Random question about feeding no. 2

[Secondtimelucky]

This is a fairly random "I've been pondering" sort of question. I wondered if anyone would be able to share their experiences.

I breastfed DD up to about 20 months, at which point I was four months pregnant and my milk pretty much disappeared. DD was not fussed at all, she was only feeding once a day at that point. For a couple of weeks she tried latching on from time to time, gave a few sucks, and when nothing seemed to come out gave a metaphorical shrug and demanded a banana.

A friend was asking the other day whether feeding for this long meant that your supply settled down more quickly next time round - e.g. after about six months with DD my breasts stopped feeling 'full' and went back to feeling 'normal' (which I understand is part of the cycle of your body adjusting). Her reasoning was that people often say a second labour is easier because your body has done it before and kind of settles into it. Her question was whether the same thing happened with breastfeeding.

Obvoiusly I will be more confident, but other than that I really didn't know the answer. Does anyone have any experience?

I told you it was random!

I found it much easier the second time. Needed less breastpads as wasn't leaking so much and also DD was a much more efficient feeder.

Don't know the answer to your question though, this was just my experience

Other things helped too, yes the confidence helps, you also know who to contact or where to go if you do have problems.

I also refused to have any visitors apart from close family for a few days and had a baby welcome party on the Sunday Afternoon. We invited everyone in the same text that announced she was here. This stopped the constant interuptions we had with DC1.

And the other thing that helped was that I'd read this book

Just come back to this and realised I did get one response. Sorry Jilted for not saying thank you earlier. Seems it's not something many people wonder about!

supply was much greater this time, leaked everywhere at first, dd2 much more efficient feeder, now dd2 4 months and boobs feel normal and have for a while so definitely settled more quickly.

Oooh, good. That's what I wanted to hear. I loved BF and was lucky we didn't have any real problems, but I loved it even more after I didn't get rock hard (or later lumpy) boobs!

Yes and No, like you I fed DD while PG with DS. This time round breast setealed more quickly and had much less lequking. Didn't feel really full when my milk came in either and DS was a much more efficent feeder so I wasn't feeding constantly like DD. BUT DS was much smaller then DD and I have very big nipples, so the first few weeks I spent trying to get him to open his mouth wide enough and he's slightly tounge tied which hasen't effected him putting on weight but I don't think it helped with his latch to start with. I'm so glad I trained as a BF helper before I had him as it was me that spotted the TT and I knew that he wasn't quit latching right, so it took a few weeks to get to that point where I could just stick him on first time and not worry about it.

Most important thing is to get help early if you have any problems. I think if you've done it once before second time your more confident about seeking out the right help as you know how it should be.

I stopped feeding dd at 12 months when i was 3 months gone with ds1 and it was way easier with him. I leaked a bit but not as much, didn't seem to get as engorged and my supply settled much faster.

With ds2 i was feeding ds1 until 2 weeks before his birth but between SCBU not letting me feed him for 36 hours, his crappy latch (tongue tied), him choking when the flow was too strong and me pumping madly while he was in SCBU so getting massively engorged when i was 'just' feeding him we were all over the shop for a few weeks. Being realistic though, if I hadn't been feeding ds1 so recently I don't think I could have bf ds2, it was hell and I had 3.5 years experience bf-ing and my boobs were well broken in. Adding the pain I had with dd to the mix would have finished it. He's 2 now and still bf (and just had the tongue tie op last friday!)

What I'm trying to say with all that rambling is that No, it doesn't guarantee you and easier time feeding the next but it probably will make it easier than it might otherwise have been iyswim?