Can I have your stories of perfectly ordinary BF experiences?

[MrsHoratioNelson]

Inspired by another thread...

I'm 36+4 with my first and getting a bit antsy about BF. I've got flat nipples and have heard so many horror stories, even from those who would say that they had a positive experience. I'm not absolutely wedded to BF at all costs and quite prepared to accept that it might not work, for all sorts of reasons and that's fine. But I seem to hear nothing but "it was horrendous, I had mastitis for 7 years and then thrush" sometimes with "but I powered through and now I love it" tacked on for good measure.

So, tell me about your experiences please? You know, the ones where you both kind if just got on with it and then the baby was weaned and everyone lived happily ever after. I'm quite happy to hear about sore nipples and lost sleep, but I'd like to avoid the (hopefully less common in real life?) end of the spectrum.

Can I just say thank you to everyone for your lovely stories. 30 weeks pregnant and, like OP, a bit apprehensive of BF after reading so many horror stories. This really gives me so much more confidence!

May be a bit late here, but I bf two babies, both very straightforward, weaned at around 5 months, no problems there with taking bottles, no great problems with solids. All complete dull.

BF two without problems. DS1 self weaned at 9 months or so, having discovered solids required much less work on his part. DS2 was weaned by me at 27 months - left to his own devices he would be breastfeeding yet aged 20 because to his mind solids require too much effort on his part .

No difficulties other than sore nipples for the first while and you do have to bite your lip through that. Huge benefits all round - especially on the no periods front. I had no period for three years from conceiving DS2 till weaning.

I'm having a great time BF DD. It took a few days to get the hang of it, she was very, very sleepy so we both found it easier for me to express bottles for the first 10 days. Once she was a little more alert, it was absolutely effortless and easy.

Mine is a very bog standard experience. Bit of a tricky start but lovely MW who helped with latch.

DD is almost a year. I've had mastitis once but caught it very early at blocked duct stage so didn't feel too rough with it.

Let down was a bit uncomfortable at first but not painful.

I bf in public all the time and had not one raised eyebrow or comment which in a little disappointed about, I was ready to stamp and challenge

I'm still going now but DD has day weaned herself (which is a little unusual I think) but she feeds last thing at night, first thing in the morning and sometimes at night too.

I've generally loved it, although occasionally I've thought 'I'm done' then changed my mind almost immediately!

Oh I did get bitten once, that hurt!

Forgot to mention another benefit - DS1 was born in spring and I spent that summer watching cricket on the telly while feeding - as a result I know everything about the follow-on .

Neither of mine had a bottle or dummy.

I've got a flat nip too, so I used a breast pump to get it to stick out sufficiently. I have to say that one of the many positive effects of BF is a lovely sticky-out left nipple!

Sparklekitty, I too am miffed that I was never once challenged about BFing DS in public, given that the Equality Act came into force the year he was born. I did it everywhere for over two years- park benches, pubs, restaurants, on the sea front in Staithes (pre Old Jack's Boat) and even in Home Bargains once. All I ever got was supportive smiles and thumbs ups, complimentary pots of tea in restaurants and old ladies telling me how lovely it was to see and how it reminded them of feeding their own children.

I had my DD, the midwife helped her to latched, she fed, this continued in this manor for a day or two. I then got a little bit of cracked nipples, but no blood or anything and it was sorted with kamillosan and it was clear in about 1 week. I never had any issues with mastitis, or thrush.

She was exclusively BF, with no expressed milk at all, she was a bottle refuser.

I loved it and I fed her until she was 16 mths old, but with only her bedtime feed from 11.5months.

the hardest bit is the sleep exhaustion because nobody else can do it for you, which is not the case with FF.

I should add, she was a bottle refuser because I never had any reason to express because I was quite happy doing a feed myself. She was happy to drink from a doidy cup though from a very young age, so we also had some Expressed milk in the freezer for DH to use with a doidy cup in an emergency, such as if she was left with him and he couldn't soothe her and it was to see if she was peckish, after the usual, change nappy, try had have a sleep, have a bit of a cuddle etc.

I absolutely loved BF.

Oh and I never got propositioned about feeding in public. On my very first outing with DD, my Mum came with me for moral support. I went to a local shopping centre and we sat down for a drink and for me to feed DD (she was about 10 days old). As I was getting her to latch the cleaning lady came over and chatted to us and she actually helped me with my hold and showed me how to make a 'sling' with my pashmina to help DD stay latched but also allowing me to have 2 hands free.

I always had lovely smiles etc when people saw me feeding.

Bf two. No probs at all.

My experience was very painful at the beginning but after a couple of weeks that stopped and it was very easy. I was happy to stop at six months mainly because it was awkward when out and about and I like a drink. I wished I'd been a bit braver about doing it in public and not been so wet.

Oh yeah and she slept amazingly. Still does.

DD1 breast fed for 2 years after some initial problems with latch on my right breast in the first few days.

DD2 still breast feeding at 18 months old, she latched on straight away despite being born by EMCS, I have never had any problems feeding her.

