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Original poster

Want to hear positive breastfeeding stories with your second.

119 replies

Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 13:06

Whats everyone's experience when breastfeeding their second baba?

Did they latch okay? I know I've read its best to latch in the golden hour. With my son didn't get chance but its wasn't too long after that when I could try and despite having tongue tie he could still feed thank fully. But it caused me so much pain but wouldn't have it any other way.

Just want to see how successful it is with your second. I know I won't know till she's here. And I know there's no guarantee she will but definitely going to try and if can't will pump. And will attempt again later on.

Tia 😊

OP posts:
DappledThings · 22/10/2023 13:09

DC2 latched at 15 minutes old. Didn't need any coaxing, didn't need to teach her how to do it like DC1. Easy-peasy.

Had pumped with DC1 and struggled for weeks to get him to take a bottle so I could go on one hen do. Could not be arsed at all with DC2 so she never had a bottle and it was so much easier.

scrantonelectriccity · 22/10/2023 13:16

DD2 didn't latch for 3 or 4 days as she was straight in NICU, then had issues latching due to a tie which was cut at 5 days but took a few weeks of osteopathy to help. Now she's 4 months old and feeding is going great. I wasn't even planning to breastfeed this time!

NotMyDayJob · 22/10/2023 13:18

We didn't feed until day 6 as baby was immediately taken to NICU and wouldn't latch until we made a concerted effort for her discharge. Still feeding now at 19 months. So we missed the golden hour, but it didn't seem to matter

OhForGoodnessSake1 · 22/10/2023 13:19

DC1 was really hard work, never got a good latch until about 3 months old. Feeds were always 45 mins - an hour. DC2 came out behaving as if he was three weeks early, according to Breast-feeding counsellor; first 3 weeks were a nightmare as he struggled to latch. What worked was semi-lying at a 45 degree angle so he sort of fell onto the breast. Then at 3 weeks he just got it and feeds were 10 mins max. I suddenly realised what other people had been talking about when I had no 1! I fed DC2 until c.12 months. You can do it :)

grafittiartist · 22/10/2023 13:20

Loads easier than with first child.

FoxBaseBeta · 22/10/2023 13:23

DC1 never really latched properly, limped on for a few weeks trying to pump but ended up fully on formula by 3 months.
DC2 went completely the other way and would only breast feed, refusing all bottles. The pump became redundant again! In fact she continued wanting to breast feed to sleep until she was over 2. Extended breast feeding past 1 was never part of my plan but she had other ideas....

phoenixrosehere · 22/10/2023 13:24

Second was placed on my chest, I offered him my nipple, he took it, closed his eyes, and went to sleep so pretty instant with him.

At six, he still eats constantly and falls asleep in a blink of an eye.

iatealltheminieggs · 22/10/2023 13:24

DD2 fed within minutes of birth. She just seemed to know what to do. And I was more relaxed second time round, which I think plaus a big part. We did end up with a latch issue on one breast so I had a cracked nipple until we got that sorted, but compared to DD1 (who came into the world rather dramatically) breastfeeding was a dream.

Username917778 · 22/10/2023 13:27

I had a really difficult time with my first, my nipples were bleeding for the first 8 weeks as she wasn't latched properly and I didn't know what I was doing. My 2nd was a breeze, no issues at all. I had been so nervous to go through it all again but there was no need.

Tessisme · 22/10/2023 13:35

DS2 latched on right away, no problems. Pretty similar to DS1 tbh. Like your DS, my eldest had a tongue tie, but latched and fed really well.

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 22/10/2023 13:37

DC2 came out without TT, thank God. It was a totally different experience.

Plus the second time you more or less know where the BFing Support Groups are and you've probably got the BFing Helpline Numbers and you'll have a few tricks that you used with DC1 that you can try Wink

89redballoons · 22/10/2023 13:39

Breastfeeding has been an absolute breeze with my second and we're still going at 18 months. He first latched at 90 minutes old and was a really enthusiastic feeder ever since then. He was back at birth weight after 4 days, then went from 15th centile at birth to over 50th at 2 months, just on breastmilk.

I was so much better prepared than I had been with my first and I knew how breastfeeding was supposed to work and what a good latch felt like. One of my best memories is lying on my bed feeding my second who was about 3 months old, on a really hot summer day but with a lovely gentle breeze coming in through our window.

I did introduce a bottle of formula in the evenings when he was 4 months old and that did seem to help him settle a bit. Both my babies got very distractible from breastfeeding around that age and I found he would actually take a decent amount of milk from the bottle and fill himself up for a bit longer.

I fed him to sleep all the time, held him loads and he started sleeping through the night by himself at 10 months. My eldest didn't sleep through until I stopped breastfeeding but with my second, I don't want to stop because it settles him to sleep so well!

