5th baby - never managed to breastfeed but want to try

[4athomeand1cooking]

Every time I have tried but the afterpains have been too much lasting 2 weeks. I have ended up switching to formula each time after 3 to 4 days as the pain is worse than labour itself.

My milk supply has always taken no more than two days to come in and drys out almost immediately.

I am expecting terrible afterpains again this time but would appreciate some advice on how others cope through this stage.

Also going to be extremley busy with the other four. 3 who have birthdays within 4 weeks of due date. Am I kidding myself here?

Well, the good news is, you might not even get after pains. Mine got progressively worse with my first six DC, but I had none at all after DC 7, who is now 6 weeks old. If you do get them, make sure you get decent painkillers to deal with them and they should give you these in the labour/post natal ward and to go home with.

Breast feeding is certainly possible when you have other children, but it can mean a bit of juggling, but that's having a newborn really, regardless of how you feed them. I find it means at least one hand is always free, so I can sit with my toddler and read/do a puzzle while feeding the baby. It also means I get more sleep because we also bed share and that means I don't even really have to wake up for feeds.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say your milk comes in and then dries out almost immediately though?

Thank you. It's good to know it is possible.

With the milk, I have never experienced engorged breasts that everyone speaks about even whilst attempting to breastfeed.

I have never had to use breast pads after giving birth and my breasts are back to normal within a week of giving birth.

The pattern is usually I feed for first couple of days, I feel my breasts get full after 3rd or 4th day. This is normally when I am beginning to struggle and switch to formula. The following day my breasts normally feel softer and within a week back to their normal droopiness lol.

I remember when my sister breastfed a few years back after we had been out and as she took her bra down for baby, the milk practically squirted across the room!

I never got engorged either until I'd been feeding about 4/5 months when she suddenly became more efficient and my boobs took a while to adjust. No advice really to give as I'm only pregnant with no 2 and fed no 1 till 18 months.
I would suggest if you have time to see if they have an expectant parent breastfeeding workshop in your area that you could attend before you deliver. Understanding how breastfeeding works really helped me in those early weeks. If I didn't know what was normal I might have otherwise thought that things were not.

I would recommend a couple of books.

Breastfeeding: Take Two by Stephanie Casemore

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

And a website:

kellymom.com/

I would also recommend a book "So that's what they're For! The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide" by Janet Tamaro.

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is great for it's thoroughness and answers to practicalities but Tamaro's book is fantastic as a very relaxed, down to earth understanding of how and why for Breastfeeding. I found this book after I had already BF my first and I found it talked about all the issues, experiences and thoughts I had had starting out. I always give it as a gift to any pregnant friend who hopes to BF as it is so encouraging and realistic. I found some of the other BF books so intimidating before I BF and was looking for advice. I would also seek out support and help before you have your baby so that you have someone on-call if you are having problems getting BF established.

Also it sounds like your sister had oversupply or very fast letdown. You might be different but not necessarily a problem. I never had squirty boobs either, it was more of a trickle than a waterfall and I think baby occasionally got frustrated but there are ways round that - look on the Kellymom site under slow letdown. It doesn't mean you've not got enough milk.

As others have said, get some decent pain killers. You can take things like co-codamol while bf'ing.

In some ways bf'ing is maybe easier when you have other kids. Nothing to prep, no waiting for kettles etc and when you get good at it you can do it on the move!

Get some decent painkillers, and take a break mid-feed if you have to.

I know what you mean about afterpains - with DS2 they were just as painful as contractions, but luckily I had paracetamol and diclofenac to take the edge off.

I'd say that for me, they lasted between 1 and 2 weeks, tailing off towards the end.

Oh, and I've never squirted breastmilk across the room, yet DS1 and DS2 are both perfectly well fed :)

I've read that smaller breasted women squirt more because there is less breast tissue between the nipple and the duct (or something like that). I'm a j cup (f before pg) and have never squirted, not leaked much and have never had to use breast pads so don't read anything into that.

Thank you so much for the advice. I certainly feel more encouraged.

Interesting comment about size of breasts Bona as I am very large but my sister is b cup at best.

Op. I could have written your post.

Im expecting dc6 but never managed more then 6 weeks of bf & that was with dc5. I expressed for 6 weeks as he had a lip & tongue tie.

I would like to be more successful at bf this time but I look at my sister who is still bf her 2 yr old through desperation not want. I think of how my dc were at 2...

I have never co slept as im a very heavy sleeper & wouldn't be comfortable having a small baby in my bed. Of course if I bf I never get long stretches of sleep. Dp works shifts so hes not around most evenings & I just wonder if im making my life even harder!