Milk Tales
A Journey of Motherhood and Breastfeeding
Are you breastfeeding your new baby and feeling in pain, broken, and misunderstood?
I see you. And I’m so sorry.
Thirteen years ago, I was there too. Sitting in the dark, thinking I wasn’t a good enough mum.
Crying through feeds because the pain was too sharp, and the guilt was even sharper. I didn’t know what was wrong or why it felt so hard.
If you're in that place right now, please hear this: you are not alone, and you are not broken.
You are simply trying to breastfeed in a society that doesn’t prioritise it.
A world where mothers are too often unsupported, unheard, and made to feel like they're failing, when in truth, it’s the system that’s failing you.
What Is Milk Tales?
Milk Tales is a photography and storytelling book about the unseen side of breastfeeding, the part that lives behind closed doors, beneath whispered questions, and in the hearts of mothers who were never told how hard it could be.
This book brings together portraits and personal stories from over 20 mothers. Some breastfed for years. Others struggled and looked desperately for help. Some grieved. Some healed. All of them were honest.
Through their voices and faces, Milk Tales gives shape to the tough, powerful, emotional reality of breastfeeding. The guilt, the pride. The tears, the closeness. The self-doubt, and the strength that rises quietly beneath it all.
Whether you’re in the middle of it, holding the memory of it, or supporting someone else through it, this book is for you.
What’s Inside the Book
Inside Milk Tales, you’ll find more than just stories, you’ll find reflections of yourself, your friends, your sister, your clients, or the mother you once were.
✦ Over 20 real stories of breastfeeding, from first latch to last feed, from determination to surrender
✦ Black and white portraits that capture the quiet power and vulnerability of each mother
✦ Honest words about pain, guilt, connection, identity, and the journey of becoming
✦ Creative images woven with symbolism from mirrors to plasters, milk drops to shadows
✦ QR codes throughout the book linking to behind-the-scenes videos and blog posts
You can read this book from start to finish or open it on a random page and find truth waiting for you there.
Milk Tales isn’t a guide. It’s not a how-to.
It’s a space to feel seen. To pause. To remember you’re not alone.
Why I Created This Project
Milk Tales began with my own story, 13 years ago, as a new mum in pain, convinced I was failing.
I didn’t expect breastfeeding to be easy. But I didn’t expect it to break me either.
I cried through feeds, felt guilt I couldn’t name, and longed for someone, anyone, to say, “Me too.”
That moment never came.
So I created this book. For my old self and for self-healing. For other women.
What started with one photo became a wave of stories, each one adding truth, tenderness, and strength to a narrative that’s so often left in the dark.
These mothers didn’t just sit for a portrait, they opened their hearts. They trusted me with their pain, their pride, their power.
This book is our shared space. A soft place to land. A record of what’s real.
Milk Tales will be available to order soon in paperback and ebook.
Printed in the UK. Ships worldwide.
Valentina Rebeschini is an Italian-born, London-based photographer, mentor, and mother.
For over 15 years, she has captured motherhood through a simple, heartfelt lens, specialising in maternity, newborn, and women's portraiture.
Milk Tales is her first book and most personal project to date.
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Newborn sessions with siblings, especially toddlers, can be unpredictable.
Some days they are all in. Other days they aren’t. And that’s okay.
This big sister wasn’t very keen on being in the photos. So instead of forcing it, I gave her a different role.
She became my assistant.
She helped me photograph her baby brother and her parents.
Suddenly, she felt special. She was part of the process. And Mum still got the beautiful family photos she wanted.
I find that involving toddlers and giving them a job to do works magic.
It shifts their energy from resistance to collaboration.
Everyone feels seen. Everyone gets their moment.
This is what 15 years of experience looks like. Knowing when to adapt. Knowing how to make it work for every member of the family.
If you’re expecting a second baby and worried about how your toddler will handle a newborn session, don’t be.
We’ll find a way to include them that feels right for everyone.
Want to chat about your family’s newborn session?
Let’s talk about what this could look like for you. DM me.
#londonnewbornphotographer #newbornphotoshoot #newbornbaby #newbornphotos
Through motherhood, we go through job titles quicker than in an entire career
I personally went from
Mamma → Mummy → Mum → Vale…
and now I’m just Bruh or Buddy. 🙈
They grow up fast and one day they won’t even want to be in the photo!
