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AIBU?

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

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.

This gives me hope. Thank you for this x

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

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

Thank you. Much appreciated 😊 x

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Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:24

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!

Thank you for your experience 😌 I fed my son to sleep but stopped once he learnt to self settle. However if he ever woke up through the night I would feed back to sleep. Wasn't very often. He's a good sleeper. Has been since 11 weeks. X

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:25

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.

Thank you for your experience. Glad it worked out for you 😊 x

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:25

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

Same. I was determined as well. Thank you 😊 xx

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Motheranddaughter · 22/10/2023 14:26

Had a terrible time with DC 1 and had to start bottle feeding after 8 weeks with no weight gain

Dc 2 fed well from the beginning and i breast fed until 14 months
Good luck x

MollyRover · 22/10/2023 14:26

Easy, because I had the confidence that I didn't have with my first. DC2 was latched on by instinct 15 minutes after birth, still feeding once a day at 18 months, just to keep the sniffles at bay and for the snuggle. I'll probably stop altogether when the lurgy season is over, we're both a bit done with it now.

Just believe in yourself and your own body, remember that if it was as impossible as people make out then the population of the world would be much smaller. Hormonally it puts mama right back together too. Best of luck Flowers

Loverofoxbowlakes · 22/10/2023 14:26

Dc1 had tongue-tie, poor latch, colic from almost day 1, bleeding nipples for weeks and very little support (ex mil was very anti-bf, exh was just shit),pnd.

Finally got the hang of it and bf until 12m

Dc2 was a doddle by comparison - better latch, I knew what I was doing and had emotionally accepted that I wasn't going to get any support. Still had bleeding nips for a week - buy lanisoh!!!

JaxiiTaxii · 22/10/2023 14:28

First was a mini nightmare, wouldn't latch, used shields for months & took ages to feed each time. It's now obvious he had undiagnosed tongue tie.

Second one I was prepared, had a private TT consultant sorted & had it snipped at 5 days but he latched straight away and was a super efficient feeder, 10 mins and done. I lost tons of weight 😂

I'm glad I fed both my kids, but the second time around was a really lovely experience.

toadasoda · 22/10/2023 14:30

OP I had a very difficult time with DS1 and was very upset by it, with my stupid useless flat nipples. I got there eventually but supply was poor and it was very painful. Later I had twins but they came 5 weeks early and twin2 was taken away to neo natal unit, I lost hope for a while as twin1 was sleepy and uninterested. When I finally got to hold twin2 he did that crawl toward the nipple and latched really deeply and strongly, it felt like a little miracle. In the weeks that followed whenever twin1 wouldn't latch or lost patience when my milk was slow to let down I'd pick up twin 2 even when asleep, hold him for a minute until my milk was flowing then pop twin1 back on. In a way I was so grateful for him. It just goes to show different babies behave differently.

Similarly my pal couldn't feed 1 and 2 but had oversupply and expressed milk, her 3rd baby latched perfectly at birth.

Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:31

JaxiiTaxii · 22/10/2023 14:28

First was a mini nightmare, wouldn't latch, used shields for months & took ages to feed each time. It's now obvious he had undiagnosed tongue tie.

Second one I was prepared, had a private TT consultant sorted & had it snipped at 5 days but he latched straight away and was a super efficient feeder, 10 mins and done. I lost tons of weight 😂

I'm glad I fed both my kids, but the second time around was a really lovely experience.

Glad it went better the second time. I couldn't believe how much weight I'd lost 🤣 breastfeeding definitely has its good points. I'm glad too. Even tho it was hard with my son glad I got through it x

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:32

Loverofoxbowlakes · 22/10/2023 14:26

Dc1 had tongue-tie, poor latch, colic from almost day 1, bleeding nipples for weeks and very little support (ex mil was very anti-bf, exh was just shit),pnd.

Finally got the hang of it and bf until 12m

Dc2 was a doddle by comparison - better latch, I knew what I was doing and had emotionally accepted that I wasn't going to get any support. Still had bleeding nips for a week - buy lanisoh!!!

Sorry you had that horrible experience the first time. Can't stand judgey people. Glad it went good with second. Oh ill definitely be buying it. Its great stuff x

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:34

toadasoda · 22/10/2023 14:30

OP I had a very difficult time with DS1 and was very upset by it, with my stupid useless flat nipples. I got there eventually but supply was poor and it was very painful. Later I had twins but they came 5 weeks early and twin2 was taken away to neo natal unit, I lost hope for a while as twin1 was sleepy and uninterested. When I finally got to hold twin2 he did that crawl toward the nipple and latched really deeply and strongly, it felt like a little miracle. In the weeks that followed whenever twin1 wouldn't latch or lost patience when my milk was slow to let down I'd pick up twin 2 even when asleep, hold him for a minute until my milk was flowing then pop twin1 back on. In a way I was so grateful for him. It just goes to show different babies behave differently.

