Can I dispel some myths about breastfeeding? According to me of course ;-)

[Picante]

It does hurt even when the latch is correct... at least for a few weeks. Despite what people say, my nipples have definitely had to harden up and become less sensitive.

It is not easy - at 12 weeks I'm still making sure the latch is right. And don't even get me started about my two bouts of mastitis and endless struggling with thrush.

It is not free. Admittedly I'm probably on the end of the spectrum, but I've spent loads on expressing equipment, bottles, breastpads, lansinoh, breastfeeding tops...

It does not help me lose weight. This I'm sure is the biggest myth. I get so annoyed with celebrities who claim they got into their size 8s thanks to breastfeeding. With ds I expressed for a year, making enough milk to fill two freezers, and it was only when I stopped that I started losing weight. For me, breastfeeding increases my appetite 10 fold - I'm only losing weight now because I'm really watching what I'm eating. It contracts the uterus, admittedly, but losing weight? I don't think so.

Disclaimer: I'm dispelling these myths for myself, and hopefully making others not expect too much too soon.

Having said all these I'm still bf dd, and plan to for at least a year, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm enjoying it. I'm doing it out of necessity.

I feel better for that little rant!

OK - for myself...

It did hurt a bit for the first three weeks or so - my nipples did have to get used to it.

I did spend money on expressing equipment, but I guess I didn't need to. I haven't bought a breastfeeding top, and stopped using Lansinoh after the first month.

But - I'm afraid in my case it was easy and did help me lose weight. Despite eating like three horses.

I mention all this because I really think it's important would-be breastfeeding mums realise there's a scale of experience, from jammy to medal-earning. It might be tough. But don't stress too much about that, because it might not be tough at all.

It made me eat Jaffa cakes . Not a hardship, but I didn't lose much weight either.

I totally agree with the not losing weight until you've stopped BF. I lost some weight, but despite exercising and being careful to eat healthily within my calorie intake, it didn't all come off until after I stopped.

Yes, it did hurt for a wee while, not so much with DS1, but DS2 had a vice like suck that used to make me jump from the sofa howling with pain. Only lasted for a week or so though.

I still enjoyed it though, loved the feeling of closeness and also that BF was so convenient and portable.

Picante, are you me?

Yes, yes, yes. I have found exactly the same. 81/2 weeks in now, planning to go on as long as I can.

Getting through it - it's much better now, but blimey, it's been hard going!

Also having to really watch my weight, as I am starving but seem to only want to eat rubbish. Need to lose 3 st to get back to pre-preg weight, but at the moment am struggling to not put on .

Great thread, by the way. I think it would help people to keep going if they were more prepared for what it might be like.

ZippysMum, how are things going?
For me, it doesn't hurt, and only ever has on particular occasions.
No, it's not easy - with DD at 8 weeks I still have to work quite hard to help her latch on (and stay latched on), which means that even co sleeping isn't a magic cure - however I know this will get better and remember when co sleeping with my 6mo DS I barely woke as he fed.
Last time I spent money, this time I have the stuff but am not really using it, even breast pads.
Last time I lost weight easily and fast - this time, despite feeding two I'm hanging on to my excess weight!

Hmmm ... it's true that breastfeeding can totally hurt even when you're doing it right. But, if everyone says that, then some mums will ignore pain that shouldn't be ignored (bad latch, thrush). So pain from breastfeeding should always be investigated.

Good god, no it's not easy - if it was, why would so many mums train to help other mums breastfeed? I think bf can be less work than bottlefeeding, when it's fully established.

Maybe not free, deffo cheaper than bottle, for most people.

About the weight - I found my weight started going down when my kids started sleeping through. Once I was getting a good night's sleep, I no longer wanted to eat sugary junk all the time, and I felt like exercising, and my pregnancy weight came off, no problem.

Probably shouldn't jump in here as I was unable to feed my DD on second day despite doing everything correctly - there just wasn't anything (colustrum) in there. Possibly she'd had it all! When milk did come in, I was onto formula feeding and didn't go back.

Anyway, my point is that I lost all the baby weight and then some really quickly despite not breast feeding and I was 42 (so everyone told me it would take ages to "get my shape back"). I think the weight loss probably depends on your individual metabolism?

I think some women find breastfeeding harder than others - it's not a case of doing it "right" or "wrong", just different experiences.

I spent the first three weeks after DS was born expressing with a hospital "milking machine" (as DS was prem). We then slowly transitioned to breastfeeding. I didn't find that it hurt, and I didn't I suffer from mastitis, but I did have a problem with oversupply and milk squirting across the room when I took my bra off!

I did not spend any money on expressing equipment as DS was fully breastfed when we left hospital and I had no intention of expressing unless I really had to.

The thing I found most difficult was that if you are exclusively breastfeeding, every feed has to be done by you and there no break. This made for some very long nights.

As DS was prem I was not carrying much baby weight, so I can't say whether breasfeeding helped me to lose weight. That said, breasfeeding made me VERY hungry so I can see that it would be easy to put on pounds rather of lose them.

But your money has been spent on things that enable you to bottle feed, not breast feed, so I'd argue about the cost.
Only thing I've needed in 4 years of breastfeeding (1 of those tandem) is some nursing bras and breastpads for the early weeks.

Hurt a bit the first time around for a couple of weeks, not at all the second.

My weight has always been a law unto itself, so I shan't comment on that.

For me with DD it was the letdown which was toe curlingly painful and I found I only started losing weight when I did the 'drink half a pint of water every time you feed' bollocks - I think it makes you thirsty and you mistake it for hunger.

