Page 2 | Breastfeeding

Chelswels · 2022-08-26T14:36:34+00:00

Hi all!! I was just looking for some advice or reassurance regarding breastfeeding. I’m currently 17+2 with my first child and up until now I hadn’t even considered breastfeeding as an option, I was adamant I wanted to bottle feed. This was mainly due to things I heard from other people about it. “It’s really painful” and “it’s difficult to get baby to latch on” and “your breasts will forever be saggy” etc etc. I stupidly let other people’s negatives towards breastfeeding become by own but now I’m actually thinking maturely and how it is better for my baby and was just wondering whether anyone has any information about breastfeeding - how it’s been for you, things I’d need to know or buy etc etc because I’m a bit daunted by it to say the least and although I’ve done some reading of my own I would like more knowledge. Thank you in advance!

MoodyTwo · 27/08/2022 06:07

Oh sorry ... I just thought , I used the 'flipple' technique with my second and it was so much better ! (You can you tube it!)

Just watch out for a burning sensation on latch , as i didn't know but with my first I had thrush, so once I got that sorted it was sooooo much better ! But that's why I moved to silicon pads, as the others kept giving me thrush.

BertieBotts · 27/08/2022 07:04

Lucy Ruddle is a good one to follow on social media - she has just released a book called Breastfeeding Myths which is entertaining and good at separating myths from reality! Amy Brown also has a good book called The Positive Breastfeeding Book which has loads of info.

My best tip is to suss out your local support groups and go there starting from the end of pregnancy. Also, surround your social media with BF positivity and experts. NCT sometimes offer breastfeeding prep courses (or breastfeeding prep as an add on to antenatal classes) - well worth doing even if just to meet other mums just starting out. We have lost our breastfeeding "folk knowledge" collectively, so while generations ago you would have got info and support from your mother, sisters, aunts, friends etc, nowadays families are smaller and not every woman has children as soon as they are married, but also even the ones who do have children might not have breastfed, or likely had negative experiences. So to get that collective understanding and experience, you now have to go to someone who has trained in and is experienced supporting breastfeeding mums.

To answer some questions - leaking is quite individual, I never really leak except in the really early days a bit from one boob while feeding from the other, some people leak all the time. Most people find the leaking settles down when supply regulates around 3-4 months (6-9 months if you have oversupply).

You'll get conflicting info about pain, some say it's not normal, others say it is, I think in order to err on the side of caution, if you're getting pain ask and see if anything can be tweaked. I did find it a little bit painful at first with my first baby. The other two not at all. Some types of pain will get better by themselves whereas some are indicative of problems. Best to get an expert opinion if you can.

If you and partner don't smoke (or if partner does, consider kicking him out of bed!) I highly recommend looking up safe co-sleeping guidelines. You don't have to plan to co-sleep all the time, but breastfeeding makes you sleepy and it's beneficial to feed often in the early weeks so if you feel like you're going to fall asleep, it's safer to set up your bed just in case than to try and stay awake and accidentally fall asleep in an unsafe way/place.

Same1977 · 27/08/2022 07:12

Congratulations!
Advise I can give...

Prioritise yourself and the baby.Housework can either wait or be done by someone else.Sit on the couch watch TV and feed if necessary.At first it can take a while for milk to come in fully and babies do cluster feed often.

My midwife said to select series I'd like to watch and commit.For me it was supernatural ;))) 2.Join Facebook feeding group.If you are down or have any questions it's great to have quick replies. 3.I made friends from antenatal class (via nhs ) We all live in the same area and all have babies withing a month of each other.We meet up and enjoy our babies.So much easier to have that support.Also nobody even notices when you breastfeed publicly as babies head is in the way and you don't have to sit in the middle of the room.

Bimbil19 · 27/08/2022 08:38

1982mommaof4 · 26/08/2022 21:19

Op honest opinion here

It can hurt like hell, I mean toes curling pain.

I would sit with my boobs out airing my nipples with cream on to soothe them...

This doesn't last long, feels like forever but isn't

The end result is the most amazing bond, the nicest feeling when looking down at your baby feeding.

No making up bottles.. once BF is established you just pop them on and away you go.

