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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Sharing the small BF victories that help keep you going

33 replies

BarrelOfMonkeys · 15/01/2009 14:40

As per the title really, starting a thread to share those small things that help keep you going...

Kicking off with one from me, we've reached BabyMonkeys 1 week birthday and managed to keep her breast-fed thus far despite her refusing the breast for the first 4-5 days and being syringe fed expressed breast milk. We've now done 2 days of 'proper' breast feeding thanks to nipple shields. Colostrum delivered: check. Mature milk: on way.

She also slept for four hours after her 5am feed - heaven!! Small steps in the right direction.

Anyone else got any good news to share? Would love to hear encouraging stories to keep up morale (and distract from the pain in my nips!)

OP posts:
Tryharder · 15/01/2009 15:31

I went through almost every bf problem there was - sore nipples, thrush, gave topups on HV advice, tried desperately to reduce topups, baby still feeding constantly at 4 months old, poor supply, bad back, poor latch..... I used to "give up" every day and then do "just one more feed" and kept going that way.

BUT, with a lot of help on here and in RL and good old fashioned blood, sweat and tears, I cracked it and DS2 still going strong at 7 months old, no prospect of stopping bf anytime soon. He's on a bit of solid food now but no formula. I love bf: I love being able to go out with DS2 with just a nappy tucked in my handbag and no other kit and just wap a boob out as and when - it's so convenient.

I can honestly say that bf is one of my biggest achievements as I found it hard-going for over 5 months. As for bf victories, well DS2 currently full of cold, fever at night, bf is the only thing that soothes him, plus we are going on holiday in a few days time (to West Africa, from where DP originates) and we have no running water and only a sporadic electricity supply. Formula feeding would have been a nightmare there.

aurorec · 15/01/2009 16:05

Congratulations Baby and MummyMonkeys!

I had a tough time with DD1, 4 bouts of mastitis, bleeding nipple cracks, fast letdown which meant she would clamp down hard on the nipple... Ouch...

It took me about 3 months to start healing and be able to nurse without pain, but once we did we never looked back!
We ended up exclusively BF for 6 months and she self-weaned at 14 months, having never tasted formula.

I agree with Tryharder- I find it my biggest achievement (well that and a natural birth with DS!) I'm very proud of the no-formula thing, despite repeated comments from a very BF-ignorant French family... And I also second the practicality side of it. Once it's going well it's so nice to not have to worry about bottles, sterilising etc. I BFed EVERYWHERE with no hassle whatsoever.

Good luck and keep repeating yourself that THE PAIN WILL GO- I didn't believe it when people told me with DD but IT'S TRUE!!!

MamacitaGordita · 15/01/2009 16:36

I've been posting a lot on here- currently struggling with poor latch made worse by probable thrush, and have just started treatment. I too have gone with the 'one more feed' mantra and we're still going. This is by far the most difficult thing for me about childbearing (including the 'bearing' bit, and I thought that was tough!!)

BUT... when I look at the little guy and his chubby wee legs and how well he's growing and when he comes off my (sore!!) breast all milky and happy and half-asleep... then I know it's the right thing and that I will persevere. Great thread idea btw- triumph over adversity! x

madmouse · 15/01/2009 17:30

for me it was bf in the first place

ds started having seizures when 12 hours old and spent his first week knocked out in NICU where they discovered some brain damage.

ds and I learned to bf in scbu. despite everything he has never had any formula. He had a glucose drip until they knew my milk was safe for him, then he got my milk through a NG tube until he was awake enough to feed. even at night the nurses gave him bottles of ebm.

we just weaned after nearly a year

chancelloroftheexCHEQUERS · 15/01/2009 19:25

I guess it's that I'm still breastfeeding (mixed feeding) at all at 5+ months.

I really struggled with b/feeding and DD was admitted to hospital after losing a kilo in the first week. She then fed constantly for 4 months.

Three other women in my NCT group breastfed really easily and their babies fed only every 3 or 4 hours. I'm the only one that hasn't given up b/feeding though, so I guess I'm proud of that.

Original poster
BarrelOfMonkeys · 15/01/2009 19:35

Tryharder If you can get to 7 months on 'one more feed' then maybe there is hope! Not thinking further ahead than next 24 hours myself...

aurorec I will hold you to that promise that the pain will go!

Mamacita I agree, its a lot harder than labour, but happy baby makes it all worthwhile. BabyMonkey is all lovely and pink now and not horrible yellow jaundiced.

madmouse That is an amazing story, what an achievement - congrats!

Another small thing, very minor - but I've managed to help baby's foot heal with an application of milk - another small reason to stick with it...

OP posts:
chancelloroftheexCHEQUERS · 15/01/2009 20:01

I'm obviously not very inspiring then.

That'll teach me for mixed feeding...

MamacitaGordita · 15/01/2009 20:03

BarrelOfMonkeys yeah, breastmilk is an amazing healer- Baby Gordito had a scratch on his face and breastmilk sorted it pronto! It's good for sticky eyes too. Magic magic stuff..

MamacitaGordita · 15/01/2009 20:06

Oh no, chancellor I'm sure that post wasn't meant to leave you out! It is the people who overcome difficulties that really inspire me and such a big weight loss must have been very worrying for you... x

Original poster
BarrelOfMonkeys · 15/01/2009 20:20

Sorry chancellor I must have been typing as you posted. Not very speedy at typing and baby juggling yet, sorry! And then there was a nappy incident... Believe me, at this point I'm not ruling out mixed feeding as an option! Congrats on coping with constant feeding!!

