Hating it....again...

[lazzaroo]

am BF my DD2 & really not enjoying it. She is only 10 days old but I am struggling. She seems to be cluster feeding morning & evenings. She'll go for 3 hours in between but with a 3 year old to look after too I hate it. she feeds in the evening and then can be crying again soon after & wont settle unless I offer boob. She then often falls asleep before taking full feed so I guess she's sucking for comfort. I'm considering dummy. I know she's due a growth spurt now & this may explain what's going on but I can't see an end to it at the moment.

I didn't enjoy BF my first either and remember all the same anxieties...is she getting enough, is she crying through hunger, if she has wind & I feed as first resort will I just make it worse, is she being sick because I'm overfeeding (she was sick a lot!). I am having all the same doubts again & the anxiety when she's unsettled makes me feel sick.

I wanted to give up first time round but by the time we tried bottle she refused to take it. I ended up bf her for 12 months. I am dreading being tied down again & want to give up but admitting that is making me feel like a failure & incredibly guilty.

She is now finally asleep after feeding off and on since 4pm. I have tried to explain worries to midwife but she just says that her weight is great ( only lst 3% birth weight) so she must be feeding ok.

Ilove - ?????

You seem to be sneering at me :)

I was correcting misinfo. Here's an explanation of what I said:

A lot of women have or have had hepatitis, a lot of women have or have had an STD. Add them up (UK stats only, natch) and it's many, many more times than women who have HIV. If these many women think their breastmilk is likely to be harmful, because of misinfo on mumsnet, this would be a bad thing, yes?

Yes, some women will be based on the sofa for many hours with a breastfed baby, during cluster feeds....but this does not mean it is impossible to feed or hold the baby somewhere else during that time :) You know, like paralysed or something. It can be comfy on the sofa, for sure, and it's nice for mothers and babies to have that time snuggled up....but it is not essential, and with other children you have to get up from the sofa and hold the baby/feed the baby in another spot sometimes :)

Hope I have clarified for you!

Oh dear

Lots of helpful advice and supportive comments and then this;
"Sorry to be harsh, but breast feeding is boring and relentless but so is nappy changing, but you couldn't stop that! "

Hanna Are you seriously comparing not bf with not changing soiled nappies?? really??

I suspect that the world would be a better place if you took your (no doubt well thumbed) copy of "the politics of breastfeeding" and shoved it up you arse.

Ta

For those in the future happening upon this thread and looking to make an informed decision, then I hope that you will find the following article from The Ecologist useful:

breastmilk vs formula

Thank you for your feedback myrubberduck. Luckily, mumsnet is UK based and follows the spirit of our long fought right to have free speech. I have my opinions, you have yours :-)

Everyone has their own opinions Hannah. Most people in civilised society present them in a more sensitive way though and can understand others may not agree

OP it's your family do what is best.