has anyone succesfully breastfed their first child and then had problems with the second?

[lucy5]

Bfing dd was a piece of cake, she was a natural, I never had to do anything. Ds on the other hand is a whole different kettle of fish. He has real problems latching on to one of my boobs [the bigger one]. The nipple has become a bit flat on on the underside of it.
I bought some nipple shields today but cant seem to get them to stay on! I have also bought an electric pump but so far have only managed to express a few drops.

Breastfeeding is really important to me, i exclusively fed dd for 17 months when she self weaned. Ds has been difficult from the start, i had an emergency c-section and the Spanish hospital gave him formula and sugar water whilst I was in recovery. They also were obsessed with him being a big baby [4.4kgs] and whizzed him off and stuffed him full of formula at every opportunity over the first day when I was in no posistion to really stop them. He is now mixed fed which to be honest is working well but I would rather be using 2 boobs and expressed milk in a bottle.

Wow that was a long post sorry!

[Tommy]

worked the other (perhaps more usual?) way for me but certainly a freind had great trouble with her second after successfully feeding her first.

How old is your DS? I was told with DS1 that I could go back to exclusively breastfeeding when he was on mixed at about 5 weeks or so.

[lucy5]

He is 4 weeks.

[pootlepod]

Yes, and I had a DD the first time around and a DS the second. I blamed the boy thing.

My problems were only liking 1 breast, latching and needing to burp frequently. They have all subsided now, DS is 14 weeks. He seemed to just want everything done for him- didn't want to suck.

But it is good now, so hang on in there.

[lucy5]

I did wonder if it was a boy thing!

[threelittlegifts]

no advice sorry, but just wanted to say congrats on your ds, as I must have missed your birth announcement what with all the pre-xmas hoopla nonsense, so well done and congrats! Hope you get to grips with the feeding, will be keeping an interested eye on the replies myself

P.S. What's ds' name?

[lucy5]

Thanks, I will bump my birth announcement as I only got round to posting it on xmas eve possibley the quietest night of the year! [doh]

He is called Leo.

[Kristingle]

oh lucy, you mustn't worry, I am sure it will be possible to get back to exclusively bf if thats what you want. I dont knwo how but I know there are lots of people who do, including soem mumsnetters. I'm sure they'll be along later tonight. After all, lots of mums go from exclusively expressing for premature babies to fully bf so you have a head start as you baby is alreday bf

[lucy5]

Thanks, I just never thought I would be in this posistion.

[Kristingle]

After all you are still recovering from the Cs. I knwo I felt physically not too bad 4 weeks after mine ( third child) but still a bit shocked IYKWIM as i wasnt expecting to have a CS. I was very lucky as that baby BF like a dream but my other son was MURDER to BF

[Skribble]

My first baby was a biggy and fed perfectly and was content until the next feed at 4 hour intervals, textbook baby if you like. Of course I never understood what all the fus was about feeding babies and always thought just get them latched on right and it is easy.

Second baby smaller but still a good size was an eye opener, well an eye waterer really. She just never seemed to latch on right, nothing wrong with her perfectly healthy and happy but put to the breast and she just sort of smacked her lips and faffed about. I got cracked sore nipples and engoged aching breasts, after sobbing in the early hours night after night I decided with DH's support that enough was enough and she went on to a bottle, I tried expressing a bit but TBH they were so sore I just had to stop and she is as tall and healthy as her brother was at the same age.

[funnypeculiar]

I had this too ... and my second was a girl, so hasn't even got the 'I'm a stupid boy' excuse!! Didn't understand why people said bf was difficult until she came along ... had really assumed knew what I was doing!! She is (at 9 mths) a much more opionated and determined child than her brother ever wasn - I reckon she's jujst that kind of kid...

[wads]

my 2nd, a dd, was really hard work after no probs with nº1, a ds. Now on dd2 and no probs again. Think also with 2nd you are so busy trying to not let 1st born feel left out, neglected etc that you don't sit down & concentrate on baby as much ( I remember feeding soup to ds whilst bf dd!). Now with 3rd I let the other two wait whilst bf. I also had a cs with dd2 & Portuguese hospital gave her formula for 24h even though I asked repeatedly for her to be brought to me for bf so first few days of bf were tough as she didn't want to latch on. I'm sure you'll be able to build up your supply to just bf, keep at it girl!

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

I had this. DD was an absolute breeze.

DS, however - total nightmare. He seemed to fight against me. Forget how to latch. Feed every 25 mins and bob on and off, or feed for up to an hour and a half and then want feeding again an hour after finishing.

It was agony - i had mastitis and thrush that wasnt diagnosed until 6 weeks in. He had thrush in his mouth too.

It was 8 weeks before b/feeding started to settle to something resembling normal and much less painful.

It didnt really get into any kind of pattern until he was 6 months old. However, he is 20 months old, and I am still b/feeding him morning and night which is great. I only fed DD for 7 months.

Dont suppose you have b/feeding counsellors that can help you?

Oh, and DS was 8lb 12oz, and DD was 9lb 13oz (which is 4.5kg ish)

[lucy5]

Thanks for all your positivity Feeling better today, Spain is so rubbish as far as breastfeeding is concerned. I was advised by one dr to stop breastfeeding so I could take antibiotics to help an infection in my c-section wound. I then went privately and that dr said that the advice was about 30 years out of date.