Like many mothers, I struggled with breastfeeding. Now we know we’re not ‘failures’ | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

A study shows the impact of feeding challenges on maternal mental health. With official help in short supply, it's time to support each other

Anyone who has struggled mentally knows it is often only with time and recovery that you can challenge the destructive thought patterns that once plagued you. That said, hindsight can also be a strange thing. While collecting Republic of Parenthood columns for a book, I spent time revisiting my old articles about my struggles with breastfeeding. I felt vindicated, as some of the things I wrote have since been confirmed.

This week, the largest ever qualitative study on how difficulties with breastfeeding affects mothers' mental health has been published in Scientific Reports. More than 2,000 mothers were surveyed with 65% reporting difficulties with infant latching, which seemed to impact mental health".. Feeling like a bad mum" and like I had failed my baby" were some of the common reasons given by participants.

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a Guardian columnist