What's it like to breastfeed?

[justanotheryoungmother]

I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant with my first, and I'm swaying towards trying breastfeeding, but I don't know anyone who has done it. I was wondering if you have done it, what were your experiences and was it easier to do than bottle feed (if you have experience in both)?

Thank you for any replies

I breastfed both my DDs (still am) and similar to PastysPrincess I found it great once established and am able to co-sleep which makes night feeds much easier.
With my first I had to combination feed for 3-4 weeks (NICU baby) but found that expressing at the hospital with the hospital grade pumps kept up my supply enough. DH loved being able to share in the bottle feeds too so maybe that was best of both worlds there.
My second is a bit of a biter but I've gotten better at removing her when she does that. It's quite a weird sensation I guess feeling the let-down of milk and getting the latch right. Definitely try and see if there are antenatal classes at the hospital or in area to help you understand the mechanics and give a few tips on positions to try.
Another positive - I've found it gave me a chance to relax and recuperate too- it's lovely snuggling up with the baby in those early days. I'd recommend a side sleeper crib like the Snuzpod so that you don't have to move too far to get baby at night. particularly useful if you might need a c-section like I did.
Good luck with it and don't be dis-heartened if it takes a little while to establish.

Establishing bfing can be a pain in the arse. At one point i thought DD was a vampire as she seemed to enjoy making my nipples bleed!

However after much lansinoh, sitting topless for 3 weeks (unless there were visitors) it just seemed to click into place.

And it was amazing, there is no better feeling than looking down at your baby feeding. I fed for 3 years and then had to learn to parent!

It is convenient, quick and breastmilk is bloody amazing. Eczema flare-up, squirt on a bit of milk. Baby has a weeping eye, squirt in a little breastmilk. Baby teething, have some more milk!

I don't think so freezing. It just wasn't bonding for me in the way bottles were. Strange I know. I needed to know I could escape and let DH take over. I couldn't cope with feeling all the responsibility was mine. I found FF easy. I'm obviously judging my this thread in a minority!

Ah well, you tried and didn't like it so you stopped and switched to bottles and were happier. So everyone's a winner no biggie!

esmerelda ... yes it's great... but what's more wonderful for a baby is a mum who's enjoying every minute her life with them- not dreading the (very frequent!!) feeding times.

I'm glad I enjoy BFing- but I'd have had no hesitation bottle feeding if it made me miserable. Better sane, happy and calm- with the aptamil- than miserable, PNDed, and resentful with my tit out.

It felt like a biggie at the time. Still does sometimes when I read threads like this. I missed out on something I should have enjoyed.

I love breastfeeding, it's wonderful. It can be difficult (painful, exhausting, constant) in the early weeks but once we were established it was great. It's such a beautiful bonding experience and as others have said, it really is a cure all. It has gotten me out of a lot of difficult spots and avoided all sorts of meltdowns (teething babies, poorly babies, tired babies...all of them tend to respond favourably to a quick breastfeeding session). It's also super easy once you're established. No bottles or formula to prepare and carry around with you. No sterilising.

When I was pregnant I was unsure as to whether I wanted to breastfeed. I can't put my finger on it, I just felt a bit funny about it. But I gave it a go and was surprised at how much I loved it. I was lucky that we had a really good infant feeding team locally who were on call 24/7 and came out to see me lots of times when I was struggling. Have a look and see what support is available in your area so you can be ready if you need it.

It can be difficult. But I think we only hear about the people who have problems because people like me who found it really easy feel too guilty to talk about it! However, I do think there are more of us than you think.

True . Honestly if I'd loved it I'd have carried on much longer. I try not to dwell though!

It can be hard at first, but it's really convenient and such a lovely way to build a bond with your baby. I'd recommend getting some clothes that are easy to breastfeed in (something I totally failed to think about until after my DS was born!) - you can buy special nursing tops/dresses, or just get some slightly loose vest tops to wear under t-shirts, so you can pull the t-shirt up and the vest down to feed.

I was so glad I was still breastfeeding when my DS had to go into hospital a little while ago - it was such an easy way to provide comfort when he was upset after blood tests etc.

I formula fed my first and breastfed my second for 16 months.

I didn't find either more or less hassle tbh as they both had pros and cons.

Breastfeeding was a strange experience if i'm completely honest, I've never loved and hated doing something so much all at the same time!

I found it tricky to get a good latch and to get properly established for the first few days but when i did it was so rewarding seeing DD thrive thanks to my body! But i was not prepared for the LONG days and nights cluster feeding every 15 minutes round the clock and i found that really hard especially as DD wouldn't take a bottle so i literally could not get a break and sometimes i just cried and began to resent this little person dictating my life for me.

However, the night time snuggles feeding just us two cosy under a blanket with her gazing and dozing giving off drunk smiles every now and then melted my heart :)

Now obviously with formula feeding i was able to share the workload a bit more which made things a bit easier when i wanted to just cry or sleep which was a bonus but the expense and needing to be prepared everywhere i went did get a bit tiresome! We made bottles in advance (in 2006) and had worry about it going off or carrying around a flask and tubs of powder to make them up if we were going to be more than the recommend time limit.

Also whether its down to personality i don't know but DS got himself into a much better routine whereas DD could never do that.

I did still get that bond though, i definitely don't think that is affected in any way. I still loved sitting with DS in the middle of the night just watching each other and snuggling.

Hard to start with but so so worth it in the long run. It can be painful, it can be awful when you are the only one who can feed and it's 3am and baby has been up all night. Some people find feeding in public embarrassing (luckily I never did).

BUT it's so convenient, you have baby food wherever you are. Night feeds are easier because you don't have to get out of bed. Lots of extra baby cuddles. A good excuse to stop people holding baby "I need to feed him now". I love it and would do it again.