So let’s make the most of these Mummy years!
What’s the funniest name your kids have called you? Come on let’s have a laugh in the comments
#motherhood #mumhumour #mumlifebelike #parentlife #londonmums #photographybyvalentina
In a world where photos live on phones and get lost in folders, I still believe in printing.
Not because I’m nostalgic or old (which, by the way, I’m not 😉). But because there’s something irreplaceable about holding a photograph in your hands.
About seeing your story displayed in your home.
About your child one day finding an album and understanding that they were cherished from the very beginning.
Your baby won’t remember the newborn days. Memory fades. But a printed image? It lasts.
It tells your child: You were wanted. You were celebrated. Your story mattered.
I recently wrote a piece for @healthy_parent about the psychological side of seeing family photos displayed at home, how it strengthens a child’s self-esteem and sense of belonging.
Because in a world where everything is AI, fake and filtered, we need more realness.
I create maternity and newborn photographs that are meant to be more than files on a hard drive.
They’re meant to become part of your home, your legacy, your family’s story.
When you invest in printed portraits, you’re not just buying photos, you’re saying yes to legacy.
You’re choosing to preserve love in a way that can be touched, held, and passed down.
That’s what sets my work apart. Not the props or the trends, but the belief that your moments deserve to be honoured, printed, and treasured forever.
If you’ve been wondering whether maternity or newborn photography is worth it, I hope this resonates with you.
Your story deserves to be seen and held.
Because the moments you choose to print today will become the masterpieces your family treasures tomorrow.
#newbornphotographerlondon #richmondphotographer #familyphotography #photoalbums #maternityphotographer #motherhoodphotography #Photographybyvalentina
This is what happens when you book a newborn session with me.
You come to my studio. Maybe you’re tired. Maybe you’re overwhelmed. Maybe you’re wondering if this is worth it. Maybe all of the above!
You arrive, I welcome you in, offer you tea, and we slow down.
I guide you gently through everything, so you can just be present with your baby.
I capture the tiny details. The yawns. The way your family looks at this new little person. The love that’s already there.
And then picture this! A few weeks later, something arrives at your door.
Not just digital files. Not just photos on a screen.
But a beautiful album, designed for you, ready to hold and show your child one day.
That’s the difference between a photo session and what I create.
It’s not just about capturing moments. It’s about preserving them in a way that lasts.
Your newborn days are fleeting.
But this? This stays forever.
Ready to create your family’s heirloom?
#londonnewbornphotographer #londonmums #newbornshoot #newbornphotographertwickenham
I know what you’re thinking. “I’m not ready.” “I “don’t have anything to wear. “I’ve got phone photos already.”
I hear this often, and I understand. But here’s what I’ve learned after photographing hundreds of pregnancies: the bump photos you almost didn’t take are the ones you’ll wish you had.
Phone photos are lovely for tracking changes.
They’re practical, quick, real.
But maternity photography is different.
It’s not about documenting the bump.
It’s about capturing how this moment feels.
The tenderness. The anticipation. The strength of your body preparing for everything to change.
When you walk into my studio, there’s no pressure to look a certain way or feel a certain way.
We move slowly.
We breathe.
We create something that’s entirely yours.
Simple. Real. Timeless.
These images aren’t meant to live on your phone or hidden in a folder.
They’re meant to be printed, displayed, and one day held by your child as they learn the beginning of their own story.
If you’ve been thinking about a maternity shoot but haven’t taken the step, let this be your sign.
Your future self will thank you.
If you’d like to chat about your maternity session, DM me or click the link in my bio. I’m here to answer any questions and help you feel confident about this.
Your story deserves to be seen.
#londonmaternityphotographer #londonpregnancyphotographer #londonpregnancyphotos
#maternityshoot
Today is World Mental Health Day, and I want to say this gently: you don’t have to have it all together to be worthy of care, love, or rest.
Motherhood, creativity, business. They all carry invisible weights sometimes.
It’s okay to set them down for a moment.
It’s okay to just be.
There’s real courage in that stillness.
PS. If this resonates, you might find comfort in my book Milk Tales. A collection of stories about the emotional side of motherhood, and the courage it takes to be honest about how we really feel.
If you need a soft space today, it’s waiting for you on Amazon.
