anyone had an easy time breastfeeding?

[romoca]

Currently pregnant and would like to try breastfeeding, but all I hear is horror stories of pain and bleeding nipples and infections!!!!! Never hear of anyone who has had an easy time!!! I've always bottle fed my children as I get myself so scared!!! X

I had a really positive experience. Maybe helped that after DS was born we spent a couple of days in a birth centre so I had amazing 1-1 support with every feed. Never had any pain, good milk supply, supportive partner and family. Fed until he was 18 months and would have gone on longer if he was willing! Look back on it very fondly, one of the best memories of the baby stage. Everyone will tell you it has to hurt for a few days. It doesn't. Go for it, and enjoy it!

Hi. I stuck at bfing as I definitely saw it as the easier option. At it's worst I would say o experienced minor discomfort for 1/2 feeds while perfecting our position and latch but nothing like actual pain. I couldn't deal with getting out of bed to make a bottle in the night and bfing is so easy and portable once you're first those nervy few first days

I found it painful for 2 weeks, just the initial latch on but then it was really easy, no formula faffing just feed any time any place for free. Health benefits for you and lo also so if you can it's win win.
Also I co sleep so I don't have to get out of my nice warm bed in the middle of the night.

I think people tend not to say when they've had a straightforward time with anything to do with babies / children because they don't want to risk upsetting / annoying others who are struggling! So if you have children who sleep through the night from a young age, never get ill or breastfeed with ease you tend to keep it to yourself... The last thing tired, frustrated parents need is to hear how well it's going for others!

But since you ask..! I loved breastfeeding and it was easy with all three of mine. They latched on immediately and I had no problems with infections / pain. The eldest fed til 10 months, the middle one til 12.5 months and the youngest is still going strong at 13 months. In addition to breast milk being full of antibodies etc I love that it's free, immediately available at the perfect temperature and the perfect quantity and you can just feed them in the night without having to think about it!

Good luck - when breastfeeding works it's awesome.

9 weeks in and loving it. DS latched on like a champ from the start. Has two days of slightly sore nipples then no pain whatsoever.

He gets annoyed with the boob sometimes at the moment but that's because he's going through a windy phase. He would do the same with a bottle.

Night feeds while bfeeding are a dream. I actually love them. It's such a nice time together the two of us, he's always peaceful for them and I just put my head back and relax while he sucks contentedly away b

PS I don't co sleep but still find night feeds v v easy.

I can't help but think of Hannibal lecter 'really toughened your nipples' whenever I hear that phrase lol

Fed 2 babies 7 years apart, no problem. With the second it really helped to know what was normal, for instance cluster feeding, and also a bedside crib has been great. Very little pain for me, loads of milk too!

Thank you so so much ladies this is exactly what I needed to hear!!! Still got a while to go till bubba is hear but really want to approach breastfeeding with a positive attitude xxxx

I've breastfed 4 babies - still going strong with the baby who is 9 months today! DS1 and DD 1 were a breeze after a few days of discomfort. DS2 and DD2 both had tongue tie which made for a painful experience. However after having the tts released it was very quickly a really great experience. Saved me a fortune in formula as well as being a time saver and magic solution to any mishap. I've even managed exclusive breastfeeding despite working full time with the younger two since they were 4 and 3.5 months old respectively.

Ask for help from the midwives, see about a breastfeeding peer support group. Try to be around people who see breastfeeding as the norm. Good luck with whatever you decide

I found breastfeeding relatively easy, convenient, and very fulfilling.

A few hours after DS was born I was already wandering around cradling him in one arm feeding while I chatted to people on the ward. Yes, there were a few moments in the early days where we both didn't get the latch quite right, but then I asked a midwife or health visitor and they helped me reposition him. (Best help midwife gave me was helping me to feed him while lying down on my side. Very relaxing as you don't even have the weight of holding the baby!)

Yes there will usually be a little bit of soreness but it doesn't last long and well worth it!

