Breastfeeding? how many of you didn't find it difficult?

[MeeWhoo]

I know that obviously this is the place to come for advice and support and therefore the threads are generally about problems with BFing, so I was genuinely wondering how many of you would say you didn't finf BFing "hard", particularly with your first baby.

Also, if you have breastfed several babies, was the experience very different each time and harder with some babies than with others?

[OneLittleToddlingTerror]

I didn't find it difficult at all. DD never needed supplementing, and she instantly clicked how to bf when we have our skin to skin after birth. She suckled for a long time and then fell asleep. She was never sick and slept well (until weaning). It never hurt other than a little of discomfort initially. I think I was very lucky when I hear how much others struggled.

[debka]

Me! 2 DDs and i never had a single problem.

My sister is feeding her 1st atm and it's been easy for her too. Perhaps it's genetic.

Are you pg, OP, or bfing now?

[PogoBob]

I can say that in terms of getting it established etc. I didn't have any problems to the degree that DD is still feeding twice a day at 2yo (not quite planned!!).

The only issue I had was one episode of thrush, thankfully the GP backed down and prescribed stuff that cleared it up for both DD and I within a couple of days so didn't set us back.

Doesn't stop me being terrified of bf'ing DS when he arrive later this year though.

[CouthyMow]

With my first? Piece of cake, and I was only 16yo. My fourth, however, was difficult - but that was because of a tongue tie that wasn't snipped till 10weeks, and upper lip tie that was never snipped. Every baby's bf journey is different, but I have only found it hard with my third and fourth DC's due to tongue ties, my first and second bf like a dream.

[HarlettOScara]

Currently BFing 8 week old DC1 and have had no
Problems at all.

[MigGril]

Depends on what you mean. A far as latch or pain for me I had none of that with either of my two. But DD had reflux and didn't sleep and DS had a slight tounge tie which threw me a bit as it did take him a good few Weeks to be able to latch on first time without any problems.

[MeeWhoo]

Thanks for the replies. I have an 11mo ds who has been exclusively breastfed (plus solids by now, of course) and I also was very lucky and found no problems with him latching or me being in pain (bar the occassional bite) apart from oversupply, which made him a bit colicky for a few weeks, but which wouldn't make me say it the experience wasn't easy.

I just wanted to know if thid is pretty rare or just a case of, when things go well, you don't need to discuss it much. If it is not that uncommon we may be able to give hope to some of the pregnant people planning to breastfeed their first!

[MeeWhoo]

Pogo, why are you terrified? Where you scared the first time too or is it the prospect of tandem feeding?

[Bartusmaeus]

I found BF surprisingly easy (I'd read too much MN!)

DH often mentions how DS just latched on minutes after birth "like he knew exactly what to do"

11 months of BF and the only problems I've had were:

• some oversupply, very quickly corrected (it took less than 24h between reading a solution on MN and my supply dropping so I wasn't spraying DS every feed!)
  
• slight discomfort around 8 weeks but less than a week of lansinoh stopped the pain
  

I really like BF. At first I didn't have any strong feelings about it but now I just love the cuddles (we're down to one feed in the evening and 3 during the night) and am so glad it worked for us.

Plus now when we go out it's a mission with food, drink, etc. I'm grateful that in the early months I just had to make sure my boobs were accessible!

[Bartusmaeus]

strike-out FAIL

[habbibu]

dd I think tricky for a couple of days, as didn't have latch right, so did get cracked nipples a bit, but overall v straightforward. DS was a breeze - had the lansinoh in from the start, and was far less squeamish about wiggling his jaw and making sure latch was perfect before letting him carry on. That said, he was a bit refluxy, and did once do a spectacular projectile vomit onto poor sleeping Dh's head. I laughed like a drain.

[habbibu]

I thought I'd hate it, tbh - decided to give it a go, but really squeamish about the idea, but I ended up loving it - fed them both till around 2.

[Faverolles]

I found it very difficult with my first, but I had terrible/conflicting advice from every midwife I saw. I mix fed him from 6 weeks, but bf morning and night until 12 months.

Dc2 & 3, I found easy, possibly because I ignored all advice, and did what felt right.

Dc4 - painful because he had a tongue tie, but if I held him in a certain position it was ok. He never struggled to get enough milk though.

