Positive breastfeeding experiences

[kiki22]

Ds2 due in Aug I'm hoping to bf this time after failing with DS in the first few hours resorting to a bottle and happily ff from then on but i keep hearing stories of bleeding nipples agony and feeding round the clock it's really putting me off. I'm mostly wanting to bf because it's free in all honesty i do want to give the health benefits too but we got on just fine ff never felt guilty or found it inconvenient so I don't have a huge drive for it and I know I won't feel like a failure if I can't.

The problem really is that after loving ff I'm worried bf is going to be a nightmare and I'll give up too easily, can anyone tell me success stories how handy/easy they found it? I don't think I can handle weeks doing nothing but sitting feeding.

[Lweji]

Babies and mums are different.
DS mostly fed every 4 hours.
But let down and breast pain were horrid for a couple of weeks at first.
I really enjoyed it overall, though. And managed to keep it mostly breastfeeding after returning to work.

[PersisFord]

I agree - incredibly tough for the first couple of weeks and then lovely, easy, happy, convenient. Still going with my 1 year old and I love it. But I loved bottle feeding my niece too - it's all just lovely snuggles at the end of the day!!

[PersisFord]

And congratulations on the baby!!

[AnnaMarlowe]

I exclusively breastfed twins for nearly 18 months so it's perfectly possible.

However it was very hard to start with (first 12 weeks) and I did have to grit my teeth and dig in to keep going. And yes I had thrush, mastitis and cracks to contend with. Also teeth at 5 months.


However once you get the hang of it it's brilliant. Free, convenient, brilliant for both you and the baby's health, helps with post baby weight loss and quite frankly just lovely.

Get yourself to a breastfeeding support group or contact the la leche league for some RL support.

I have friends that fed straight away, with no issues and never had the least problems btw.

Bear in mind that it's a learning process for both you and the baby. One if my twins got it before the other.

Stick with it if you can, it's worth it.

If you can't stick with it - cut yourself a break and don't guilt yourself.

Good Luck.

[Outnumb3red]

Just had DC3 2 weeks ago and BF again, as did with the first 2 for a year. First 2 weeks are always the hardest, nipples will be a bit sore initially, (babies can suck really hard!) but after that it settles down as your nipples become accustomed. I love the convenience and quickness of BF. Baby usually feeds about every 2.5-3 hrs, normally only takes 20-30 mins per feed. Has cluster feeds in the evening, where feeds can be more often.

[PrincessHairyMclary]

Breastfeeding and weeks spent sitting and feeding is your body's way of making you rest and recovering from 9 months of putting your body through fairly substantial trauma, not to mention catching up on the broken nights sleep.

Breastfeeding means you will be doing the feeds during the night, at least at the beginning, breastfeeding also means that after these night time feeds you fall into a deeper, better quality sleep much faster and therefore have a better nights rest than your FF counterparts.

Personally I had no problems breastfeeding (apart from the first week discomfort) and did so until DD choose to stop at 3 years. She is the poster child for what they say the benefits of breastfeeding are: rarely ill, self regulates food and appetite well, excellent early speech due to development of jaw muscles etc, top of the class. At 15months old once she got norovirus she was sick regularly for a week if it wasn't for the breast milk being quick to digest she would have been hospitalised.

[Bluecarrot]

I've had what I consider an extremely positive experience. Dd cluster fed 6 hours every evening from day 3-7, then is eased off. Those evenings were the hardest time ( there were a few tears!) and lanolin nipple cream was a huge help. By day 9 I had nothing more than v mild discomfort at any point during the day/night and by 2 weeks old I barely felt a thing. We still feed now and she's 2.5 ( though a few sore days due to pregnancy hormones with #3 but again, lanolin was fab)

I feel there's a lot more freedom and flexibility with bf, and fab for calming fractious baby etc. ( I ff my first due to medical reasons)

You could always exclusively pump, which works well for some but seems too time consuming for me!

Whatever your decision I wish you all the best.

[Hensintheskirting]

My advice is to approach with an open mind. I had a hard time with breastfeeding DS1 and said with DS2 I'd just give him formula if it was difficult (rather than beating myself up about bf being difficult). Actually with DS2 it was really really easy. I'm feeding him still and he's 2.5. It forces you to take it slow in the daytime and we co-slept for 6 months, which I actually loved and got much more sleep than with DS1 who I didn't sleep with. I love it and it's amazing how different my 2 experiences have been. Good luck and congratulations!

[MsMarple]

If you are looking for happy stories about easy feeding I present you with my DS2. Breastfeeding support lady wandered by in hospital, popped him on with a proper latch, and he was fine for the next 18 months. Put on weight well, rarely ill, easily soothed, no need for planning ahead with bottles, everyone happy :)

DS1 was a different story involving expressing and painfulness for a while, but they are all different and whatever happened with your first one there is every chance that your next will take to bf really well - you won't know until you try :)

BTW I can't speak highly enough of the hospital bf lady, and the volunteers at the baby cafe we went to after leaving hospital with DS1. They were kind, helpful, and knew their stuff and I would always recommend seeking these people out if you are struggling, or even if you are not, just to set your mind at rest.

[Alligatorpie]

I breastfed both dds. Dd1 until 31 months and dd2 until 25 months. Found it fairly easy apart from a week or of adjustment and sore nipples.
I didn't do so well with a pump, so didn't get much sleep in those years!
Like a pp, my dd's are never sick.

[cornishglos]

Honestly I had no problems whatsoever breastfeeding my two. No sore nipples or anything. I loved it.