Please try it, even if it's not for you just try it!!

This was my experience with my first baby too. The first few weeks were hard so I would use the hypnobirthing breathing techniques when he'd first latch on. I had some cooling pads and the lansinoh which really helped. I also used nipple shields for a week or so. My advice is to get some really soft, comfortable bras (especially for night time). I got measured once my milk had come in and bought a couple then which made such a difference.

I absolutely loved the time I would spend breastfeeding him. It was calm and snuggly and the chance to have a good sit down! I'm now 6 months in with number two and it's been a dream. I understand it's not for everyone but I personally have loved breastfeeding.

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 08:44

MoodyTwo · 26/08/2022 19:27

So I got bottle in just incase and abit of formula (just so you don't feel pressured)

It does hurt abit but their are things you can do,
I bought in lanolin ready
then got done lily-padz breast pads (these are silocon and you can wear them without a bra, I had two pears and alternated)
I also got some nipple 'shells' these collect milk but I just used them to let my nipples breath as my bra rubbed them in the first few weeks
But honestly AIR! Have your boobs out as much as possible, your baby will learn to latch quickly if they can just pop on and off

Thank you so much!! I’ll have to look up lanolin and the breast pads too. Thank you!

OP posts:

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 08:45

MoodyTwo · 27/08/2022 06:07

Oh sorry ... I just thought , I used the 'flipple' technique with my second and it was so much better ! (You can you tube it!)

Just watch out for a burning sensation on latch , as i didn't know but with my first I had thrush, so once I got that sorted it was sooooo much better ! But that's why I moved to silicon pads, as the others kept giving me thrush.

Thank you!! This is really helpful

OP posts:

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 08:48

BertieBotts · 27/08/2022 07:04

Lucy Ruddle is a good one to follow on social media - she has just released a book called Breastfeeding Myths which is entertaining and good at separating myths from reality! Amy Brown also has a good book called The Positive Breastfeeding Book which has loads of info.

My best tip is to suss out your local support groups and go there starting from the end of pregnancy. Also, surround your social media with BF positivity and experts. NCT sometimes offer breastfeeding prep courses (or breastfeeding prep as an add on to antenatal classes) - well worth doing even if just to meet other mums just starting out. We have lost our breastfeeding "folk knowledge" collectively, so while generations ago you would have got info and support from your mother, sisters, aunts, friends etc, nowadays families are smaller and not every woman has children as soon as they are married, but also even the ones who do have children might not have breastfed, or likely had negative experiences. So to get that collective understanding and experience, you now have to go to someone who has trained in and is experienced supporting breastfeeding mums.

To answer some questions - leaking is quite individual, I never really leak except in the really early days a bit from one boob while feeding from the other, some people leak all the time. Most people find the leaking settles down when supply regulates around 3-4 months (6-9 months if you have oversupply).

You'll get conflicting info about pain, some say it's not normal, others say it is, I think in order to err on the side of caution, if you're getting pain ask and see if anything can be tweaked. I did find it a little bit painful at first with my first baby. The other two not at all. Some types of pain will get better by themselves whereas some are indicative of problems. Best to get an expert opinion if you can.

If you and partner don't smoke (or if partner does, consider kicking him out of bed!) I highly recommend looking up safe co-sleeping guidelines. You don't have to plan to co-sleep all the time, but breastfeeding makes you sleepy and it's beneficial to feed often in the early weeks so if you feel like you're going to fall asleep, it's safer to set up your bed just in case than to try and stay awake and accidentally fall asleep in an unsafe way/place.

Thank you so much for the useful resources and explanations. It definitely seems less daunting now 🙂

OP posts:

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 08:49

Same1977 · 27/08/2022 07:12

Congratulations!
Advise I can give...

Prioritise yourself and the baby.Housework can either wait or be done by someone else.Sit on the couch watch TV and feed if necessary.At first it can take a while for milk to come in fully and babies do cluster feed often.

My midwife said to select series I'd like to watch and commit.For me it was supernatural ;))) 2.Join Facebook feeding group.If you are down or have any questions it's great to have quick replies. 3.I made friends from antenatal class (via nhs ) We all live in the same area and all have babies withing a month of each other.We meet up and enjoy our babies.So much easier to have that support.Also nobody even notices when you breastfeed publicly as babies head is in the way and you don't have to sit in the middle of the room.

