BF second time around

[AdiVic]

Hello - just a quick query. With my first I BF, and for the 1st 8 weeks i was in alot of pain and had to do it through gritted teeth and tears, but i stuck to it. My second is due in late may and I plan to do it again, but am wondering if it is easier the second time around, I would presume it is, but they would have had a rest for 2 years, so may have forgotten how to be tough! Thank you in advance xx

Well done for persevering! It should be easier because you know what you're doing this time round.

Congrats on your pregnancy and for your previous BF success. It will certainly help you that you've done it before so a lot of the things that can come as a shock to first-time BFers won't to you (cluster feeding, yes a baby can be hungry again 10 mins after the last hour long feed, yes they do suck for comfort etc).

However 'common' nipple pain is, it's not 'normal' and can point to anything from poor latch or positioning, tongue or lip tie, thrush etc etc; and each baby will take to BF-ing in their own way. For the most natural thing in the world, it's not always instinctive!

You're doing the right thing in thinking about it ahead of time. Arm yourself with the details of your nearest BF support group, cafe, counsellors, NTC, la Leche League meeting etc, so that in the event of any problems, you know who to call for advice. The phone lines are helpful, but in my experience, when in pain, there's nothing like real life support.

Best of luck!

I was wondering something similar now I'm pregnant with DC2.

Maybe try reposting this in the Breast and Bottle Feeding section on MN, there's always lots of people there with advice.

I started exactly the same thread about 5-6 months ago in the breast and bottle section. I got tons of advice.
Ds2 is now 4 months old and I am still ebf!! I am very proud
I had the same problems as with ds1 as far as feeding goes but due to better advice and support (in rl as well as on here) I was able to overcome the problems this time. It is great!
A part of me is sad that I didn't have such good support the 1st time round and I am a bit for ds1 but it's too late now and anyway he's fine.
Good luck :)
Things that made it better this time as well as better support are: no routine, no pumping as it caused massive oversupply last time which meant baby couldn't latch well and was colicky, YouTube videos of bf positions, kellymom website.
I really hope it works out for you this time. It has helped me mentally as well as physically as I felt a real failure with ds1. Now I can see it wasn't my fault really, just crap support.

Sorry to go on so much.

X

I could have wrote this, I was in excruciating pain for the first 10 weeks, 2 rounds of mastitis, open wound from bad latch and thrush :( - perseverance and we carried on until DD was 13months (now 15months) and I am 23weeks pregnant wth DC2. Would have carried on but DD self-weaned, maybe my milk started to taste different... Was wondering the same, I recommend Baby Cafe's for advice too. but i hope it isnt as hard this time!!

I had exactly the same problem first time around, it was agony. I would dread each feed, have bleeding nipples etc - there was nothing wrong with the latch, positioning etc as I had it checked several times and was told by professionals that it is just painful for some women.
Second time round it was totally painless right from the start. I didn't do anything different, apart from more expressing at the start as my baby was in SCBU. Good Luck! :)

With dd1 it took about 6 weeks to get to the point where bf was a pleasure, much easier with dd2. I did get cracked nipples for a couple of days earlier on but that was it.

Whilst I didn't have the problems you describe I can say no.2 has been significantly easier.

I had a lot of leaking with dd, hard breasts, but this time they seem to be better at getting tge volume right.

Remember this time one of you has dine it before.

Second time round has been much better for me. I knew to seek help earlier, for a start. Also to apply Lansinoh cream from the outset, and to know to unlatch baby and relatch as required. First time around I let myself get mauled as I didn't know what I was doing and got incredibly stressed by it all.

Had the same problems first time round as you. Could only get through to 4 months or so with use of plastic nipple shield and much pain. Awful. introduced bottle quite early and DC1 went over to bottle 100% after 4m.

Second time around has been COMPLETELY different. DC2 is now 14 months and shows no signs of wanting to stop BF!! It has been a dream this time around. I found that because I had already been through it once and knew I'd had problems the first time, I was a lot more 'breast aware' this time and very conscious of getting the latch on right and determined to learn from my 'mistakes' etc. I am sure you will find the same. You will have gained so much wisdom from having done it once and this will come into play and help you the second time round. That's not to say there wasn't a bit of pain right at the start - I remember around weeks 2 - 4 I had the same latch on pain, when they first go on the breast and you get that horrible teeth-crunching feeling. I was worried that it was all going to go wrong again, but I just held in there and continued concentrating on getting latch-on correct every time, and the pain then disappeared after a week or two and it's been brilliant every since. The midwife where I am also gave me some shields to help me through that brief period - they were metal silver ones (I live abroad) made in Italy I think. Only used them a few times, think it was just persevering through and practising latch on that did it.

My problem now is weaning DD off her breast milk, not sure how I'm going to manage it! But it really has been the dream BF that I felt I missed out on first time round - so proof there are second chances!

good luck.

Thank you for all your help:) I waas a bit annoyed last time as in the BF workshop BEFORE i had dd, they made BF out to be a breeze. When the pain started I felt a bit crap. Not being one to suffer in silence I got all the help available and they all said she was latched on properly etc. I think with me it was just an unused body part getting used to being used and having dd latched on was like having a steam train on my chest, she was a very hard and efficient feeder. I will arm myself with lansinoh as that thelped. Thank you again:) xx

AdiVic I totally agree and felt the same with DC1. I know of someone who is training to be a breastfeeding counsellor and they were told not to tell pregnant women that it can hurt, in case it puts them off. IMO it would be far better just to be upfront and say it can hurt at first so at least we would have been prepared rather than thinking we are doing something wrong, which is demoralising and I would imagine causes some women to give it up. But I guess that's a whole different thread!

It's really good that you are thinking about this beforehand. I didn't, and just assumed that because I had done it before, and it had only been 12 months since I had last breastfed (and because the bf lady at NCT said it was like riding a bike....) it would be fine....

DS2 though hadn't bf before and he didn't know how to do it right...and with no tongue tie (DS1 had one) he had a mega-suck from the start. And the last baby I had bf had been an 8 month old so I struggled to get the position quite right. And I got really sore - far worse than the 1st time - it was only knowing how easy and convenient it is when it works that got me through it. We were OK though once we got past that first 10 days or so.

If I had a 3rd (which I won't) I would:

• Take lanisoh to hospital and use it from start
• Get someone knowledgeable at the hospital to check the latch and holding position etc - I just said 'yes I'm fine' whenever they asked - silly me!
• Get help from LLL or similar as soon as any problems start