did you find breastfeed ing easier or harder second or third time round?

[whiteandyellowiris]

?

Equally impossible, and that was with the help of an excellent lactation consultant the second time round! But hey, I tried . It was a very difficult time for me because I really wanted it to work, but t'was not to be

Ugh! . must preview posts !

Easier 2nd and 3rd times around

Harder 2nd time.

Both boys had tongue tie, DS1 was a very slow feeder and it was like sucking razor blades through my nipple but it was snipped at ~2wo and it got easier after that. Fed til 23mo.

DS2, although the tongue tie was spotted immediately, couldn't get a referral for snipping until he was 5wo. He was a gulper and so had lots of reflux and colic, from all the air he was taking in. But he fed like a demon! Very sad when he'd bring back what looked like an entire feed though.
Reflux improved after the snip, but his latch was still a bit odd, and he caused a lot of problems on the L boob mainly. I had lots of compression issues, complicated by undiagnosed thrush in the nipple (didn't get it checked for ages because DS2 had no oral thrush - I had him checked!). Lots of pain, bleeding, bleb-like spots, ugh. No idea how I kept going. Anyway, finally got over the thrush with Daktarin oral gel and the pain reduced, but I've also had problems with lateral splits around the sides of the nipples, which of course reopen whenever the nipple is stretched at every feed/pump.

Still going - he's just turned 1 and still feeds about 4 or 5 times every 24h. Don't know how much longer we'll keep it up though - I'll be amazed if we get as far as I did with DS1.

to me it depends on the child.
DS2 was a dream to bf.
DS3 had undiagnosed tongue tie - we really struggled. in fact it was a nightmare.

DS5 and then DD also had TT - but both had the op at 3 weeks so things improved.
DD also had a problem with her soft palate so her weight gain was incredibly slow - at 4 months old she still had to be fed every 2 hours, but I had her 5 brothers to look after/deal with as well (4 at school) so it was tough.

the other thing is - the after pains got gradually worse after each child.
with DS5 and DD I lived on Co-Codamol for 2 weeks, the pain was excruciating.

but despite difficulties and it being time consuming and restrictive I love bf, and would do it again with the next (TTC #7)
I always aim for 3 months exclusive bf, then introduce formula and stop bf at around 6 months.
I had to stop bf with DS4 at 12 weeks, but fed DD for a year, the others in between.

hth

Sadly I'm glad to read others found it harder second (or third time) DS is 3 weeks old and I feel like we are going backwards not forwards. Weight gain is fine, but latch is appalling so I'm suffering and now I think we've got thrush to boot. Trying to feed whilst entertaining a toddler is not helping, and getting him on without wanting to cry is so difficult that I've only managed a couple of feeds out and about.

Like others I was so blasé about it working so well with DC 1 that I have been taken aback as to how hard it's been this time. Lesson learned!

sun

get baby checked for tongue tie.

It was much harder with dc2, very painful.

Dc1 was very ill at birth and spent the first 2 weeks in scbu after an operation. I expressed the whole time so I think my nipples were tougher! I also received much more support - first time I breast fed I had a breast feeding midwife, 2 childrens nurses and dc's surgeon in to supervise!!

Second time was much harder for me, ended up expressing. Ds1 and 3, I found it quite easy and really enjoyed it. Ds2 was ok for the first week but then refused to latch on, I saw so many bfing advisors. It hadn't crossed my mind it would be so hard second time.