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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

"Breastfeeding is Hard" well it can be but come and tell me the bits you loved.

57 replies

Ineedsomesleep · 07/11/2010 08:57

I think if I was a Mum-to-Be I'd be totally put off bfing at the moment reading the threads on here including people often referring to bfing as being hard.

Well it can be, it was for me for the first few weeks with DC1 but then it got much, much easier.

Some of the things I loved were:

Feeding him when I got home from work - such a lovely time to reconnect and forget about my day.

Not having to go out and buy formula.

Not having to take bottles etc out with me - I'm really forgetful and a bit lazy.

If they did wake in the night I could feed them and be back asleep within 15 mins thanks to the lovely oxytocin.

It kept my weight down.

So come and share your good bits.

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 07/11/2010 09:03

see i think the opposite! i think it's good to know what problems can occur and how to fix them, which hopefully people get on here too.

when i had my first i had a hellish time. I had read tons and tons about breaastfeeding, but nowhere had told me i may end up with a tongue tied baby who would scream every time i put him near my breast

if i have known that my baby might not just latch on and feed away i'd have been a lot better off!!!!

polo79 · 07/11/2010 09:05

The middle of the night feeds when baby gazes into your eyes and it seems it's only the 2 of you in the whole world.

Watching them grow and thinking "I did that".

How easy it is if you're stuck out and they need feeding now!

Being able to go out for the day with just a couple of nappies and some wipes.

Getting back to sleep quickly at night.

Those lovely boobie grins where they lose the nipple then frantically try and get it back Grin.

Can you tell I love it? Will be so sad when DD 20 months stops as no more babies for me.

fleacircus · 07/11/2010 09:05

Night feeds, with both, really lovely quiet time together. And with DD2 especially as I was so busy with DD1 during the day.

Definitely much easier when you're out and about, again, especially with DD2, fitting feeds around whatever DD1 was getting up to.

Also, I'm quite self-conscious, before DD1 was born I was really anxious about feeding in public. After she was born I astonished myself with how completely unembarrassed I was.

Original poster
Ineedsomesleep · 07/11/2010 09:06

Totally agree that people should be informed of what might happen and where to get help, including posting on here. Just wanted to balance it out a bit Smile

OP posts:
fleacircus · 07/11/2010 09:09

I do agree with thisisyesterday too, though, DD1 had undiagnosed tongue-tie and without the advice and support and information I found on MN I would never have been able to carry on feeding. And I do wonder if people sometimes have such high expectations about BF being lovely that they feel very disillusioned and guilty when they don't experience it that way.

cryhavoc · 07/11/2010 09:22

Her little hands grabbing my breast while she fed.

As others have said - not having to bother with bottles when we were out, or in the middle of the night.

Not having to buy formula.

Hours spent curled on the sofa with a book or something good on the TV while I fed her.

This is making me quite nostalgic actually!

Fuchzia · 07/11/2010 09:38

I think the refusal to talk about the hard bits meant I felt like a complete failure when I had problems but glad I did it. Looking at my wopping DS and thinking I did all that was fantastic, as are the moments when he pulls off looks at me and grins a big grin.

Porcelain · 07/11/2010 09:42

His peaceful little face when he is having a snoozy feed. He looks all chubby and grown up most of the time (well to me) but in those moments he looks like a newborn again.

The shiny, drunk satisfied face when he falls off after a really good feed.

Being able to offer him a quick snack to soothe him, take his mind off his teething or help him sleep without having to worry about wasting a feed or overfeeding him.

pud1 · 07/11/2010 09:46

i loved not having to deal with the hassle of bottles. no washing and steralising. no waiting for a bottle to warm up whiile the baby screams.

chilling out while the baby feeds.

being able to provide somethin for my dd's that no one else could

the total love i felt for my dd's while they fed. i know you feel total love for them anyway but there is something special about that closeness

franke · 07/11/2010 09:54

Ah, yes the lovely night-time feeds. The little ear imprint on my forearm. The convenience of it all.

Although I suppose you get the first 2 with bottle feeding too.

