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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Anyone think breastfeeding was fine?

69 replies

FloydOnThePull · 22/01/2018 17:06

I'm currently 20 wks with my first and planning to breastfeed little Floyd when he or she gets here. Mostly from reading too much AIBU, I get the impression that it can be difficult and it hurts and It's something you really have to persevere with before it comes good. I don't know whether this is the experience of the majority or whether like most things, having a bad experience is worthy of comment but something that didn't really bother you either way and you were a bit 'meh' about is therefore not commented on (kind of like how someone would be more motivated to leave a bad review than an average one on trip advisor as bad experiences stick in the mind more iyswim).

I'll be honest and say that it's not something I'm looking forward to, i'd therefore be interested to know anyone's 'on the whole it was fine' experiences of breastfeeding if such a thing exists?

OP posts:

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Jupiter15 · 22/01/2018 21:13

Breastfeeding itself is not difficult but it’s a new skill that takes a while to get the hang of. For some people the first 6 weeks or so can be challenging but after that it’s generally a breeze. If you have the right support you will will succeed. The problem is that culturally we are not surrounded by family and friends breastfeeding and picking up skills that way.
It is absolutely worth it.

Regressionconfession · 22/01/2018 21:25

Yes, it's always been fine for me with babies latching well from the start. The only problem has been mastitis a few times but I caught it early and antibiotics sorted it out straight away.

Good luck op. You'll be doing a great job however you feed your baby.

brogueish · 22/01/2018 21:38

Just want to say thank you OP for starting the thread and everyone else for the reassurance. I'd also been worrying about this - you only ever hear the horror stories!

LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 22/01/2018 22:10

I had a hard time for the first 8-10 weeks but ds was premature and had, so I was told, a small mouth and a shallow suck! Ouch! But he loved breastfeeding from day one and the midwives and hv were amazed by how well he was doing, so I persevered! Ended up feeding him for over two years. I never had mastitis and only one minor bout of thrush. Through post-natal depression, it often felt like breastfeeding was the one thing I was good at!

Parney · 22/01/2018 22:41

Experienced no real problems and have found it to be so easy, in terms of minimum effort in preparing bottles or having milk organised for going out.
Week 1 was painful due to engorgement while supply was regulating. A kind midwife told me if you can get through the first week then it will more than likely be plain sailing, she was correct in our case!
DS hasn’t weaned at 14 months and his sibling is due in March!

carouselunicorn · 22/01/2018 23:03

No it was bloody terrible ! BUT - with a supportive husband and by erm.. stalking local breastfeeding counsellors to get the correct latch - I fed each child for a year. 2nd was much easier than the first... Most importantly I was more confident. Short term pain for long term gain :)

AdultHumanFemale · 23/01/2018 01:39

Just came back to make the point which Carousel just made above, a supportive partner / family is a big bonus.

missnevermind · 23/01/2018 02:42

I breastfed 4. I was determined with my first but no pain. People were encouraging me to bottles all the time so I stopped at about 10 weeks. I still regret giving in to them and wish I had carried on and he is nearly 20.
My second had health problems and we thought he had allergies but the tests always came back negative. I fed him for nearly a year. My third was a breeze. I fed him till I was pregnant with my fourth and he self weened just after he was 2.
My fourth I fed for about 18 months and then she lost interest.
I can honest say it was one of the best things I ever did. It let like such lazy parenting sometimes. I could just grab a couple of nappies and go. No preperation no planning no having to come home because we had run out of bottles. And night time feeds !! I don’t know how bottle feeders cope. The baby cried I picked it up and fed it. Usually while half asleep 💤 in fact my 3rd used to help himself in the middle of the night as we co slept

I think you are right. People with problems shout the loudest. Those that cope well just nod and get on with it.
The best attitude to have is I will give it a go and see what happens.

Placebogirl · 23/01/2018 03:03

I fed both of mine. It was painful at first with both of them and with my son I resorted to a nipple shield for a bit because he'd given me a bit of a graze. Ibuprofen helped with the pain, and it was sorted within 2 weeks. The first six weeks felt really full on, lots of feeding, but I pumped and used a dummy too so that I could have a break. After that it was as easy as pie!