No thrush, no mastitis, the odd blocked duct, but sorted easily with massage in a hot bath.

I am due with dc3 in January and and unless dd2 shows signs of wanting to stop soon I might end up tandem feeding :)

I've had 2 emcs, both babies latched on easily.

Breastfeeding has never hurt (it's missing feeds and getting a bit too full up that hurts!)

I've never had sore nipples, mastitis etc.

I breastfed dd for just under 3 years, then decided I didn't want to anymore and we stopped.
I'm still feeding ds at 13 months and plan to cut down to bedtime only at around 18months.

I ebf both of mine. Bought lots of bottles/steriliser/dummies when pg but dd1 fed almost immediately after birth and didn't stop for quite some time! And made her preference for milk from the source very clear. Neither dd has had any formula/bottles or dummies as I found bf to be the less hassle option.

I did have sore nipples to start with with dd1, but with help from a mw we sorted the latch adn used lansinoh like mad and it got better v quickly. Day 3 rock boobs were quite uncomfortable too, but dd1 fed like mad and sorted it. Cluster feeding came as a shock but once I'd adjusted to lying ahout being waited on hand and foot while I fed constantly I soon adapted! Dd2 was just as enthusiastic and I had an even easier time with no engorgement or soreness at all.

I have loved our bf journey. It's free, available round the clock, allows you to rest properly and is the answer to all upsets/injuries/illness/tiredness. I found the lll books, the info given out at our nct class (available online I think) and The Food of Love book really reassuring. I went to our local baby cafe and made really good bf friends, and it was reassuring to know that others were worried about the same things/had got over the same issues. Plus someone gave me bisuits and brought me hot tea!

Washable breast pads are good but don't usenthem with lansinoh, I trashed my first lot like that !

oh yes, never a snippy comment, or even a look, when bfing in public, and a good sleeper.

My experience was beautifully boring. All three latched on straight away with no pain, discomfort, mastitis etc at all. First two fed for over a year and dc3 still feeding now and there have been no problems so far. Have an open mind, be open to advice and there's every chance it will go smoothly. Good luck

I mix fed my twins till 4 months and then switched to bottles. I was just too difficult with two children and trying to get out and about! Had an issue with my milk no coming in for about a week (they were 36 weekers) and they were reluctant to latch initially, but after a week it was fine.

DS3 was EBF till 7 months and continued will 14ish months. He latched on about 10 seconds after birth, never had any problems at all and didn't even lose any birth weight (which is normal btw) he was such a greedy bugger! The only problem I had was a really sore boob when he was about 2 months old I think? I just fed more and drank a lot of water and had paracetamol till it resolved itself (this was on the advice of the HV - she said if not better in a few days then go to doctor).

PS - I never had sore nipples unless the littler blighters bit! All in all, I found it really really easy and if I have another (unlikely) I'd do it again.

I was a bit disappointed that nobody raised an eyebrow about public BFing. Well actually, one of my (male) friends did get a bit funny once at a party. I have teased him mercilessly about it since however and he is perfectly well aware of his FAIL.

I bfd DS till he was about 15 months. It was fine really, I did it in cafes, restaurants, trains, pretty much anywhere. I expressed a lot so DP could feed at night but it was easier just to get the boobs out and do it myself than go downstairs and heat it up again.
I think a good support network is important too. I had an immensely encouraging DP who would get up and keep me company at night, bought me a portable DVD player and many boxsets. And would bring me snacks at night.
DPs mum was great as she extended bfd her kids when it wasn't really done and was full of advice. Unlike my mum and gran who informed me breastfeeding was for peasants and people would assume I couldn't afford formula.

Oh and DS slept through the night at 10 months and was rarely sick (got his first cold the week he stopped feeding).

Totally get where you're coming from op. When I was pg with dd1 I was dreading bf as everything you read is about overcoming adversity, I'll never forget the anecdote in our NCT magazine from a woman who described biting down in pain on a baby blanket while blood poured from her nipples

The reality for me was totally humdrum. Dd1 knew what she was doing and got on with it while I fretted I was getting it wrong. I bf her for a year in the end. Same with dd2.

It's the same with anything. Stories of things going well just aren't as interesting as when it all turns to shit, whether it's relationships, shopping or bfing.

I have one inverted nipple and one normal - the midwife said DS might struggle to feed on the inverted nipple so suggested I express on that one until it popped out. He had no problems feeding, I successfully fed him for 9 months. My nipple is still inverted.

The key thing with BF is spending the first few weeks letting your baby feed as often as possible to get your supply up, after that I found it far more convenient than making up bottles like I have to now.

Only issue with me was the size of my nipples, which were too big.
That meant a hard first weeks, waiting for the dcs to grow a bit more and then it was a breeze.

Oh yes, and I never had a negative comment about BF in public. TBH, as I used to quite often go into town for a quiet coffee and a read of my Kindle, I had quite a lot of little old ladies congratulate me on breastfeeding confidently in public!

And it's a lot more discreet to do it under a jacket or tee shirt than like a woman I saw who had two friends hold a shawl up over her