Similarly my pal couldn't feed 1 and 2 but had oversupply and expressed milk, her 3rd baby latched perfectly at birth.

I'm so sorry you had a difficult time. Thank you for your experience. You sound like an amazing mama who did her best 😌 x

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:35

MollyRover · 22/10/2023 14:26

Easy, because I had the confidence that I didn't have with my first. DC2 was latched on by instinct 15 minutes after birth, still feeding once a day at 18 months, just to keep the sniffles at bay and for the snuggle. I'll probably stop altogether when the lurgy season is over, we're both a bit done with it now.

Just believe in yourself and your own body, remember that if it was as impossible as people make out then the population of the world would be much smaller. Hormonally it puts mama right back together too. Best of luck Flowers

I love the snuggles! My son has gone down to one feed but have a feeling when his sister is here he might up them again.

Thank you 😊 x

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:35

Motheranddaughter · 22/10/2023 14:26

Had a terrible time with DC 1 and had to start bottle feeding after 8 weeks with no weight gain

Dc 2 fed well from the beginning and i breast fed until 14 months
Good luck x

Thank you 😊 x

OP posts:
Cnidarian · 22/10/2023 14:36

Same story here! DD1 it was so hard, very painful and took weeks to get to a comfortable place. DS2 fine straight away, couldn't have been more different.

Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:36

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.

You did your best and should be proud for getting that far 😊 x

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:36

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.

Thank you for this. Glad it went better with your second x

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AhBiscuits · 22/10/2023 14:37

I struggled with my first who was pre-term and a fussy baby, and ended up expressing for 6 months. My second was full term, big and strong. He latched straight on and I fed him until he was 3, when he self weaned. Absolutely no issues at all. The ease of it felt like a miracle after the absolute faff that is expressing.

porkypine · 22/10/2023 14:39

No golden hour / skin to skin with my 2nd as straight into NICU where they remained for a few days. Thick posterior tongue tie was repeatedly missed. Once cut, they fed and fed and they fed for a few years (natural term weaning). Bad starts and bad luck does not equal bad outcomes. We had everything against us and smashed it.

Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:47

AhBiscuits · 22/10/2023 14:37

I struggled with my first who was pre-term and a fussy baby, and ended up expressing for 6 months. My second was full term, big and strong. He latched straight on and I fed him until he was 3, when he self weaned. Absolutely no issues at all. The ease of it felt like a miracle after the absolute faff that is expressing.

Thank you for your experience. Glad expressing worked for you. Glad it went really well with your second x

OP posts:
Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 14:48

porkypine · 22/10/2023 14:39

No golden hour / skin to skin with my 2nd as straight into NICU where they remained for a few days. Thick posterior tongue tie was repeatedly missed. Once cut, they fed and fed and they fed for a few years (natural term weaning). Bad starts and bad luck does not equal bad outcomes. We had everything against us and smashed it.

Aww that's brilliant glad you smashed it 😊 x

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statetrooperstacey · 22/10/2023 14:56

first 6 weeks early had to pump , 2nd also 6 weeks early , couldn’t bf lots of issues , 3rd ebf 16 months refused to take any kind of bottle or cup , 4th and 5th formula fed . Basically 5 completely different experiences ! If it didnt work out the first time that has absolutely no bearing on if it will work out with subsequent babies . Good luck !

Sleepyquest · 22/10/2023 15:04

I found it much easier second time and was more determined. I didn't stress about it and it helped that she didn't have tongue tie.
I was also kinder to myself and if second born needed some formula to top up, I didn't beat myself up about it.
Good luck to you 😊

Original poster
Cowlover89 · 22/10/2023 15:05

statetrooperstacey · 22/10/2023 14:56

first 6 weeks early had to pump , 2nd also 6 weeks early , couldn’t bf lots of issues , 3rd ebf 16 months refused to take any kind of bottle or cup , 4th and 5th formula fed . Basically 5 completely different experiences ! If it didnt work out the first time that has absolutely no bearing on if it will work out with subsequent babies . Good luck !

Edited

Thank you 😊 I hope to get the same second time around without the tongue tie x

OP posts: