"This is what misery looks like." One mum shares the side of breastfeeding we never talk about.

A mum has shared a heart wrenching story that many mothers can relate to.

Earlier this month Raising Ziggy blogger, Emily Holdaway, told her followers that her son Ziggy would no longer breastfeed.

“This is what misery looks like,” she wrote. “When breastfeeding no longer offers the comfort it used to, and you don’t know how to take away the pain.”

In her post Emily said the night before she felt “so helpless”. Her son Ziggy was crying and crying and when she offered him the comfort of her breasts – he just shook his head and continued to cry.

“We ended up in the shower. Skin to skin, holding him close. And as he sat there, hurting and upset, I cried. Quietly. I felt so powerless,” she wrote.

“I’ve always been able to fix Ziggy and last night I couldn’t. From the moment he was born, breastfeeding has been more than just a source of food. It was what he needed when he was upset, in pain, when he was tired. There was nothing boob couldn’t fix.”

Emily said Ziggy started to pull away from breastfeeding when she fell pregnant with her second child.

“He stopped coming to me for cuddle feeds. He stopped asking for it when he hurt himself. By around 19 weeks pregnant, the only time he would breastfeed during the day was when he needed to nap, and even that was taking so much longer than it used to.”

The mum said she feels rejected.

“I feel useless. I used to be his world and now his world is expanding.”

Emily’s followers were quick to comment and offer their own similar stories.

“My oldest weaned instantly when he tasted the new milk that arrived shortly after his baby sister. He was 3 years 3 months and showed no signs of stopping before that,” one person commented.

The first six weeks on Hello Bump. Post continues…

“I’m on day 10 of my 13 mos old’s strike. It started on Mother’s Day… it was so sudden and I’m still emotionally trying to get a grip. I’ll keep pumping and holding onto hopes he’ll come back around… but as every day passes, those hopes fade a bit more,” added another.

How did you feel when your baby stopped breastfeeding?