[DuelingFanjo]

Hi there

I didn't find it hard. Though DS was in special care for 10 days and I pumped every 3 hours at the start. I found the lack of breastfeeding support in the unit quite hard and so it was only after he came home that I got someone who knew what to do to come to the house.

Mostly the actual breastfeeding was a breeze but I am a very lazy person who had no objection at all to being sat on the sofa in my pants watching crap TV and eating cake for days on end. I had one blistery nipple which healed quickly and hardly needed any lansinoh.

I read about people finding it utterly exhausting and non-stop but I really didn't mind so long as I was well watered and fed and even now at 20 months I haven't started to get those 'get off, I wish you would stop' feelings.

I read an awful lot about it beforehand, took pictures of a good latch into the hospital with me and DS put weight on very well. I don't know if I was lucky or not (I suspect DS even has a bit of tongue tie) but it was definitely not as scary as I thought it would be.

[Indith]

dc1- easy peasy and I was a really annoying bf mum who didn't get why not everyone did it.

dc2- nightmare. I hated it. She screamed, I cried for many months. If I had not fed dc1 and known I could do it I'd have given up.

dc3- easy peasy BUT largely I think because I know a lot more now and could change things and deal with things at the first signs of them going wrong. The way I fed and actively managed oversupply issues etc from the start helped ensure an easy ride.

[themadfiddler]

have had no problems at all with bf. baby latched on immediately and i am still feeding on demand (she is now 3 )

[CherryBlossom27]

Hmmm... You're convincing me when I have another baby I'll try again! I veer from wanting to try bf again to thinking I'll save myself the stress and ff from the start! Good to know it can be natural and easy/straightforward! Sorry if I've hijacked at all!

[Bartusmaeus]

No hijack cherry it's great that you're rethinking it!

My mum and MIL also found BF easy. As have several of my friends.

[ShoeJunkie]

DS has been ebf and I am lucky that it's been incredibly easy.
I'm also lucky that I have access to fantastic support from DM (who ebf both me and DSis) and DSis who ebf DNiece and is currently feeding DNephew and plenty of bf counsellors/support workers both nhs and nct. Although I haven't needed them particularly several friends wouldn't still be bf if it wasn't for them. This is not the case in all areas so I count myself lucky. :)

[JugglingWithFiveRings]

I was fortunate to find it very straight-forward with my two. No discomfort at all from the beginning (OK, except a little when continuing to BF during pregnancy with DC2 and one time I briefly had a fluey like mastitis like episode. Oh, and sometimes when they fell asleep during a feed they'd bite the nipple and stretch it in vice-like grip - that may have been slightly uncomfortable at times ! )

Generally though no probs - except persuading them to ever stop

[notso]

DC1 DD 'got it' from first feed, didn't have any problems except stupid health visitor telling me to mix feed bcause I was young (19).

DC2 DS1 didn't like BFing at all he only liked to feed from right side, projectile vomited after almost every feed and used to fight to get away from my breast. I switched to FF after 2 months of hell and still feel guilty

DC3 DS2 latched on about a minute after birth and pretty much stayed there for 6 months.

DC4 DS3 had problems at first, he wouldn't feed at all for two days, ended up in scubu.
Then he would only latch badly, and I allowed it beause I was desperate to get milk down him, sorted it out by six weeks.
He is four months now and am enjoying feeding my last baby.

[RillaBlythe]

I haven't really had any problems. Nipples a bit sore at the start but never cracked or bleeding. DD2 had a tongue tie which made her latch slip off but that was snipped on day 13. I find it easy, convenient, pleasurable, reassuring.

[CouthyMow]

Puddle jumper - the upper lip tie can be cut, but isn't often. DS3's was missed when his TT was snipped. I persevered with bf till 12mo, then HAD to stop due to meds I needed to take.

He still struggled just as much with beakers, and the upper lip tie was also affecting his speech.

How do I know the ULT was affecting his speech? Well, he is now 19mo. Until this week, though he spoke, his words were very unclear to all but me. Tuesday he fell over, and split his lip tie. (Blood everywhere!!). Since then, he is so much clearer with his words, understandable to all, and it has prompted an explosion of new words. He also now has no problem drinking from a beaker!

I wish tbh, that I had found the money to get his ULT snipped privately, would have made the past 19 months much easier!!