My mother laughed in my face when I said I was going to breastfeed DC3.

[ThisPhantomPlopsPumpkins]

Am a bit hurt and also .

Not entirely sure why she's surprised, I bf DS and DD (although not for as long as I would have liked with DD).

Anyway her reason for laughing was that "I'm delusional if I think I can breastfeed with 2 preschoolers in the house".

She didn't breastfeed me or my brother and has always been a bit funny about me doing it for some reason.

How hard is it? See.. she's already managed to plant the seed of doubt in my mind! .

[StealthPolarBear]

no idea as I have one 2yo and one 2wo
But your DC3 will need feeding - you'll do it, if only to spite her

[StealthPolarBear]

congratulations btw, when are you due?

[KEAWYED]

I've breastfed DS3 for 5 months now DS1 are 2 and 5.

TBH i've found it easier this time (nipples must have hardened after other 2

DS3 didnt feed for huge periods of time.

Go for it, so much easier taking your boobs with you when you are in a hurry than having to get the bottles organised.

[StealthPolarBear]

yes i found that feeding sessions with DS were at least an hour on the sofa for the first 4-6 months. DD has 10 mins here and there. Hopefully you found the same

[ThisPhantomPlopsPumpkins]

Thanks Stealth - due in April. Ageeees away.

That's encouraging KEAWYED. She couldn't quite get her head around whipping a boob out being easier than sterilising and doing all the bottle stuff.

[HumphreyCobbler]

At least you will have one hand free to do stuff with.

[TheCrackFox]

Your mum might actually be jealous.

I know loads of women who BF Dcs. Far easier than washing, sterilising and making up formula.

BTW congrats!

[FlamingoBingo]

I did it - and bfed DD4 too, with a 5yo, a 3yo and a 20m old in the house!

[smallorange]

I am bf my four month old and have two other dd's aged 2 and 5. It's no more difficult than it is with two dcs. Bit awkward to and from school, dinner time etc but nothing you can't handle. Now she's a little bit older it's much easier but I had cracked and bleeding nipples, mastitis, etc and I still coped fine.

And dd3 is thriving.

[girlwithapearl]

I actually found it easier to breastfeed the 3rd rather than the 2nd as the older 2 would play with each other - they were 4 and 2 at the time - whereas when I had my second, there was definite jealousy going on. So they would play and I could sit and watch on the sofa while feeding - easy. (Plus I got very adept, as people have said, at multitasking while feeding - answering doors to tradesmen that sort of thing!)

[KEAWYED]

I'm more confident about this time.

With DS1 I used to go upstairs out the way to feed now I can whip the boob out with minimal fuss and I'm a lot more confident about it.

Also found this time my boobs settled down quicker and weren't leaking all the time.

[WinkyWinkola]

I'm interested in this thread as I'm expecting my 3rd in 3 weeks. I've not really had any doubts about being able to bf no bother as I didn't really have a problem with the other two apart from insane jealousy from DS towards DD. Perhaps I should think about it more?

PhantomPumpkinPlopper, people are usually unnecessarily negative because of jealousy or some other reason that says an awful lot about themselves rather than the actual issue. Don't let your mum's response get to you!

[cece]

But surely bottle feeding your baby takes time as well, so can't see the difference time wise and having toddlers in house wise, whether you breast or bottle feed? Or am I missing something? (A genuine question as I have only breast fed?)

[ThisPhantomPlopsPumpkins]

Sorry was on the phone.

I do think jealousy or not doing what she did, is part of it. She likes to make me feel shit about being a SAHM too, she went to work and doesn't understand why I don't.

Bottle feeding always seemed like such hard work to me, all the washing and sterilising and then boiling and cooling the water.

Am glad that all the experiences have been positive! She was beginning to get to me with her negativity!

[lentilsRus]

I've always thought that bottle feeding must be harder too!

I bf dc3, dd was 3.5yo and ds1 was 2. Wasn't any more difficult than the other two.

[frogs]

I cooked a full Christmas dinner for 12 people pretty much one-handed with ten-day old dd2 (3rd child) clamped to my boob.

It was fine, though it still doesn't excuse the fact that PIL sat on their arses in the sitting room while I was doing it, but the bf aspect of it was no problem.

It's easy - the baby cries, you plug it on, baby stops crying. What part of that is harder than faffing around with bottles and warming milk to the right temp?

Ignore, ignore.

[BertieBotts]

How does she think women managed before formula (and indeed, contraception!) was invented?

The reason it's supposed to be so impossible with a second or third (etc etc) baby are the newborn feeding marathons, which are mostly in the evening whenn preschoolers are in bed and if not you can read to them, let them watch tv, have baby in a sling which leaves lots of activities, or even stop feeding for a moment to do something, the baby will not explode!

[weegiemum]

I bf dc3 after also bfeeding 1 & 2. when dd2 was born, dd1 was 3y10m and ds 22 months.

It was easier than either of the others as I really knew what I was doing - in the end I fed her till she self weaned aged almost exctly 2 years. Had fed dd1 for 1 year and ds for 15 months.

I would just stick her on the boob and read a book or watch a dvd with the others. It was no bother at all.

My mother also didn't get it though. She thought I was making a rod for my own back or similar.

[lou031205]

You can do it! DD3 is 6mo and BF; when she was born DD1 was 3.4 and DD2 was 20mo.

[bronze]

dc4 is 6 months old. when he was born ds1 was just six, ds2 4 (preschool) and dd 2. I found it easier than the faff of bottles

[LargeGlassofRed]

ooh I've had the rod for my own back comment wtf!
really winds be up.
After the initial stages breast feeding so much easier and quicker.
I'm currently breast feeding dt's who are 15 weeks and have 3 other dc's.
Have come to the conclusion that people of my mums and ml generation were just sold on bottle was best and most didn't breast feed, I think there is some underlining regret there.

[Alibooobaandthe40phantoms]

Preschoolers I think easier than once you've got kids at school maybe? I know my Mum really struggled with BFing my youngest brother because it co-incided with me starting school and the mornings were just too much. Having said that, she didn't have a sling and she did have supply problems too I think so it was a question of an hour on the sofa at a time.

You will be fine, ignore your Mum