How does it work??

[AnotherHelen]

Hiya everyone! im pregnant with my third and i LOVE breastfeeding - but i dont think im very good at it! i gave up pretty quickly with my first as all he did after i spent ages feeding him was throw it all back up almost straight away! (i later found out he was allergic to dairy and was on soya milk for ages - so that might have been it) with my second i did manage better i fed him for 6 months, but - i always seemed to have loads and loads of foremilk and very little hindmilk, and so he would get soooo cross and scream and i think he quite often got tummy ache! if i ever missed a feed during the day for some reason my milk supply would almost immediatley diminish to very little and it would take me a good day or two to build it back up! - what was i doing wrong and has anyone any good tips for encouraging a good supply as i want to start of right with this baby straight away! xxxx

I'm not sure it's possible to have a different ratio of foremilk and hindmilk ... it sounds like your second child had some sort of colic. Sometimes fiddling with your diet can fix it ... sometimes it's just one of those things that has to be grown out of.

You may well find your supply is better this time - it seems to be better with each baby. At least, that's been my experience, and that of other mums I know. As long as you get your new baby feeding from you as soon as possible after birth, you should be fine ...

Hi

I did my unicef breast feeding course a while (quite a while ago mind!)

Fistly, YOU DID REALLY WELL with all of them!

My ds1 had lactose intolerance too, and the same symptoms, so it wasn't you, it was his allergies, don't feel bad. to go on and feed DS2 for six months was amazing.

You can get a foremilk / hindmilk imbalance, switching baby too often, or if you have a very ample supply, then he will fill up on one breast, then only take fore from the other. the symptom for this IF I REMEMBER RIGHTLY is a gassy stomach and green stools. If you enter 'too much foremilk' into your search engine, there are quite a lot of sites.

Go for it with number three! It can be done- DS1 for me gave up, like yours, ds2 lasted 4 months (nerves mainly), ds3 lasted.... 15 months!!

You've done much better up to now than you think, be proud of yourself girl!

Aww thankyou PeachyClair!! i am a little proud of myself for my second attempt !! but i did find it quite a struggle at times! and he DID have a very gassy stomach! saying that he still does - he's a little trumper! sorry! but i am determined to be even more succesful this time and hopefully feed he/she for longer (if they want too! - ds2 decided he'd had enough at 6 months its not that i stopped it!) id LOVE to find the whole thing easy and hassle free! - saying that, who wouldnt???

Can you get down and see someone fro Laleche or one of the breastfeeding groups? I swear that the difference between 1 and 3 was that I ahd done the Unicef course in between. I don't hold myself responsible for giving up with ds2, ds1 lost over a pound from his lactose intolerance (he was only 5lbs 5 to begin with!) so I had the right to be a little nervy.

I am not sure if my advice is what you need but I bf for 8 mths and would let dd fill up on one boob as long as she wanted and then offer the 2nd, next time start with the 2nd, let them fill up and then offer the 1st and so on.
After a few months I would give her 10 minutes on each boob, the continuity got it going and i had plenty of milk i actually wish i stored some for premature babies at hospital as i feel i had too much. i ate every hour or more with healthy snacks and had desserts choccie cake and lots of nice warm drinks and lots and lots and lots of water being the one thing you cant have enough of when bf as they need it and you need it to keep up your energy.

congratulations on all your efforts, i only have one but hope i get the chance another two times

I will obviously have to do some homework for the next few weeks and try and learn as much as i can - obvioulsy some knowledge on the whole thing helped you Peachyclair! and thanks for the tips lovecloud! i think that may have been my problem - i wasnt letting him finish on one side before i moved him to the other! hopefully by the time he/she is born i will be well and truly ready for it! thanks girls! xxxxx

The ABM (association of breastfeeding mothrs) has a website, they should be able to recommend a decent book, as I am sure can the NCT.

Good luck!

And do remember, breastmilk is great but a relaxed, happy mother is important too!