A new mum has taken to Instagram to share her breastfeeding struggles and let others know they are not alone.
"The feeling you get when your newborn cries for milk is hard to describe. The heartbreak you feel when your newborn cries and you don't have milk is even harder to describe," wrote Heyona Cho, posting a photo her feeding her one week old son Bo.
"Nevermind that the nipples are cracked and sore, baby's cries sound like ringing alarms inside the brain and I'm desperate to do anything to alleviate his discomforts and meet his needs.
"When the night hits, I have to make a choice to supplement with formula or let him sleep hungry. Or more like wake up every hour, stress and fuss to calm his hungry cries, fight with my loving partner, and feel like a failure - shame.
"And still, which ever choice we make, nobody wins - shame."
Heyona went on to describe how the "unspoken reality" of how difficult breastfeeding can be resulted in her questioning herself.
"What the hell is in formula? Why does this stuff smell like rubber? Will my milk ever come in? Am I doing something wrong?" she wrote.
"Nobody ever told me. Nobody ever told me about the challenges of breastfeeding. This must be an unspoken reality for SO many new (mums). I speak to myself and whoever may be struggling to feed their newborn.
"Feel no guilt or shame as you continue into your journey of motherhood. Some things we just cannot control, and so, we will make the best choices that we know how and we will have done it all with love in our hearts SO full that it cries out from our eyes. I love you. Bo."
The emotional and honest post struck a chord with fellow new mums, receiving more than 5000 likes when it was reposted by The Empowered Birth Project on Instagram.
"Thank you, thank you. I'm crying myself to sleep right now, pumped the smallest amount and then spilled half of it after hours of non stop feeding," one fellow new mum wrote.
"There is a bottle of formula in the fridge that may get used and your story helps so much. Thank you, and feed on."
Heyona, from Washington State, told the The Huffington Post she shared her story in the hope it would help other new mums.
"The very beginning stage of motherhood has taken me by a whirlwind, and I'm floored. I needed a way to articulate this very visceral experience," she said.
"I want new parents to know that breastfeeding can be a slow going process.
"When I had the baby, I was told that milk should come in approximately three days - that a thick and sweet substance called colostrum would nourish the baby in very small yet potent amounts until a more substantial flow of milk comes to replace it.
"But I didn't know that often times, milk production takes longer than three days. I wouldn't have felt so inadequate for not being able to produce milk in the allotted time limit."
Happily, Heyona later added a note to her original post, letting people know that her milk supply was improving.
"Milk increases everyday and we have to supplement less and less each night," she wrote.
Anyone needing breastfeeding advice and support can call the Australian Breastfeeding Association helpline on 1800 686 268.