OP posts:
chancelloroftheexCHEQUERS · 15/01/2009 20:35

BoM

tw1nkley · 17/01/2009 20:59

One of my favourite bits about bfing my 1st daughter was my MIL - who had discouraged me at the start telling me that my daughter was the most content of al her grandchildren and the only one who had been breast fed. she said she hoped I planned to do the same with no2 and wished now that she had tried harder to bf her own children.

It was a bonding moment!

I never thought i could be friends with my MIL but i was wrong.

When i told her no4 was on the way she said well at least you won't need to pull out a load of bottles to sterilise!! She's a convert !! yay!!

Original poster
BarrelOfMonkeys · 18/01/2009 16:43

Yay for bonding over BF! Finding it really tough today as BabyMonkey is still losing weight despite spending 12 of past 24 hours at breast but hearing how other people have overcome probs really keeps me going.

chancellor - have now been told to feed for only 30 mins at breast rather than the 2 hours she demands, and then express 80ml to feed via bottle, and to use formula as top up if I can't get 80ml out. Told you mixed feeding wasn't ruled out of the question...

OP posts:
BouncingTurtle · 18/01/2009 17:00

Chancellor - you are doing very, very well to be mixed feed still at 5mo... once you start mix feeding it is very easy to slide down the slippery slope to full ff. So be proud of yourself

Lots of very inspirational stories here!

I'm feeding my ds (12.5mo) he has been a bit poorly since Friday due to a combination of hib/menC booster and cutting toothypeg no.8, so has been slightly feverish, clingy and not wanting to eat. So it is good I can keep him nourished and comforted by bfing him. He is now looking decidedly perkier now

sunshine75 · 18/01/2009 20:14

I thought I'd manage 3 weeks - tops. Now at almost 9 months I'm still at it.

Best moments

Dd gazing into my eyes and falling asleep at the breast - It's sooo lovely.

Feeds now only taking 5 mins (from a peak of 65mins)

Being confident enough to sit opposite father in law at a family dinner feeding away

I found it really hard at first and cried every time I fed her for about a week. One day i was sitting sobbing on the bed while feeding dd with my dad giving me a cuddle and saying that he wished he could do it for me (I can laugh now)

turtle23 · 18/01/2009 20:24

DS is 9 months now and we're stillgoing despite tongue tie, breast implants, nipple piercing(long-gone, but scar tissue...), blocked ducts and ductal thrush!
I hated BF for ages as it hurt and I cried for what seemed like forever. Then, when the thrush went, I realised that I loved it. DS has had very bad teething trouble (we're on tooth 10) and no medicine/homeopathy/anything would help. The only thing that soothes him is my breast. It makes me feel so good to be able to help him.

The first time he smiled at me while feeding(it's just soooo cute!) was something I will remember forever.

treedelivery · 18/01/2009 20:33

BF despite a car crash at 2 months in.

katpink · 19/01/2009 10:46

DD is 2 on the first of April and i'm still going, i'm always saying i'm giving up for all kinds of reasons, triedness being the main reason.
but i always look at her and can't quite bring myself to do it, everyone i know stopped at around 17mths when there child self weaned but my DD is obessed with 'dot' BF.

but it's the adouring look in her eyes and the fact she laughs while feeding that make me happy.
she has never had more than a mouthfull of FF my her choice she has never taken a bottle and always spat out formular just occassionaly i would have liked a break to get some sleep.

DH loves it as well as it means he doesn't have to do anything. although when she wakes up at 4 am now she wakes him up not me and he has to take her downstairs and play with her haha

feb · 19/01/2009 11:03

ds very sleepy when born and had to be syringe fed. couldn't interest him in bf and it was a struggle even to get 1oz of milk in him out of a bottle. i kept expressing and bottle feeding and trying him at the breast and eventually at 2 wks old he latched on. i never had much joy expressing - rarely got more than 1/2 oz so by this point my supply was rubbish. after 4 wks of supplementing with formula he has been exclusively bf for the last 24hrs.

madmouse · 19/01/2009 12:21

feb that is amazing I salute you!

treedelivery · 19/01/2009 19:30

I salute you too feb. And your ds!

Breizhette · 19/01/2009 19:45

What a lovely thread. My victory is to still BF after struggling for the second time round. Had C/S with GA for both children. For DD, 2 y/o, I ended up mixed feeding for 13 months. For DS, 5 month, I have had to use a supplemental nursing system for a few weeks, have been on domperidone for months, and had a baby latched on 20 hours out of 24 for the first 4 months or so, but I have nearly made it to 6 months!

Rascal1979 · 19/01/2009 23:18

DD was born 9 weeks prem. Had to express and she was tube fed (EBM) for almost 9 weeks until she was bigenough and strong enough to breast feed. She came home on her due date exclusively breast fed

She was exclusively breastfed until she was 7.5mths when she was weaned onto food. She is still breastfeeding now at just over 13 mths old and no signs of her stopping just yet!

By far the most satisfying, difficult, rewarding, heartwarming, bonding, amazing thing that I have ever done and I am so proud of myself and my baby girl for getting this far after a difficult start.

RiaParkinson · 19/01/2009 23:27

just doing it even though i dont love it....

I do think of bf as one of my greatest achievements ( pathetic i know) I find it hard but am at 6 months exclusive bfing my 6th

I moan buckets but am very glad i do it!

CharCharGabor · 19/01/2009 23:28

Well done all of you I'm proud that DD is still feeding at 17 months after masses of problems and pain in the first 3 months. The best thing about it is when she walks up, says, 'Mores?' in her very cutest voice and giggles when I get my boob out to feed her A bit more sleep would be nice though!