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Stacey Solomon felt like she'd 'failed' after struggling to breastfeed son Rex

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 20:  Stacey Solomon during a BUILD event at AOL London on July 20, 2017 in London, England.  (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Stacey Solomon during a BUILD event at AOL London on July 20, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Loose Women presenter Stacey Solomon has candidly discussed her breastfeeding journey with her youngest son, sharing that she "struggled to come to terms" with having to bring it to an end.

The mum-of-three welcomed baby Rex with partner Joe Swash back in May and has disclosed to fans who had asked if she was still breastfeeding that she felt like she’d “failed" when she had to stop.

In a post to Instagram, the 30-year-old shared a photo of herself bottle feeding Rex and wrote: "So lots of people have been asking me if I’m still breast feeding. It’s taken me a bit of time to feel okay about saying no. I stopped a couple of months ago & I really struggled to come to terms with it & actually say it out loud. Breastfeeding never happened for me the way that I imagined.

Read more: Stacey Solomon gets real about breastfeeding struggle

"I did my best to try & master it, but it wasn’t to be. On day 5 we ended up back in hospital because of weight loss & I ended up pumping in between feeds to make sure he put it back on so we could be discharged, then I continued this at home until he reached his birthweight.

"I then tried to switch to exclusive breastfeeding but whenever I did he lost weight again & It would break my heart to think that my own want to breastfeed was not helping my baby grow so I mix fed.

"As he got bigger his demand for milk got higher & my boobs couldn’t keep up the supply. By the time I did two full days back at work without him on the boob or pumping my milk dried up & before I knew it my breastfeeding journey was over.

"I felt sad for quite some time, every time he rooted my gut ached. I felt like I’d failed & that I’d lost the chance to have that special time & bond with Rex."

However, Solomon, who is also parent to sons Zachary, 11, and Leighton, 7, divulged she "realised the truth" in that "every baby is different" and she had "done her best".

Read more: What is mastitis? Hospital admissions on the rise for painful breastfeeding condition

Solomon went on to explain that she "loved" bottle feeding and how it allowed her to share feeding duties with Swash, 37, and their other family members.

She went on: "[Rex] was a small, tired little pickle & he struggled to feed. But the most important thing is he was fed, bottle/breast it doesn’t matter. Mamas u really are incredible."(sic)

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 29: Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash attend the Pride of Britain Awards 2018 at The Grosvenor House Hotel on October 29, 2018 in London, England.  (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash attend the Pride of Britain Awards 2018 at The Grosvenor House Hotel on October 29, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Swash has stepped down from his presenting duties on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! spin-off Extra Camp this year after nine years on the programme.

He's swapping the jungle for the ice rink in the new year, taking part in 2020's Dancing On Ice.