To mark World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August 2025) a Twickenham mum and photographer has launched a new book capturing the journey of early motherhood.

Valentina Rebeschini, a local mother and portrait photographer, has released Milk Tales: A Journey of Motherhood and Breastfeeding, a deeply personal photographic and storytelling project inspired by her own experiences.

Far from a parenting guide or medical handbook, Milk Tales is a space for honesty and connection.

It brings together portraits and real-life reflections from mothers in Twickenham and across the UK, covering everything from breastfeeding challenges to the emotional rollercoaster of early parenting.

"It's not perfect, it's not medical, and it's not about advice," said Rebeschini.

"It's about saying: 'I see you. I've been there.' I wanted to create something that feels like a warm hug for the mums who feel alone, who've struggled, who've questioned themselves. Because we all do."

Milk Tales: A Journey of Motherhood and Breastfeeding (credit: Valentina Rebeschini).

The book highlights personal stories of mothers navigating everything from tongue ties to exhaustion and anxiety, often unspoken aspects of early motherhood.

She added: "What surprised me most is how much creating this helped me heal.

"I had carried my own story like a secret. But hearing these women speak and seeing their strength reflected back to them in portraits softened something inside me.

"That I wasn't broken. I wasn't failing. I just needed to know I wasn't alone."

Milk Tales is available now on Amazon, but for the mother the project is about far more than book sales.

Rebeschini continued: "I hope that another mum, somewhere, will see these stories and think, 'Oh. It wasn't just me.'"

You can find out more about the project and the book at: photographybyvalentina.com/milktales