Izzy Judd reveals her painful mastitis struggle - 12 days after giving birth

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We have seen mums share gritty, raw pics of their sore, swollen boobs before, as a way to help all the mums out there going through the same thing feel less alone.

But Izzy’s opened up about it with a photo admittedly slightly less owwww-inducing, a lovely note from her McFly husband Harry Judd about helping with the feed when the baby next wakes.

It simply reads: “Call me when Kit wakes up for milk. Stay in bed!! xxx”

(We're not sure whether that means expressed milk or formula, but either way - aww ?)

“We are so lucky to have you @harryjudd ?” Izzy began in the pic’s caption. “Day 12 and I have mastitis ??

“Breastfeeding is such a challenge. All I want to do is give Kit the golden droplets but we all have to be realistic about what we can cope with!

“However we feed our baby as long as mum and baby are happy surely that counts the most.

“I often think to myself how is something so natural so hard... the same feelings I experienced when trying to conceive.

“Anyone else struggling with breastfeeding, up all hours expressing, feeling the pressure and just wishing feeding was easier?”

In the comments, followers were quick to tell Izzy that yes, yes, they’d been there, too, some admitting that breastfeeding was “the hardest thing they’d ever done”.

“Yep. I nearly went insane with my first” one mum confessed. “Then I just accepted that a sane mother was more important and switched to formula.”

“I have a 5-week old son and breastfeeding has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do,” another shared.

“It's challenging both physically, mentally and emotionally... I have mastitis right now as well and God! It hurts!”

Several mums admitted they ‘powered through’ the pain of mastitis – even though it really hurt them.

“I hated bf” wrote one. “I did it because it was 'best' for our baby & although had a fairly 'easy' time of it the pain for first few weeks was toe curling & that was with good latch & weight gain.”

Indeed, there are benefits to breastfeeding, but we’ve got to say: when it comes to the awful pain of mastitis, or the sometimes-relentless struggle of making breastfeeding work, there’s absolutely NO SHAME in switching to formula.

You’ve just got to do what’s right for you, and accept no judgement on the subject from anyone else.

'Cos all that really matters at the end of the day is that baby’s fed. There are benefits to that, and making sure YOU feel OK, too ?

We imagine Izzy’s taking some comfort from sharing her story and hearing that she really isn’t alone.

And we hope the mastitis goes away soon ?

Images: Instagram/Izzy Judd

Read more:

• Izzy on her and Harry's 'routine' and 'functional' sex life
• Izzy bares her ready-to-pop bump
• The buggy Harry and Izzy use for newborn son Kit