Thank you so much!! I’ll see if there are any Facebook groups in my local area 🙂

OP posts:

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 08:50

Bimbil19 · 27/08/2022 08:38

This was my experience with my first baby too. The first few weeks were hard so I would use the hypnobirthing breathing techniques when he'd first latch on. I had some cooling pads and the lansinoh which really helped. I also used nipple shields for a week or so. My advice is to get some really soft, comfortable bras (especially for night time). I got measured once my milk had come in and bought a couple then which made such a difference.

I absolutely loved the time I would spend breastfeeding him. It was calm and snuggly and the chance to have a good sit down! I'm now 6 months in with number two and it's been a dream. I understand it's not for everyone but I personally have loved breastfeeding.

Show quote history

Thank you so much, it’s nice to see the other side of it. It definitely doesn’t seem as bad as I’d built it up in my head.

OP posts:

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 08:52

MoodyTwo · 26/08/2022 19:29

Also I've never had a bad word in public and it's sooooo much easier to just pop a boob out then all the bottle and sterilising

We did also bed share (look up safe C) to make feeding while sleeping easier ...
If you do want a bottle at times I think 2-3 weeks is a good time , we did that with our second and they were fine no confusion... however we waited 6 weeks (as recommended) and our first never took one

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate the advice

OP posts:

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 08:53

MoodyTwo · 26/08/2022 19:30

Oh sorry ! Also I got a fabric wrap so I can feed while walking on the school run ! Game changer honestly , especially in the first weeks when they are ALWAYS FEEDING

I’ve seen these! They look really helpful! I might have to invest in one haha

OP posts:

lochmaree · 27/08/2022 08:53

I am currently tandem feeding my 2.5 yo toddler and newborn. I found it hard in the early days with my first, quite sore for a week or so. and cluster feeding was hard. but it evened out by around 8 weeks and got increasingly easy / handy from there. my second has been much easier, sleeps better, doesn't seem to do such intense cluster feeding, and no pain.

I knew literally nothing about breastfeeding before my first, and I hadn't even considered feeding method until well into the pregnancy! I found "the positive breastfeeding book" by Amy Brown to be my best source of information. also joining an in person group nearby very useful though this was all on zoom for me as in lockdown!

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 08:55

ChillysWaterBottle · 26/08/2022 20:00

Congrats on the pregnancy OP!

I am currently breastfeeding my 10 month old, my first baby. I did an NCT breastfeeding class before he was born but if I'm honest the thing that really helped was having a nurse in the hospital show me how to do it. Having someone with experience showing you when baby comes is better than just theory in my experience. It hurt a bit at first but not a lot and it went away super quickly. I am terrible with pain and it was never unbearable just a bit uncomfortable for a few days. I would've stopped immediately if it was actively painful as I have no tolerance or patience for pain lol. I have boob pads I stick inside my bra every day and every night (I sleep in a soft sports top bra as it's more comfy) so there is no leakage. I change them every morning and evening. They're like round sanitary towels lol. I pumped a bit a first when it became uncomfortably full but gave that up as it was boring and too much work. I think I used a tommee tippee hand pump.

I have fed all over in public and never had a negative word, although a couple of times I've had men make pervy/weird comments. I wouldn't let gross, badly brought up creeps stop me feeding my baby though and they scattered pretty fast when told to fuck off.

I would say by all means give it a go but formula is an absolutely fantastic choice too if that's what you'd prefer or if breastfeeding is too hard for you and baby. There are some really unpleasant and pushy breastfeeding advocates on here who like to use dubious claims, snide judgement and emotional manipulation to pressure women into breastfeeding. Be mindful to ignore them and do what's right for you and your baby x

Thank you for the support it means a lot! I definitely want to try and breastfeed but I also don’t want the guilt I’d feel if it didn’t work and I switched to bottle feeding haha. Thank you ☺️

OP posts:

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 08:56

1982mommaof4 · 26/08/2022 21:19

Op honest opinion here

It can hurt like hell, I mean toes curling pain.

