Can I begin breast feeding my dd at 7months

[mummysbigsmiles]

I never breastfed my daughter at all.... If I was to try breast feeding now would it work??

[YoniBottsBumgina]

Very possibly, but it will take a while and be hard work with expressing etc perhaps through the night. Google relactation to get you started though.Also repost on the breastfeeding topic as you will be more likely to have your post seen by the best people to help :)

[mummysbigsmiles]

Thank you very much!! Do you think it would be a little silly with her only being on three bottles a day now? I tried there but she just bit me.... Puts me off slightly

[QuintessentialOHara]

Why would you want to start now?

[Tailtwister]

I'm not sure. I'd post on the breastfeeding forum for some advice. Is there a particular reason you want to? I think you would both find it quite tricky tbh since she's never been breastfed.

[scaevola]

Relactation is possible. But at 7 months, it might not be possible to get your DD to suck from the breast. So even if you establish a supply, it might be a case of expressing and giving it in a bottle.

[CheesyPoofs]

I doubt your DD would know how to latch on, I think this would be your main problem.

[SchroSawMargeryDaw]

I don't think she would be able to learn how to latch (or probably not even want to) at this point.

Relactation is possible though but you would likely have to give her expressed milk and you might not be able to build up any sort of supply for a 7 month old.

[QTPie]

Agree with a previous poster: why do you want to?

I breastfed from birth until 11 months, but was cutting down from when he was on lots of solids (so 7 months). Also from when he has teething (5.5 months onwards), things got "less pleasant": not biting as such, but "grazing" and it blooming hurt. From 9 months or so, I was on a lot of painkillers: there was no innocuous biting to tackle, but the grazing made my nipples very sore :(. I probably would have breastfed beyond 11 months, but it was just too unpleasant...

Although many women do extended breastfeeding (which is lovely), it seems unusual to try to start at 7 months (beyond when the majority of benefit can be gained - if that makes sense).

[SnoopyLovesYou]

I honestly don't see why people have to ask the OP 'why do you want to?'

Isn't it obvious??? We are mostly mothers on here!

[QTPie]

It isn't a "nosey" "why would you want to": it is trying to see if she has really thought it through and to see if she will get out if it what she thinks she will.

I completely understand why a woman wants to breastfeed (as I did!), but not why someone wouldn't do it, then would want to start at 7 months. I do know lots if women who wanted to breastfeed (and struggled valiantly and painfully to try to for months), but they all eventually moved on and didn't look back. Breastfeeding is fantastic, but doesn't work for everyone and sometimes bashing one's head on a brick wall doesn't help either mother or child :(

[mummysbigsmiles]

To be honest i had never breasted & probs felt a little guilty about it... So my thinking was that if i give her 3 bottles a day to be breastmilk then this would be better than formula... I would probs express feed though.... Thanks for the link below...

[mummysbigsmiles]

Her solids are all freshly prepared foods such as fruits veg chicken, spinach is a favourite of hers... So i think i will just stick with the three bottle feeds & her healthy solids. X

[QTPie]

Honestly, I would just move on (ie let go of the guilt and look to the future): there is nothing to feel guilty about and so many other ways to put your energy into being a mum than pumping (which is time consuming and can be pretty uncomfortable - I pumped one bottle a day for almost 6 months).

If you really want to do it, then do it, but don't do it just because you feel you should (since it won't be easy and will probably not be comfortable): formula and good weaning will give your DD great nutrition.