I breastfed both of mine. First was breast (occasional bottle of expressed) only for 12 months when she started having some cows milk, totally stopped breast at about 18 months. Second was breast only until 11 months but he was HUGE and although I had plenty of milk for him it was killing my back holding him so I gradually reduced feeds to bedtime only and stopped that at about 16 months.

I had no support in the hospital who kept taking my first away and giving her formula whenever I was asleep but I discharged myself and once I was home and she'd been allowed to get hungry she and I both found it all very, very easy. I fed both my DCs, discreetly, anywhere and everywhere (the only place where there was a complaint was in GP waiting room and the woman only complained when she realised I was winding DD, she hadn't even noticed her being actually fed!).

Breast feeding my DCs was something I found very special and I was actually quite bereft when I stopped as it had been something for 'just us'.

Plus, if course, it's free and you don't gave to sterilise or "be prepared".

I've had a wonderful time!!! Had a wee 36 weeker who was sleepy and had to be encouraged but my feeding got her from the 5th centile to the 75th and I couldn't be prouder. Never had any cracked nipples or anything, if I had any discomfort I put some cream on and it was grand within a day. It's great and I'm only just starting to stop now at 14 months because I've got another on the way.

I always say to people go in with an open mind. Try it, if it doesn't work or it's not for you then that's fine, baby will be just fine on formula, and if you love it and baby loves it then there you go, you did it! Best of luck

Baby took a couple of days to learn to latch. We used nipple shields during this time and this seemed to help her learn the right shape for her mouth. At five days old we stopped using them. For the next couple of weeks it would sting for a few seconds as she latched. Apart from that it has been easy. No pain, no sore nipples, no mastitis and I cannot rate the convenience highly enough.

I received a lot of very good support during the first days and I think this helped our success immensely.

Yes it was easy. DS just seemed to now what to do. I went to nct ante natal classes & they gave us some tips, that was all the help I had or needed.

It's not always a nightmare.

I was holding my newborn son for afterbirth skin to skin and he wiggled up and latched on without any help. It was that easy and we kept going for about a year.

I had a hard time initially but enjoyed it so much I fed twins for more than 1 and half years! It gave me lots of happy hormones. I lost weight more quickly. No periods!! No bottles, powder etc, just whip a boob out. Brilliant!

Good luck! I have had a very easy time and absolutely love it. My little one latched on by himself doing the weird bouncing thing across my chest. Never painful apart from engorgement at work. we're still going strong almost a year later. It is the most wonderful thing to snuggle down after a long day at work and drift into daydreams with a contented baby feeding away. Just bliss. And the route to effortless weight loss too. Highly recommend.

Oh and no issues taking a bottle at 7 months either. Lack of sleep has been the only downside.

I breastfed my Ds... I did find it easy... I oozed milk ... Only downside was I got masitius one night DS slept through..

I also think I was very relaxed.. I really wanted to but was happy to bottle feed if I couldn't..

The first couple of weeks were tricky because she struggled to latch. It wasn't painful or anything, it was just that each feed took longer than it should!

I'm so glad I persevered because after a couple of weeks she "got it" and from then on in it was easy. No pain, mastitis, nothing. In the end I fed her for 2 years.

I think we all hear the horror stories but people rarely talk about it when it's gone well. There's no reason why it shouldn't! Good luck

Bf and express fed 3. I'd say the first 2-3 weeks getting established can be hard, but if you can get through it you'll be fine

I don't think I had any problems after the first year ... nah, three months. The first three months were the time of getting established, having problems etc etc. Then, plain sailing for the next four years.

I breastfed ds1 till he was 10 months and ds2 till he was 2.

The initial latch can be a bit pinch your, but that only lasts a second. The only problem I had with ds1 was not getting the positioning quite right at first so a small patch of skin rubbed off my nipple (it was painful until it scabbed over).

I used to use a breast pump to express at work which I found harder work than breastfeeding.

Hope it works out for you.