I would sit with my boobs out airing my nipples with cream on to soothe them...

This doesn't last long, feels like forever but isn't

The end result is the most amazing bond, the nicest feeling when looking down at your baby feeding.

No making up bottles.. once BF is established you just pop them on and away you go.

Please try it, even if it's not for you just try it!!

I will try it, thank you!

OP posts:

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 08:59

Skittlesthough · 27/08/2022 02:25

I've experience EBF 3 babies (youngest is almost 9 weeks so still ebf) ... I was fortunate to not have any pain with my first and my latest but I suffered with middle child from about 3 days old so I just exclusively expressed breastmilk, in hindsight I'm guessing she had a tonue tie but I got on well with the breast pump and never really investigated the problem.

Breast feeding is pretty intense in the early days, I found first 4 weeks the hardest but everyone has their own turning point milestone usually some time between birth and 12 weeks. I've never formula fed from birth but majority of mum's in my life EFF and have told me it can be equally as intense as babies feed little and often in the first few weeks regardless of method, however with formula they could have someone else share the load (especially night feeds). My youngest is sleeping really well and has been for the past few of weeks, she does a decent 5 hour stretch at night, has a dream feed (we co-sleep) and is then asleep for another 3 hours, then a morning feed and back to sleep again for an hour or two (she's a lazy riser lol). You'll hear alot of noise about ff babies sleeping better but all my kids were great sleepers as babies and still are ( my older two are 7 and 13 y/o) we never really had any issues sleep wise. I honestly think it's down to the baby and a bit of luck as my sisters baby is 6 months now, EFF from birth and still not sleeping for long stretches & never has.

I introduced formula at 6 months with my older DC and mixed fed for a few months and had fully transitioned to by 1 year. I haven't decided if I will do the same again this time but haven't ruled it out yet, I don't believe formula is poison, I just really enjoyed breastfeeding my small babies but by 6 months I was grateful to have formula to fall back on for a little more me time, by the time I had transitioned to formula fully my babies were only having 2 milk feeds a day from a sippy cup and were getting their main nutrition met by solid food so I didn't feel like it was as important (of course you might feel differently, loads of mums continue to well over a year and beyond so just do whatever makes you happiest) ... my oldest were on cows milk after they turned one so I dropped the formula pretty quickly anyway....

As for what to buy... get yourself some decent nursing bras, asos do some really nice ones, breast pads & nipple cream and a nursing pillow... hold off buying a pump until you know how you get on with bf, alot of mums try but end up needing to switch early to EFF so an expensive breast pump can be such a waste. For out and about I have a breast Feeding scarf I got on boohoo, it's for discretion but it's not really necessary if you don't want to use one you don't have to.

Congratulations on your pregnancy BTW ❤ and don't stress too much about all of this, do what best for both you and baby.

Thank you so much this is very helpful. I still have days where I think I want to bottle feed but I also know I will regret it if I immediately bottle feed without trying to breast feed first. Thanks for your comment!

OP posts:

Original poster

Chelswels · 27/08/2022 09:01

DramaAlpaca · 27/08/2022 02:46

I found it tough to get going with DC1, but I'm stubborn as a mule and refused to give up. It ended up being really easy after six weeks and I loved it.

With DC2 there was no bother at all, he latched on and that was it. So easy.

DC3 was a struggle from the word go. I had to mix feed from six weeks as he wasn't gaining weight. I gave up and switched to formula at 4 months as I'd ended up with PND, which was horrendous.

So basically, what I'm saying is it can be different with every baby, so go with the flow. Enjoy if it works out, but don't fret if it doesn't.

Oh, and I breastfed babies for almost two years in total and my breasts didn't go saggy.