Didn't cost me a bean to breastfed DS. With DD I supported all the profits of the breastpad company (which btw are such heinous things - surely there is a better solution to stick what is basically a mishaped sanitary towel in your bra???? )

But I do think the 'it's easy' thing is wrong. I had never seen anyone nurse or knew anyone I could ask. Luckily I found this site.

CantSleepWontSleep - not sure if you're referring to my post, but I didn't spend a penny on bottle feeding either. DS was tube fed before moving on to bf.

I've put on weight while breastfeeding that much is true but I do eat like a pig so it serves me right.

It has never hurt though, or cost money. It was hard to start with I guess but could have got any easier after that.

I am so jealous of some of you who say it doesn't / didn't hurt much / at all: it is hurting me like hell on earth each time I've tried, esp at the moment and the hospital midwives tell me my latch is fine. Why me?? I so want to do it but it is agony, agony, agony.

how old is your baby Becky? Does it hurt all the way through the feed or just as the baby's latching on?

you see Picante for me: (first time round)

1. it didn't hurt even though in the first feed DS1 gave me what looked like a blood blister on my nipple.
2. Easy peasy, I was going out and had no probs BF in public. With DC3 I walked into town with her in a sling when she was 3 days old and BF in a cafe.
3. It's free I bought some washable pads and a box of disposable pads (which haven't all been used) but I usually stuffed a muslin down my top at home ( classy I know)
4. With all my DC I've got to 5-6 months of BF and the weight has started to drop off. I still don't fit into my pre DC jeans but they were size 8s and I needed a belt to hold them up so I don't think I'd want to be that thin again. DD is 8 months and I'm size 10 and 8st 11oz.

BUT - you're DD is 12 weeks. I found BF got really enjoyable after 6 months.
Not everyone has a bad experience and I think it is important that people realise it isn't always horrific just as it isn't always plain sailing

Your not you're

BF being free - I'm sure I eat more in extra cake food than it would cost to buy formula!

It's easy - I found it really hard at first. DS is 11mo now and I am planning to carry on until he self weans, the idea of changing to FF now just seems like a lot of work with sterilizing, no thanks.

It never hurts - never had any latch problems but for the first week or two had v sore nips. No problems since until he got a bit bitey with teething. The letdown was quite uncomfortable for weeks and weeks though.

Wouldn't change a thing though, love that he is a bit bigger now and clambers onto me shoving his mouth all over my tshirt as a not so subtle hint.

i lost loads of weight. mostly cos i was marooned to the sofa and just had no real appetite.

it did hurt at first, to me it was the sensation of the let down. it was inside, not my nipples IYSWIM. this stopped after about 2 weeks.

i didn't spend a lot. no special tops and just a few washable pads. was given a feeding pillow for a present.

oh, and i did find it easy.

For me, once my milk was in (on Day 5 so bit stressful waiting for it to arrive), breastfeeding was fine. Barely any pain. Had cracked nipple when DD was about six weeks old but no real issues otherwise.

I could eat whatever I wanted and lost all baby weight quickly. Only started to gain weight when I stopped breastfeeding.

I never had to buy breastfeeding paraphenalia - I always forgot about breastpads, never used bottles for expressed milk (DD refused to take it).

Breastfeeding was a lifesaver once DD was a toddler. If she was tired/irritable/ill/fell over, I could just feed her and all would be well again.

My response was to the OP summer, not to you .

Becky - hospital midwives are generally not v good when it comes to helping with bf. I would recommend contacting lll or nct and seeing one of their counsellors instead.

Thanks all. I know we've all got different experiences, I just wish someone had been more honest with me from the start about the realities of breastfeeding.

Picante I daresay it is your thrush that has got you down... it certainly did me. Once it was finally gone, bf was painless, was free (no more thrush treatments to buy!) and it has just become easier and easier.

In our culture we bf for 6 months and few bf for much longer- it's just not seen as culturally normal to bf a 1 year old, 2 year old, 3, 4 year old... despite it being physiologically normal. I felt it took me til DS was 6 months old before it was painless (disclaimer: shouldn't have taken that long, I had entrenched thrush), easy, and my breasts settled down. No random leaking, up-down-up engorged boobs, etc.

So by the time bf was, for me, all that it is 'advertised' as being, it was, in our culture's eyes, time to wind it down.

But for me the length of time it took for things to be easy was indicative of the fact that physiologically speaking we were just at the start of the bf duration. It seemed a sign that breastfeeding is meant to last a whole lot longer than it usually does in the UK. IYSWIM?

Being told bf babies don't need winded is a myth - we got through tankers of gripe water from 6-12 weeks!Though she was always even worse when she had had a bottle of EBM.

Being told you can't overfeed a bf baby - rubbish, in DD's case. Eyes definitely bigger than her belly, resulting in projectile vomiting the length of the sofa. Cured when I stopped offering her a second side (unusual I know, but part and parcel of getting to know your own baby. Which is true for everything about parenting...).

I found bf nipped like b'ggery at first for about the first minute of latching on, then it was fine - I didn't find this a problem though as I had just been through labour and as I didn't require g&a it wasn't a problem in my eyes!Nipples felt a bit 'sunburned' in between but again this went a few weeks in.

I also found latching on very easy - I used to just pop DD on in the PN ward and ask passing MWs if she was on right, and to my surprise she always was. (I know the previous 2 points are NOT everyone's experience but it's still part of the spectrum - it's important for anyone who hasn't bf reading this to be well informed of course, but not totally scared off!)