[smellycar]

Yeah breastfed 2 kids, hard going in the first few weeks but I really never had any issues other than the odd sore nipple and slight fever (once) first time round, 2nd time was a doddle although she was a biter while teething, but that didn't last long.
both got bottles once or twice a month and never had any big issues with that either.

[kiki22]

Thanks I need to hold on to these good stories I have zero guilt about not doing it first time DS is really healthy has rarely been ill if he has its mild so I feel like if I find it hard I might just say fuck it and give up, though I wouldn't regret it as such my bank balance would suffer and our spending money would go down which I would be sad about.

I'm not very good a sitting doing nothing it bores me and DS starts school week of due date in primary 1 so he's going to need a lot of support I don't want him missing out on attention.

[Stylingwax]

BF both my two without a problem, first one to 18 months, second one's five months and still going. I'll stop with DD sooner, but just because I want my boobs and body back, be able to wear decent bras, not to have frigging boob pads in etc.

[HolisticMama13]

My DD & I had a hard 6 weeks but 10 months on she's still BF. My best friends LO is a month younger & she ff. When I see her lugging bottles around etc I'm relived that we worked out BFing coz I doubt I could carry much more in the baby bag

[teenybean]

I bf both of mine, no problems & no pain at all, ds latched on perfectly first time & we had a wonderful time for 15 months, when he overnight decided booby wasn't for him, dd was the same, but we're still going strong at 33months! Ds fed every 4 hours like clockwork, dd from the day she was born, slept for about 6 hours, wake for a feed & then would go back to sleep, she was sleeping through the night (at least 8 hours by 3 months!) but would have longer feeds, she now only feeds for about 10mins at bedtime! I love bfing, it's so easy & practical! x

[mallorcanmummy]

Only 8 weeks in, but so far a big success. My first photo of us together is DS latched on, about 15mins after his birth. No problems at all, maybe 3/4 days nipple soreness, which lanolin stopped asap. Loads of milk quickly, so much so that I donate. Only problem I've had is remembering to wear breast pads when out. I always manage to remember at home and have leaky boob marks when out. So easy! I can't imagine how I'd be ff. I think I'd stress so much about whether I had enough ff with me when out and about!

[mallorcanmummy]

Forgot to add, we have introduced a bottle of EBM twice and gone back to breast with no problems/nipple confusion at all. I have fast let down so feeds are typically a max of 10mins, with a few longer feasts thrown in now and again

[PersisFord]

I was worried about the older kids when I BF this baby but actually it was lovely - we would all sit down on the sofa and read or watch TV together. Once the baby is latched on you don't really have to do anything so in a way the toddlers got more attention as I wasn't tearing around trying to do things. Sometimes they would get a teddy and pretend to feed it too, the cutest thing ever!!!

[kiki22]

Thank you all so much

I was having visions of 45 min screaming fits while I tried to get to school and back and ds crying for dinner while I cried from exhaustion. Ds was a really difficult baby I'm quite scared of having another high needs and having to learn a new way of doing it.

[Lweji]

Btw, for nipples, try to smear some fat rich milk at the end of each feed.
It could be just luck, but I didn't need anything else on them.
Let down and engorgement were bitches, though, but fine after a few weeks.

[JasperDamerel]

Wirh DC1, I found it very hard for the first few weeks, and then really lovely. With DC2, it was lovely from the start.

I found that the hormones of breastfeeding made me feel really relaxed and lowered my natural levels of anxiety so much that I was able to completely and permanently get over a phobia that had seriously interfered with my life.

I love the way it feels, and I really like convenience of being able to feed hands-free in a sling. And it was so handy when they were ill to know that breastfeeding was working as a painkiller, to help them fight off the illness, to comfort them and to keep then hydrated all at once.

But I think the advantages of breastfeeding are very different from the advantages of formula feeding, and having been a happy formula-feeder, you might notice the disadvantages more strongly.

So I'd say give breastfeeding a go to see how it feels this time, happy in the knowledge that if you don't want to carry on, you have an alternative you like.

[aaahhhBump]

Once fed dd1 in the dug out at the football team we support. No baby change facillities had to change her nappy in the officials changing room . Day at a time and before you know it a whole years gone by.

You didn't fail with DS1 he still got fed.

Good luck

[Coffeelover56]

Like the other posters, I found the first 1-2 weeks really hard. Cluster feeding with cracked nippers were not fun! But I had a really helpful maternity care assistant who called me every day for the first week to help with feeding and she visited the house a couple of times to check positions and, helpfully, brought over a prescription for lansinoh (which is usually around a tenner and is an absolute life saver!)

Once the first couple of weeks were over the cluster feeding had settled and it suddenly became really easy. It's so convenient when you're out and about and during the night.

The only regret I have is waiting 6 weeks to introduce a bottle of ebm (which is the nhs recommendation) as my DS won't take it (unless he's starving!). It means I rarely leave him and on the odd occasion when I do I worry the whole time in case he refuses the bottle. He's 16 weeks now and I'm hoping once he starts weaning in a couple of months he'll begin to accept the bottle more easily so I can get some form of social life again

HTH

[ClinkyMonkey]

I found that both my breastfed babies had the odd illness like most other babies, but the big bonus was that breastfeeding provided immediate and lasting comfort and seemed to cut the duration of the illness. I fed both my children until almost 3. My sister-in-law advised me before I went in to give birth to my eldest to 'torture' the nurses every time I had trouble latching on! So I did (no shame me ) and made sure I knew how it should 'feel'. The latch is the single most important thing and not all babies get it right away, so time and patience are important. Once you get that part right (with plenty of support) it is a lovely, convenient, inexpensive way to feed. Oh, and from a vanity point of view, the pregnancy weight melted off me - result!