This is really useful thank you!! I’ll try my best and see how I get on 🙂

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lilroo87 · 27/08/2022 09:11

I breastfed my DD (now 12 months and she weaned herself) and plan to breastfeed my 2nd due end of Jan.
The first week or so was painful for me because I was struggling to get her latched right.
I persevered, YouTube'd, had a great maternity support worker, found lots of great pages on Instagram and Facebook and basically just tried different positions that were comfortable.
When the pain subsided and I got more confident I then tried other positions and could now feed her however.
It can take time to get right and shouldn't be painful. Have a look at any local groups near you that might offer support where you can go in and have someone help you with latch, they are free. We have a great network of peer supporters where I live and I'm considering becoming one to help mums with their journeys.
The worst times I found in the first few weeks were trying to feed at night, I was exhausted and still hadn't perfected the latch so it was really tough but my DP was so supportive. I bought a pump when I was pregnant but only pumped a couple of times and never really got much milk out so didn't bother after that and we didn't need it.
We also bought some emergency pre-made formula for if I really struggled in the night. We did actually use it but only when DD got her first teeth and was trying to bite everything but that was around 7 months. She didn't even want it but we got through that and it was fine.

PregnantAgainOhMy · 27/08/2022 10:16

Yeah I breastfed my first for 13 months and hope to do the same with my second who is now 11 weeks and everything is going super well.

Being 100 percent honest, with both of them the first couple of weeks were pure agony. Like someone taking a knife to your nipples kind of feeling. It used to really aggravate me when people constantly shove the ‘breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt’ at you all the time and you are literally crying with the pain.

For my first, a large part of it was obviously me being inexperienced. You really need to get the latch right and aim your nipple at the roof of your babies mouth. When they’re so tiny it can be very difficult. They also don’t know what they’re doing either so it’s a big learning curve. Lanisoh nipple cream is an absolute must. Slather it on after every feed. And I also highly recommend a breastfeeding pillow. Don’t make do with cushions, as they will be at a different height every time and makes it a lot harder to learn what works for you.

It’s different for everyone as we all have different breasts, nipples and babies! I find the rugby hold brilliant when they’re really tiny.

But 3 to 4 weeks in you will be laughing. All pain goes. It is so simple and amazing. No faffing with bottles. Just this wonderful bond you have with your baby. It’s free and easy.

My second one was so ravenous and greedy at first he was literally ripping chunks out of my nipples. They were bleeding and it was so painful. But after 2 weeks, everything healed up and we got into our groove. So happy I got through it!

Kefel · 04/09/2022 20:39

Right I never post but felt compelled to as I had the exact same mindset going in. All I heard was negative things, why bother?!
However…
once that little bubba latched onto me the first time I fell head over heels and every time he breastfed was such a beautiful rush of love for me. I breastfed for 11 months and was devastated when it was over.
What changed my mind was doing a free breastfeeding course with Blossom, the consultant running it was called Jan and she gave such simple tips and really explained all the positives so think that helped me go into it with confidence and positivity which shaped my experience.
Simply put nose to nipple was just what I constantly focused on for position and in the first couple weeks one of my nips was cracked but Lansinoh balm was great and I just pumped that side (which doesn’t hurt at all) while it healed and fed from the other then you toughen up. If I could have a do over would get an Elvie or something wearable because pumping is a drag!
I did struggle with oversupply though. I literally leaked all day and night and my milk never regulated. But this has been a blessing in disguise for me as I have now quit my job and am launching a leakproof nursing bra line! I wouldn’t be doing this though if I wasn’t so passionate about breastfeeding and had such a good experience. Wishing you luck with it all!

AliMonkey · 04/09/2022 20:43

My advice would be to give it a go and that for me it was definitely the right thing to do. With DD, it was relatively easy in terms of latch/pain but the cluster feeding in first few weeks was exhausting. With DS, there was some pain but it didn't last. I did mixed feeding from 7m as I went back to work and bf was so much easier than ff. It was so much better with a crying baby to just bf than have the faff of making a bottle and them crying louder and louder whilst you made it, not to mention the sterilising etc.

But it doesn't work out for everyone, so if you try for first few weeks and decide to give up then that's OK too, but better to try as it may be brilliant for you as well as baby.

Slanketeer · 06/09/2022 08:34

Looks like you've had lots of great advice already but just wanted to add this was a free online course that I found helpful yourbabyacademy.com/uk/free-online-breastfeeding-workshop/. I'm currently 12 weeks into breastfeeding my first and it's taken a lot of determination especially in the early weeks but has been so worth it!