Snugglemonkey · 22/10/2023 13:43

My first was in nicu and an uphill battle with breastfeeding. We got there though after successfully transitioning from pumping and tubefeeding. Second was painful initially but that settled down and am still breastfeeding.

blitzen · 22/10/2023 13:47

DC1 was a difficult experience but I was still determined to do it. Turned out he had a tongue tie.

DC2 has been brilliant. Latched from first feed, a few hours old.

Glad to have the experience of doing it for both, but DC2 has made me realise that the battle I had with DC1 wasn't a normal experience. Good luck xx

Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:13

DappledThings · 22/10/2023 13:09

DC2 latched at 15 minutes old. Didn't need any coaxing, didn't need to teach her how to do it like DC1. Easy-peasy.

Had pumped with DC1 and struggled for weeks to get him to take a bottle so I could go on one hen do. Could not be arsed at all with DC2 so she never had a bottle and it was so much easier.

Aww that's great to hear 😊 thank you for commenting x

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:14

scrantonelectriccity · 22/10/2023 13:16

DD2 didn't latch for 3 or 4 days as she was straight in NICU, then had issues latching due to a tie which was cut at 5 days but took a few weeks of osteopathy to help. Now she's 4 months old and feeding is going great. I wasn't even planning to breastfeed this time!

I'm glad it worked out for you and sorry for the hard start you had! X

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:14

NotMyDayJob · 22/10/2023 13:18

We didn't feed until day 6 as baby was immediately taken to NICU and wouldn't latch until we made a concerted effort for her discharge. Still feeding now at 19 months. So we missed the golden hour, but it didn't seem to matter

I'm glad you managed to latch in the end. Thank you for your experience x

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:15

OhForGoodnessSake1 · 22/10/2023 13:19

DC1 was really hard work, never got a good latch until about 3 months old. Feeds were always 45 mins - an hour. DC2 came out behaving as if he was three weeks early, according to Breast-feeding counsellor; first 3 weeks were a nightmare as he struggled to latch. What worked was semi-lying at a 45 degree angle so he sort of fell onto the breast. Then at 3 weeks he just got it and feeds were 10 mins max. I suddenly realised what other people had been talking about when I had no 1! I fed DC2 until c.12 months. You can do it :)

I'm glad it worked out in end and thank you 😊 x

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:17

grafittiartist · 22/10/2023 13:20

Loads easier than with first child.

That's what I'm hoping for. It was so hard with my son with the tongue tie but once it was sorted it was a breeze. X

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:17

FoxBaseBeta · 22/10/2023 13:23

DC1 never really latched properly, limped on for a few weeks trying to pump but ended up fully on formula by 3 months.
DC2 went completely the other way and would only breast feed, refusing all bottles. The pump became redundant again! In fact she continued wanting to breast feed to sleep until she was over 2. Extended breast feeding past 1 was never part of my plan but she had other ideas....

Glad it worked out for your second x

OP posts:
Rummikub · 22/10/2023 14:18

Dv1 nightmare with feeding. Ended up mix feeding. I had to make sure our position was right and had a cushion.

dc2- like a dream. Latched on straightaway. Could feed her anywhere, standing up, laying down. Totally different experience.

Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:19

phoenixrosehere · 22/10/2023 13:24

Second was placed on my chest, I offered him my nipple, he took it, closed his eyes, and went to sleep so pretty instant with him.

At six, he still eats constantly and falls asleep in a blink of an eye.

Awww 🥰 that's so sweet. X

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:21

iatealltheminieggs · 22/10/2023 13:24

DD2 fed within minutes of birth. She just seemed to know what to do. And I was more relaxed second time round, which I think plaus a big part. We did end up with a latch issue on one breast so I had a cracked nipple until we got that sorted, but compared to DD1 (who came into the world rather dramatically) breastfeeding was a dream.

I'm glad it was a dream for you. Yeah im going to stay as relaxed as possible. And try and see if she wants to latch once she's out x

OP posts:
underneaththeash · 22/10/2023 14:21

Exactly the same as with my first. I have flat nipples, so it's difficult to latch when they're tiny. Had all three privately so had lots of help.
Same level of soreness, got mastitis at the same time.
Introduced a bottle a day when they were 5 weeks and mixed fed for 16 weeks - counting off the days.

Number 3 was worse as I then got a visual migraine each time I fed and stopped at 12 weeks.

Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:21

Username917778 · 22/10/2023 13:27

I had a really difficult time with my first, my nipples were bleeding for the first 8 weeks as she wasn't latched properly and I didn't know what I was doing. My 2nd was a breeze, no issues at all. I had been so nervous to go through it all again but there was no need.

I'm sorry you had a difficult time with your first. I'm so happy it worked the second time with no issues x

OP posts: