This Mother Continues To Breastfeed Her Son After Suffering Through Health Concerns and Public Shaming From Strangers

By Liana Jacob

 

MEET THE mum who insists on breastfeeding her son in public despite suffering from a severe inflammation of her breast and now breastfeeds with one boob even though strangers are accusing her of MUM-SHAMING.

 

Stay-at-home-mum-of-one, Summer Dawn Pointer (22), from Georgia, USA, gave birth to her son, Knox, in May 2017, when he struggled to latch on to her breasts during his breastfeeding sessions and he had to use a nipple shield.

 

Five weeks later, she noticed a red knot on her right breast and when she went to the doctor, he told her it was mastitis, a condition which causes a woman’s breast tissue to become painful and inflamed.

 

Due to the timing of the diagnosis, the spot developed into a painful collection of pus, which meant that it needed to be surgically drained and Summer was urged to quit breastfeeding.

 

She refused to stop and insisted on taking prescribed antibiotics and until now she continues to breastfeed her 18-month-old son with just her left breast, despite enduring the pain from the swelling. She continues to encourage other new mums to also breastfeed their babies.

 

“I fully planned to breastfeed and was determined to get through it. My son would not latch on in the beginning, so we used a nipped shield,” Summer said.

 

“After about five weeks, I woke up to a painful, red, hot lump on my breast. I didn’t know what it was, so I called my OBGYN. I was scared I wouldn’t be able to nurse my son anymore.

 

“I went to the doctor and it was mastitis. He gave me antibiotics that failed to work so over the next six weeks I went to a breast surgeon to remove the abscess.

 

“She wanted me to quit breastfeeding, but I cried and cried and told her we had to try something else besides that.

 

“So, she gave me the strongest antibiotics I could get, and I took two scripts of it before she finally just lanced out the abscess.

 

“It affected how much milk I was producing, I couldn’t nurse my son off of the breast because it could’ve made the infection worse.”

 

Summer said that despite the risks, she continues to breastfeed Knox eight to 10 times a day, even in public.

 

“I breastfeed anywhere, anytime. In the beginning I was a little nervous to just because it was hard latching him but after time it became easier. I’ve gotten plenty of weird looks,” Summer said.

 

“My boyfriend’s family used to say he was too old but they know I’m not going to quit until he’s ready so they don’t comment anymore. My oldest sister and mum, Andre, are very supportive as well as my boyfriend.

 

“I plan to breastfeed Knox until he’s at least two-years-old or older if he decides to go longer than that. I will stop whenever he is ready to self-wean.

 

“Breast milk is better for him then cow’s milk and if other mums aren’t going to help wean him then it’s none of their business.

 

“I mostly get positive comments on Instagram, but I get a lot of people telling me I’m mean and that I mum-shame because I believe in the statement ‘breast is best’. I hope to encourage more mums especially new mums to breastfeed and stick to it.”