Get some decent nipple cream lanisoh is best. Don't worry if it doesn't work either.

I loved it. It isn't easy to start with and you do need to persevere but once it's established it is fabulous. No need to worry about sterilising bottles etc. And it's just you and them bonding. Not to mention the health benefits for your precious lo

Try it. Nature designed it. We had trouble initially due to difficult birth but persisted and I loved it. A wonderful bond with baby which made it worth the inconvenience. We always gave a formula bottle before bed too and no issues with that, no nipple rejection or anything (although I didn't use a dummy just in case). Stopped at 1 year because I had too much milk and couldn't feed out and about (awkward due to large breasts) ... But I was gutted to stop and actually was very sad and hormonal when I did, really really missed it. Fwiw my child is very healthy and eats a wide range of foods and we have a very close bond, for which I truly believe bf was responsible.

MesmeraldaM i hope it wasn't breastfeeding militants making you feel that way. As PP said, the important thing is to do what's right for both mum and baby. There is no right/wrong way to feel. I bottle fed a little with both and if I hadn't established BF I would have continued with FF. Most of my NCT friends switched to FF within 3-4 weeks, it was never something we remarked on as we were all doing what suited us and our LOs

I breastfed my DS for a year, and at first it's hard going and you really need to find your own way of doing it, but I personally found after a week or so we had it sorted. I had to go in for an op when DS was 3 weeks and then again when he was 4 months, so had to bottle feed when I was high on pain meds, and I honestly found it so much more stress and the cost was ridiculous when you compare it to wapping out a booby on demand for a free, sterile, perfect temp every time, nutritious feed. It's completely your decision, and I do believe that as long as you are feeding your baby, be it bottle or boob, you are doing a great job. But my God booby is easier!

I was amazed at the distance milk can squirt when the baby pulls off after the milk has let down, and also the fact it comes out of the nipple from several holes like a shower head, I thought it would be one hole! Lots of fun. I loved it and had a generally easy time bf, stopped when DS was 2y5mo as I was pregnant again and the pain (nipple sensitivity/soreness) was too much. I'm pregnant again and hope it goes as well with DC2.

So so so painful at first but around 3-4weeks it subsidised. I still switched to combi feeding I just wanted my body back and found bottles were quicker, during day I want to be out and about not sat from 20-mins to an hour at a time feeding. in the evening I love having time with lo to just sit and chill. at night last thing I want to do is mess around with bottles. My health visitor was very anti combi feeding but it suits us perfectly.

MesmereldaM I just wanted to say, I read your posts and I'm the same. I found breastfeeding mostly easy, but didn't enjoy it at all. It actually made me feel so rough too, second time round each feed gave me waves of sickness. I had such a relief when I made the switch to formula. I carried on night feeds for ease, but have just weaned my 8 month old off of them too mow and feel much more relaxed.
I would say op it's always worth giving a go, don't put pressure on yourself. If it doesn't work out for any reason don't feel guilty at all, you're doing your best whatever you decide.

For me it was exhausting, painful and stressful.

Definitely affected my bond with DC1 initially, for the worse.

With DC2 I didn't set myself up to fail and when I didn't enjoy it I moved onto bottles.

All of us were / are very happy with that!

Good luck.

mesemerelda please don't feel guilty! I think it's just more likely that those who 'enjoyed' the experience would answer this thread.
I hated it! Couldn't stand been gnawed on by my baby for hours in end. It felt totally unnatural to me and made me feel queasy. I started to dread feeding times and my ds hated it too. He was constantly miserable and hungry. Switched to ff and it was fantastic. Enjoyed my baby and life was good!
Op - try it and if it doesn't work or you don't like it - just swap to formula. There are as many happy health FF babies as BF.

I would try simply because sometimes it is soooo easy. With DS1, I just bunged him on and that was it. No pain. No drama. Lovely snugly closeness and early on long feeds meant lots of time to sit, FB and read (or MN!). I appreciate it isn't often that easy but I'd give it a try because it might be and it appears far less faff to bf than have to sterilise and prep formula and it is better for baby's health. If it's painful and hard or not for you once you've tried it, then nothing to stop you switching and baby still gets fed just fine! DS2 & 3 were a bit harder to start with but easy to feed after the first week was done and again cuddly and sedentary with built excuse that you can't get up to tidy-cook/whatever!!. Only warning I have is that DS1 & 3 loved to bf and continued for years - again no big deal but I had to adjust my expectation,which was the societal norm that toddlers don't bf, to the biological norm -I definitely felt social pressure to conform and it was only because it distressed DS1 so much when I tried to encourage him off the breast at age one that I researched it properly and tried to do what was best for him. And ultimately it's a balance between your needs and baby's because when he hit 3 I had had enough of it and it was definitely mother led weaning!

I found of tricky to establish, but had lots of support from midwives. Once I'd got there, , it was great. Very easy and convenient, much much easier than bottles at night ( or any time really).
Got that real feel good factor of knowing that you are giving them the best start too.

I have 3 children and started off breastfeeding them all. My first though I only lasted to 6 weeks because it was so painful and then I formula fed. Next I breast fed and third I expressed and bottle fed as he was a poor feeder. Have to say there were pro's and con's of each.

Obvious benefits of bf are that it is free and that it is on demand, doesnt involve sterilising etc Expressing and bottle feeding was the worst of both worlds. But, bf also had the disadvantage of meaning that you are the only feeder, harder when you have more than one child and are having to do other things when they want fed, and also for night time for me meant I was half awake all night as they just fed on and off all night.

Dont think it affected bonding at all - equally bonded with all 3 regardless of method of feeding. So, I'm on the fence. If bf works then great but if not there are plenty other ways to do it that work too.