Feeding second child...

[Rockchick1984]

I wanted to breastfeed DS, had no problems for the first few days (easier than I expected it to be!) but complications following the birth meant I ended up back in hospital after a week and the medication I was put on meant I had to stop breastfeeding. I tried to express to keep up my supply but it didn't work, ended up mix feeding for a month or so but my supply dwindled and had to move onto fully ff.

Due DC2 shortly and throughout pregnancy have been determined that I'll ebf this time - more knowledge, would request treatment that is compatible with breastfeeding if necessary etc. I'm now worried slightly that if it works out, I'll feel guilty again about failing to ebf DS1. It's taken me a long time to get over what happened last time.

Does anyone feel bad for giving your babies different starts to life? Am I just stressing and hormonal for no reason?

I have.

DD1 was breastfeeding for 4 1/2 weeks until she was hospitalised for failure to thrive, mix fed her till 7 weeks then gave up and went totally FF

DS1 was mostly breastfed (apart from small top ups as he was enormous!) until 10 months when he self weaned

DD2 was mix fed pretty much from birth until 6 months when she would have nothing more to do with the boob.

I felt horribly guilty and judged for FF with DD1 and I was worried too with DS, by DD2 I had come to terms with the fact that no matter how I was feeding them, I was feeding them, and loving them the same.

No one would be able to tell which child I breastfed and which was bottle fed, they are now 9, 7 and 3. They are all healthy kids.

I wish you lots of luck with your new baby and hope it works out for you to EBF, if it doesn't try not to be too hard on yourself

Just an idea - what some people do is they express a bit of milk when BFing DC2, and give it to their DC1 with cereal. That way your DC1 would get a bit of the benefit.

But, in any case, there is no need at all to feel guilty. Different DCs get different benefits depending on what we are capable of at the time. Your DC1 will have benefited from one on one attention for example. Your DC2 will benefit in other ways like having an older sibling to watch. It's not possible to have them both be equal, you do your best for both at the time that's all.