When did you start enjoying breastfeeding?

[babyblabber]

DD is 7 weeks now and feeding is going well but I find myself thinking about giving up all the time. Loads of superficial reasons, she sleeps for 3 hours at night and then wakes every hour to feed, I'm shattered and would love DH to take over some feeds, can't het aby type of routine going as every day is different, i'm not really comfortable feeding out and about, my boobs are HUGE and i can't wait to get back into normal clothes and bras, we've a wedding in September and I really don't want to bring her etc etc

The most I can feed her for is another 7 weeks as then I'll be back to work so part of me thinks I may as well quit now. But then another part of me feels really guilty as I had always planned to feed her for 3 months and then maybe keep up night feeds when back at work. And it is way handier than bottles.

I wouldnt say I ever really enjoyed it. But I felt satisfied knowing I was doing the best thing for dd and putting her first. Some kids aren't great sleepers, dd is 16 mo now and still doesn't sleep through, I stopped feeding when she was 13 mo, 4 mo after I went back to work full time.

You can feed and work, you'd need to express but it isn't impossible. I guess it depends how you feel about ff. I've seen friends struggle with lactose intolerance, allergies and colic and decided that as dd was fine on bm I didn't want to risk trying formula. I also couldn't be doing with the faff compared with bfing.

Dd is 13 weeks and I still don't enjoy it. If I could feed from one boob (one is just agony) and if she took expressed milk from a bottle, I'd be happy.

Last night I actually wished that I had never started

The start of week 9. Before that it was horrific and I hated every second.

DD is now 14 months and happily grinning at my boob right now

From maybe 6 weeks onwards. DS now 13 weeks and slurping away as I type

I enjoy the feeling of calm it releases, it relaxes me, makes me less shouty.

Night times are easier as i don't have to be up warming bottles - nightfeeds are down to 10-15 mins and back to sleep.

I want to feed him as long as I possibly can, even if/when I go back to work - I'll express etc.

I'm surprised at myself really as I'd given up by this stage with both DDs

I'm also reaping the benefits of BF weight loss . I'm smaller now than when I got pregnant a year ago

Keep going, try to see the positives - you'll ever get this previous time with your dc again.

You are doing brilliantly to get to 7 weeks. I am currently breastfeeding my third baby who is about to turn 6 months and I would say it definitely does get easier.

With my first I had no idea that breastfeeding would be such hard work and gave up after about 6 weeks. With our second I enlisted the help of a superb midwife and only stopped at 4 months because I thought I was going back to work at 6 months. Then regretted stopping and didn't end up going back until he was a year old. This time, I had an idea of how long I wanted to feed for and am now at the point where I am thinking that it would be so much more work to introduce formula, even when I do go back to work.

In terms of getting out and feeding in public I have been much more confident this time round. Don't get me wrong, I still like to be discreet and have to wear loose tops as I am definitely not one for flashing my skin but I have still managed to treat myself to some lovely new tops which I hope i will still wear after i finish feeding.

We attended a wedding at Easter when he was about 8 weeks old and I did retreat to our room for feeds, simply because we were sat with a large group of people on a round table and I wasn't comfortable feeding in the dress I was wearing. Having said that, I did have to feed him in the church during the wedding. (We sat in the back row and I used a large scarf to cover up!)

Do you know anyone else who breast feeds that you could go out with. Feeding with someone might help build your confidence? Or does your weigh-in clinic hold a breastfeeding cafe?

In terms of sleep, again it does improve. This time around I have finally followed the advice of napping when my baby does. (My other two are at school.) This makes such a difference. I am still up at night and feed him at about 10, 2, 4 and then he wakes at 7. To be honest, I can't be sure if this is down to breastfeeding or just my baby as all three of mine have been like this as babies.

Ultimately you have to do what is right for you but it really does get better x

Thanks girls. I know 7 more weeks is so short so am going to try to stick it out. I fed DS for 6 weeks and then went back to work but kept up night feeds til 3 months and I agree it's much easier to breast feed at night. I Think if she was going any stretch for the 2nd half if the night it'd make a huge difference, I just feel like I'm only dropping off and she wakes again and this starts around 1am so it's a long night. Poor DH has been sleeping on the couch for 2 weeks coz he was being woken so much. I can't express in work so that's not an option. DS is still a bad sleeper at 2.5 so I guess it runs in the family, yay! I have fed her out and about, just not hugely comfortable with it. Partly coz my boobs are so big it's not like her head hides anything! A friend has given me a BF cover so might try that.

I'm not hating it, just not loving it and at times bottles seem like they might be easier.

When I stopped getting up and own all night and started co sleeping with DD2

I LOVE BREAST FEEDING!!!
i have an hourly waker through the night, she is digging her top teeth in me at the moment and for the first 11 weeks of bffing i had a massive sore bleeding crack in one nipple and recurrent and deep ductal thrush. all this and the pressure from family to bottle feed yet i still carried on.
we are now 8 months in and i wouldnt have done it any other way looking back. breast feeding is easy now. we can pop out anywhere and dont have to worry if we forgot the formula/bottles/etc. i dont think twice about shoving her on when she needs it.
more of us need to bf in public. bffing is a difficult skill that we need to show future mums it can be done. be proud of your body and what it can do.
until i had a baby, the last time i saw anyone bf in public was about 10 maybe even 15 years ago.
people go out of their way NOT to look once they realise what you are doing, and most of them just think you are holding your baby when they glance.
why cant you express in work? its your legal right to have a place to express and be given time to do it and have somewhere to store your breast milk while in work.
you could express bits during the day and let someone else give a bottle before bed at night and then you wont end up like me with a boob sleep assocation ;-)

Ds1 - realistically, around 6 months when he started on solids. Growth spurts just weren't as intense after that.I really hated the first six months but ended up going for ages in the end as it was lovely cuddly time with my superactive boy as he got older.

Ds2 is six weeks and I've had no pain, everything has been more or less smooth after some concern about weight loss in the first week. He looks up at me adoringly and today pulled off to smile at me. His brother NEVER did that, was clinging on with his teeth at 2 years... .

Just wait until your baby smiles at you whilst bf. it will make it worthwhile. My DS did so around 12 weeks.

this week has been the first time it hasn't felt like a chore DD2 is 16weeks.

Probably only really enjoyed it from 6 months onwards. I had lots of problems with pain, blocked ducts and mastitis until then and he was a really rubbish sleeper from 3-6months especially. Since then though it's been almost all great! He's nearly 2 now and I'm amazed how great it is feeding an older baby/toddler. No one really talks about it I suppose, but it feels like the ultimate parenting tool - injury healing, tantrum stopping, sleep inducing, boredom alleviating, portable drink/snack. And sometimes he does the cutest little smiles and giggles while feeding :)

I had a relatively 'easy' ride with bf (no cracks/reflux/ supply issues blah blah blah) BUT I had no life for at least 3 months as I was so determined to get it established and had no need to give formula. I finally felt a bit confident when I a) learnt to feed laying down at home so had lots of snuggly milky time with my dd and b) fed in public with other bf mums. 7 weeks is a relatively short time, however it can feel like a lifetime if you arent actively enjoying it. just remember: 1 feed at a time, you are doing something totally amazing!

Around 10 weeks for me. When he started smiling up at me on the boob it melted my heart! I now love it four months in. It is quite possibly the best thing I think I've done.

Hated it before that though...