Olivia Bowen reveals she never thought she’d be able to breastfeed

She welcomed her baby boy nearly three months ago with husband Alex.

And Olivia Bowen shared candid snaps breastfeeding her son Abel on Saturday as she openly discussed her journey since becoming a mother.

The Love island star, 28, revealed she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to breastfeed when she first got pregnant as she ‘isn’t a maternal person’ – as well as highlighting that sometimes there are ‘difficult days’ with the process.

She shared two snaps – one looking glamorous as she cuddled her little one in her arms and another more ‘real’ shot as she looked teary-eyed and tired while breastfeeding.

She penned in a lengthy caption: ‘I never thought I would breastfeed. I think where I felt like I was not a maternal person whatsoever before Abel was born, I had serious doubts it would work for me & I also didn’t even feel comfortable with the thought of it! 

‘I would go as far as to say it freaked me out a bit. You all know I wasn’t sure on having kids & it’s mainly because I felt like I would be so rubbish as a Mum, not a maternal bone in my body pre Abel.

Honest: The Love island star, 28, revealed she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to breastfeed when she first got pregnant as she ‘isn’t a maternal person’

‘Fast forward to when Abel was born & he first latched in the hospital it couldn’t of felt more natural. The bond & connection I feel with him when feeding I will be forever grateful for. 

‘Now 2 months on & still breastfeeding & watching him grow on something my body produced specifically for him is just incredibly rewarding. I never expected to breastfeed, I didn’t put pressure on myself to do so either, but I’m so glad we’ve been able to ❤️.’

She continued: ‘It’s not always easy, those first few weeks the emotions are no joke. I had a couple of days where he wouldn’t latch properly & I felt like a complete failure, I felt like I was failing myself & failing him – even though I told myself before I wasn’t bothered about breastfeeding. 

Candid: She penned in a lengthy caption: ‘I never thought I would breastfeed. I think where I felt like I was not a maternal person whatsoever before Abel was born, I had serious doubts it would work for me’

‘The first week I was squeezing my engorged boobs over the bath, I woke up with wet sheets from leaking & I constantly worried about how much he was getting & was it good enough?!

‘I was convinced I would stop breast feeding after a month, then told myself 3 months & now I’m saying 6! There is no feeling like it. When his little eyes look up at me & when he goes all sleepy & content. So close to you who am I!!!! I would never have imagined to be writing this.

‘There are hard days, but there are so many amazing days & they make the hard ones feel like a million miles away. I can’t even explain how amazing it feels to see my baby thriving from my body after growing him from that same body for 9 months.

Doting mother: It comes after last month Olivia shared this snap as she proudly nursed her baby boy as she returned to work for the first time – five weeks after giving birth

She signed off by saying: ‘It’s taught me to just trust the process, trust myself & have faith that I’m doing everything I can. I feel extremely lucky that we’ve got this far, however long this feeding journey lasts, whether it’s months more or weeks more or even days more – I’m grateful I had this amount of time at all!’

It comes after last month Olivia was glowing as she shared a radiant video to Instagram of her breastfeeding Abel, as she returned to work for a photoshoot in London.

She was beaming as she nursed her the newborn and gently rocked him from side to side as she proudly said she ‘kicked her anxieties a**.’

Olivia stunned as her blonde hair caught the breeze and she sported a glamorous face of makeup for the shoot.  

Alongside the incredible video she penned: Back & I’m better. Back to work today on a fabulous shoot around London with an incredible brand & my baby AJ in tow.

‘I am so tired now, like I said on my stories I was so nervous but wanted to do this for me and to kick anxieties a**!’

She continued: ‘I feel SO accomplished; doing what I love, being unapologetically me AND being Mum at the same time. Don’t lose yourself Mamas, you deserve to be YOU too.

‘Couldn’t do it without my team @ab_bowen @charhilditch @annalingis.’ 

Olivia welcomed Abel earlier this summer with her husband Alex, formerly a sales executive and scaffolder respectively.

They soared to fame in 2016 where she was an original star and he, a late and extremely popular entrant.

After leaving the villa their romance soon when from strength to strength and Alex popped the question in New York in 2016.

Loved-up couple Olivia and Alex tied the knot in a luxurious Essex ceremony two years after meeting on Love Island during series two.

Happy family: Olivia welcomed son Abel with husband Alex earlier this summer, who she met on the ITV2 reality series Love Island