Paranormalbouquet · 23/01/2018 03:03

I found breastfeeding very easy. Lucky not to have issues after an awful delivery but DD latched well, gained weight well and slept well from the beginning. I never even opened the lansinoh I bought!

Like others I found the frequency of feeding in the beginning overwhelming but it soon settles down.

baublesnbubbles · 23/01/2018 03:23

Hadn't really intended to but bf all 3 of mine for 1/1.5 years ! No major issues with any - usual settling in period and did have a few bumps along the way with blocked ducts / mastitis but all manageable

Remember most people lost if they have something to say, there s lots of people out there just getting on with it :).

Landon oh and mam nipple balm best inventions ever (and mam gynae little towelettes so-called in balm are the best thing ever for sore lady bits

UniversityAlreadyQuestionMark · 23/01/2018 03:30

I think people mainly talk about it here when they have problems. I fed with no problems, as did my friends.

It's amazing. It's such a great feeling to think that you made a baby and now your body is keeping it alive. I loved being cuddled up with my baby in the quiet watching them feed.

ICJump · 23/01/2018 03:44

I found it fine. I gave birth and it just sort of happened. I’d attended an NCT breastfeeding class and had support from my mum who had breastfeed two babies.

This sounds super dumb now but I really didn’t know it was possible not to breastfeed. All the babies I knew growing up were breastfeed.
I also had no expectations about looking after a little baby. So didn’t worry that DS was permanently attached to me (feeding or sleeping in arms). I hadn’t even thought what would happen at night so when DS woke frequently my mum suggested bring him into bed with me I just did that.
That’s not to say it was always easy. I’ve had some issues overtime.

TheDowagerCuntess · 23/01/2018 03:48

I struggled at first. Really struggled. I found it incredibly hard.

But I persevered. I got it stuck in my head that all women, bar a vanishingly small minority, can breastfeed. That we've been doing it since time immemorial (literally!), and if all those previous women could do it, so could I.

I put a huge amount of pressure on myself to keep going, and somewhere around d 4-6 weeks it got established.

And then it was the easiest thing in the world.

When DC came along, I knew how to do it, and we just cracked on with it from day 1.

I don't know why human mammals seem to struggle so much with what is such a natural thing, but my God, we do.

eeanne · 23/01/2018 03:54

Painful for the first few weeks then plain sailing. BF DC1 for 17 months and now BF newborn DC2. The painful bit has already passed with the new baby who is 7 weeks.

It’s so convenient when you’re traveling, no need to carry powder, bottles, sterilizer, get hot water, etc.

Havingahorridtime · 23/01/2018 04:07

I have fed 4 and never had any problems. The hardest thing is the constant cluster feeding in the first few weeks, for me, breastfeeding is so easy that it is the lazy option. No washing and sterilising bottles, no traipsing downstairs at night to get a bottle. Plus breastmilk at night contains sleepy hormones so I can often just feed back to sleep.

fabulousfrumpyfeet · 23/01/2018 05:06

I struggled for the first 2 weeks with my first, just took a while to get the latch right. After that it was so easy and I loved it. Second one it was fine straight away. Lansinoh saved me those first 2 weeks!

LiquoricePickle · 23/01/2018 05:30

I'm eight months in and it's been easy least and it's never been painful or difficult. It's been great.

stealthbanana · 23/01/2018 05:30

Prior to giving birth I thought bfing was really weird and was completely freaked out when I started producing colostrum at 32 weeks. But when DS arrived it just felt normal and I didn't have any problems at all. Am still feeding at 13 months. DS just latched on and it's always been super easy - I didn't even open the nipple cream everyone told me I had to buy. It's so much easier than messing around with bottles, particularly in the early days - you can go out and about, confident in the knowledge that if your baby gets hungry or plays up you can just stick them on the boob.

For me what's been hard is that DS didn't take a bottle, which I would have loved to introduce - but the breastfeeding itself has been easy and lovely.

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