SGertie · 07/11/2010 09:57

As others have said, the total closeness of bf

Both my dc tickled/stroked my waist whilst bf

The lovely contented grins whilst bf

Being able to make everything ok by bf - including when dc having their jabs as they appeared to hardly feel it whilst bf

Being able to comfort poorly baby (particularly when they had d&v type illnesses)

Having the convenience of not needing to faff with bottles and formula, and bring able to stay out later than planned

Knowing I was the only one able to do this for my dc

Ooh feeling really nostalgic now

SGertie · 07/11/2010 09:58

being able to stay out later than planned. Obviously

mjinhiding · 07/11/2010 10:03

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HandsOffTuonMatrimsMine · 07/11/2010 10:35

oxytocin Grin

ayjayjay · 07/11/2010 10:38

Ability to be spontaneous - no need to plan day in advance to ensure I have enough milk/bottles with me to feed DD

Kept weight down and allowed me to return to pre-pregnancy weight in 2 weeks

Guaranteed method of comfort in the early months

BTW I still think it's important to talk about the bad and the good. I've found BF hard but I would still encourage other mums to try it and stick with if they can.

pozzled · 07/11/2010 10:46

I absolutely loved the way DD would come off the boob and fall fast asleep looking so happy and contented.

Sense of pride seeing her grow and knowing it was down to me.

Convenience of just lifting my top and latching her on when out and about.

Being forced to sit on the sofa and put my feet up while feeding- otherwise I would definitely have tried to do too much in the early days/weeks.

Having a solid reason to get DD back for cuddles when friends or relatives visited.

(I also think it's important that new mums know about the difficulties- but I had read loads and thought bfing was going to be an absolute nightmare, but it really wasn't. If you only give the negatives, people will be put off)

Original poster
Ineedsomesleep · 07/11/2010 14:38

"(I also think it's important that new mums know about the difficulties- but I had read loads and thought bfing was going to be an absolute nightmare, but it really wasn't. If you only give the negatives, people will be put off)"

Totally agree pozzled Smile

OP posts:
cece · 07/11/2010 14:48

No washing of bottles
No expensive formula to buy and then have to make
Warm cuddly feeds
Night feeds snuggled up in bed whilst still snoozing myself
Being able to go out without having to think about bottles etc whilst out.
Being able to stay out spontanteously as I have enough milk with me
Not having to worry about how many ounzes(sp?) he drinks everyday
Not having to feed at vertain times, just feed him when he wants some and it is always their and the right temperature
An excuse to sit and watch TV and for someone else to bring you a drink and a piece of cake
Selfishly being the only one who could feed my baby Smile

Cosmosis · 07/11/2010 17:12

I have been really lucky and found it very easy, apart from a dodgy first 24hours.

What I love is the fact that it's all me making him grow still. And the lovely cuddles while feeding.

Meglet · 07/11/2010 17:15

Getting to read the papers during night feeds.

Not having to remember bottles when we left the house.

Unrulysun · 07/11/2010 18:25

Dd was really slow to put on weight at the beginning and so many people told me to ' just give her a bottle' and now at 6 months she's big and lively and happy and when I look at her I think 'wow I made you. Predominantly out of weetabix and cheese sandwiches' and that makes me feel so proud of us both. Tearing up here a bit because it was so hard to stick with it and I'm so glad I did. Grin

also the way she growls happily as she gets latched on.

japhrimel · 07/11/2010 21:28

Thanks. Smile

As a soon-to-be first-time-mum (34+4), this thread is lovely. I really wanted to be as prepared as possible for the hard stuff so that I'm not shocked/think I must be doing it wrong, but I do get scared sometimes!

fannybaws · 07/11/2010 21:36

The way they smile and chuckle at your boobs
The sheer convenience, I call it the lazy womans' guide to a happy life.
Not having to get out of bed to do it.
The satisfaction of watching thier little legs get fatter and fatter.
The fact that no one else can do it.
Am 26 weeks with DC5 and can't wait to do it again Grin

mjinhiding · 07/11/2010 22:20

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ethelina · 07/11/2010 22:24

Little hands tickling my boobie, smiling at me and falling off the latch.
No faffing with equipment.
It's free.

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