A mother's sister-in-law stepped in to breastfeed and co-sleep with her newborn, and the experience brought them closer together.
Emergency Help After Surgery
Abbi Warden, 30, developed an abdominal hernia following a caesarean section during the birth of her third child. She required surgery and was unable to feed her baby for several days due to medication and recovery. Although she had pumped and frozen breast milk, her daughter refused to take a bottle.
Abbi recalled that her sister-in-law, Rebecca Harman, 37, had previously offered to serve as a wet nurse, as she was also breastfeeding. Initially, Abbi felt uncomfortable with the idea, but when her baby's health was at risk, she reached out.
Rebecca breastfed Abbi's daughter alongside her own for three days. Abbi said the experience showed her that when women come together, they can solve all of the world's problems.
A Difficult Postpartum Recovery
Abbi, chief operating officer at a content creation company, said: 'After the surgery, my fiancé told me my daughter hadn't taken much milk. I remembered Rebecca had told me once, "if you ever need me, I'll be your wet nurse." So when the 24-hour mark rolled around since my baby had last eaten, I called her.'
'The idea had made me a bit uncomfortable, but when it comes to your baby's health, you have to leave your feelings at the door. What Rebecca did for me was such a huge blessing. I'm so grateful.'
Rebecca, a mother of three and organic coffee shop owner, said: 'My nanny had been a wet nurse, and my mum used to tell me about her. I thought it was weird growing up, but then leading up to Abbi's surgery, I planted the seed. I prepared myself in case she needed me and even cancelled our spring break holiday.'
'It felt very special when she did come and ask me; they trusted me. I wanted to do it, and I knew I wouldn't let them down.'
Complications Following Birth
Abbi welcomed twins via C-section in March 2024 without issues, but discovered she was expecting again 11 months later. After her third child, a baby girl, was born on 17 September 2025, she noticed her C-section scar was not healing properly. She observed vivid yellow and purple bruising and a raised lump above the scar.
Abbi, from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, said: 'When I would look in the mirror, my gut instinct told me something wasn't right. It was a lump, 8cm long, and it looked like a tumour. It was rock hard, but it was this massive bulge; it felt like my intestines were falling out of my stomach. It wasn't going away, and I was in so much pain.'
Her GP initially recommended physiotherapy, but a physiotherapist noticed her abdomen and advised her to seek a second opinion. A specialist hernia hospital confirmed a visible hernia.
Surgery and the Wet Nurse Solution
Abbi secured surgery with a specialist at North York General Hospital in Toronto on 11 March 2026. Her youngest child, then six months old, was exclusively breastfed, so Abbi expressed and froze milk beforehand. However, after surgery, her daughter refused the bottle.
Abbi said: 'I was praying she would take the bottle while I was away. The first text I sent to my fiancé after surgery was, "Is she eating?" Checking in every hour, I learnt my daughter had taken barely any milk. If she didn't feed, I probably would have had to stop my medication and leave the hospital to feed her.'
That's when she recalled Rebecca's offer. 'Not only did she feed my baby, but she offered to co-sleep with her for the rest of my nights in hospital, to allow me to recover longer. I did wonder if my daughter would want to feed with me again after, but this wasn't about me; it was about my daughter.'
After discharge, Abbi resumed breastfeeding normally, and her intrusive thoughts disappeared.
Community Support
Sharing her story on social media, Abbi expected criticism but instead received an outpouring of support from women. She said: 'I'm so grateful for Rebecca, because if she hadn't offered, I might not have felt comfortable asking. It's a prime example of women supporting each other and just being wonderful. Everything worked out so beautifully, and my sister-in-law has an incredible bond with my daughter too. It has brought Rebecca and I closer.'
Rebecca added: 'Especially in a day and age where women are working and having kids too, there's a lot of responsibility on women. There's this feeling you have to do it all, and like you're not good enough. But you can ask for help; it's OK to be a woman, and embrace that, and ask for help.'
