21 – ITVBe
- 2017 – There’s Something About Megan – ITVBe
- 2018 – Celebs On The Farm, Series 1 – Channel 5
- 2019 – Celebs Go Dating, Series 6 – E4
- 2019 – The X Factor: Celebrity – ITV
- 2021 – Famous MasterChef – BBC One
- 2022 – Celebrity MasterChef: Festive Extravaganza – BBC One
The country nurse then added: “Oli & Milly have done the shopping and are now lying down because my feet and ankles are so swollen.
“I feel extremely exhausted and suffer from migraines all day long…
“But again all worth every minute.
“Landon is a dream.. I love you.”
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