B/F 1st time round no probs will it be the same for the 2nd??

[bebespain]

I am 32wks pg with my second child and I am starting to worry that because I breast fed successfully with DS1 I may not be so lucky again.

I´m probably being silly but there seems to be an assumption that I won´t have any problems but I´m not so sure...

Does it depend entirely on each baby?

Can someone tell me to get a grip

I've read that you are more likely to be successful the second time round, even if you were unsuccessful the first time.......

It can depend on each baby...it can also depend on what occurs during your labour and birth as well, but you have the benefit of knowing how it feels to have a baby latched on and suckling correctly. Expect, perhaps, a few days of feeling awkward but you will find you get used to handling a newborn again fairly quickly.

Know too, that there is support available if things were to have a rocky start....sometimes you just need to know where to ask. If you found good support the first time around, you may want to reconnect with those people prior to baby's birth so that you have some sources of help lined up if need be.

There is nothing quite like having some first hand experience to help you feel more confident in your abilities....

What doulac said... I had terrible problems with DS (now 10wo) but because I had successfully fed DD for 17 mo, I knew what feeding should feel like, and sought help... turned out he had tongue-tie. One little snip later- no problems whatsoever.
GL with your 2nd baby

I had an easy delivery and good support with ds1. We stayed in for 3 days to make sure we both knew what we were doing and I bf him for 7 months, problem free apart from 2 bouts of mastitis.

DS2 arrived even more easily. I had no advice while we were in hospital (was in for less than 24 hours) and have been feeding him problem free for the past 10 months.

My boobs seem to know what to do this time round - no engorgement or mastitis, hardly any leaking.

I hope you find it as easy as I have.

Dd fed really well for about 7 months and would've for longer if I hadn't listened to health visitor, I never had any problems from day one so was expecting ds to be the same.
Sadly he didn't really take to it, he fed every two-three hours would be violently sick after every feed. After 4 weeks he would only feed from one side but then couldn't get enough milk from just one side so we'd both end up crying. I found it much harder as well having dd to look after as couldn't spend days just feeding him as I had been able to with her. After struggling for about three months I gave up. Still makes me really am crying now.
However it wouldn't put me off breast feeding again.
Just make sure you get lots of support, and be open minded every baby is different.
Good luck.

Im bfing my 4th baby after failing bfing all of the other 3, i think a lot depends on the baby.

Got cracked nipples this time very painful unlike with DD. However, far less engorgement and little leaking. My let down seems much faster leading to a windy baby. Same problem with one side that I had last time but persisting and after 4 weeks pain has gone and feeding on that side getting better.

It does depend on the baby but you know the second time that if there are problems you can work through them and it does get better/easier.

Although BF is a 2 way relationship and your new baby will be a novice you know what to do & what feels right. I think it's really positive that you're asking the question now. I did with DS2 especially as DS1 was (well, still is) such an expert and I thought I wouldn't be so lucky second time around. DS2 is certainly different but I know I have the confidence having been successful once to sort out any problems and that we'll be fine. So will you, I'm sure!

Thanks ladies- some interesting reading there

NSTM - Sorry to hear what happened to you, I´m not surprised you´re so upset, but thanks for sharing your story

I wonder too how things will be having DS1 to look after. I spent literally hours feeding him in the early days....

Thanks again all

I think it really depends on the support you get. I know some people who had no issues with first baby but then it all went wrong with the 2nd. The assumption from most HCPs will unfortunately be that you don't need the same level of help because you've done it before. Maybe Mums are also reluctant to ask for help because they feel they shouldn't need it?
BF success with first baby is probably as much luck as judgement/skill - I hope I'm not offending anyone by saying that?

I had terrible problems getting DS started on BFing but we are still going at almost 9 months thanks to an excellent BFC who I saw no less than 6 times in the month after DS was born. When we have another baby I will be much better equipped to deal with any problems that arise so therefore my chances of success are perhaps higher than a Mum who had no problems BFing her first?

Sorry for waffling, it's something I'm curious about.

OP - the face that you are aware you may have problems gives you a head start. Can you find out about the support available through your hospital and any BF groups etc before you give birth so that you know where to go for help if you need it?

I too was told not to assume that the second would be easy just because the first was.

First and second were easy .