Is breastfeeding easier the second time?

[osterleymama]

Just wondering if it will be painful for the first few weeks again? BF my first for 9 months, it got progressively easier and I enjoyed it but I do remember the pain of the first 10 days or so.

My nipples are way less sensitive now and I know how to spot a bad latch etc but am I indulging in wishful thinking?

[sausagesandwich34]

I found it much easier as only one of you is learning IYKWIM

also you are more experienced at knowing which side to use, stopping dream feeding etc

I think I did have a bit of discomfort for a few days 2nd time round but not as bad as first time and I didn't get that painful engorged feeling

[AlreadyScone]

It was easier for me, mainly due to greater confidence and self-belief.

I also had far more realistic expectations about night waking, feeding on demand, and far lower standards for myself.

Good luck!

[horsebiscuit]

I can imagine that it depends on your baby!
My personal experience was that it was way easier as I expected problems so I had set aside masses of time, arranged no visitors, knew how to hire a breastpump and where the support groups were, plus I had decent bras second time around. Perhaps best is that I took painkillers for the bf and that worked wonders. But my first baby was jaundiced and sleepy whereas the second was much more switched on when it came to feeding- sure that helped too.
Good luck!!

[weegiemum]

Easier, yes

But I reckon it took 6 weeks on all 3 occasions to feel I had it "cracked". Length of feeding improved though - went 12 months-15months-23 months.

[FadBook]

Some go in to it the second time around thinking, "well I've done it once it'll be easy" and then the baby has other ideas by doing things that your first didn't do (cluster feeding, tongue tie) or you suffer some of the nasties that you didn't suffer before (mastitis, thrush, blocked ducts etc).

The other common thing to be mindful of is ensuring your positioning isn't 'lazy'. Feeding a newborn is harder than an older baby and you can become complacent by not getting the correct position which then in turn could affect the latch.

Sorry for being negative - something that we covered in our peer support group and a lot of the mums 2nd time around had more problems than first time. My sister was the same too.

[scarlettsmummy2]

Found it so much easier! Not a cracked nipple in sight!

[AntoinetteCosway]

DD wouldn't breast feed at all so I'm hoping desperately to have a baby who's interested next time round!

[Youaresoright]

Please don't be complacent, get your latch checked by a knowledgeable midwife.

I was over confident, it had only been 12 months since I fed DS1 and he had a tongue tie for the first week so it was bound to be easy... But feeding an 8 month old was not like feeding a newborn, and I think his suck was powerful (not having a tongue tie), plus he fed the whole first night with a poor latch. I ended up with my nipples in a worse state than with DS1. I got through it though, I think knowing how great and easy it is once established helped. And we are still going strong 17 months later.

Sorry that sounds negative, but I do wish someone had just warned me to use the help available in the hospital same as I did with DS1. Good luck.

[louisianablue2000]

Definitely agree the biggest advantage is knowing how easy it will be later. I remember the 3am feeds with DD2 with shredded nipples a week in and thinking 'I would give up now if I couldn't remember how nice it was feeding DD1 a few months ago' (18 month gap, I fed till I was 6 months pregnant). With DS (No3) he was a preemie and took a while to get started feeding. The MWs were great and let me get on with it because of my previous experience (I had 'committed BFer' in my antenatal notes ) and I could say 'look, I've been here before, DD1 took a while to feed'.

But on the other hand I knew someone who had an easy time of it the first time and really struggled the second time because it was harder.