Breastfeeding megathread

[Michelle Bar 10]

I bottle fed my first baby and breast fed my second baby. I preferred breastfeeding for so many reasons but mainly the convenience of it especially during the night.

 

Whilst breastfeeding I didn't have to bother with all that faffing around that you do when your bottle feeding i.e. getting up to make bottles, having to listen to baby cry whilst bottle warmed to the correct temperature, having to change baby after or before every feed, winding and settling. He simply woke up every few hours and he was breastfeeding before he had chance to ask for it and then we both just dozed off.

 

I found it much easier and felt more comfortable co-sleeping whilst I breastfed during the night. If you want further info about co-sleeping just google 'co-sleeping with your baby'.

[Michelle Bar 10]

Just to add to my last post - I had an Independent Midwife with my second baby who visited me for 3 hours, every day, during the first week post-natal. Her support helped me to firmly establish breastfeeding and successfully continue until I returned to work.

[honeyb35 10]

BIG breastfeeding fan here I fed my first daughter exclusively for about 6 weeks, I found it very hard as I was constantly in pain, leaking everywhere, very embarrassed about it, and then I ended up with a kidney infection where my mum had to look after her so had to give her formula, I think we limped on till 3 months with both breast and formula.

With my son I was determined it was going to be better. I had similar problems with soreness ect. I went back to college when he was 4 weeks old, breastfeeding became my 'link' with him as he was looked after by his dad for a few hours a week. I expressed milk and the days when I was there full time OH would bring him to the college so I could feed him in the car and avoid leaking lol. When he was 6 months old he ended up in hospital unable to feed so I expressed for about a month. My supply dwindled a lot, I remember crying on a night nurse as I couldnt express enough milk to last him through the night so he had to be topped up with formula.

I'm still feeding my 19 month old, although I am actually trying to stop but she won't let me!! I'm getting married in Dec and want her off the breast by then... she's actually cut herself down to just one feed before bedtime, and one first thing in the morning where she snuggles in bed with me, I like this as its my time exclusively with her, and I'm so proud I've managed to get over a year this time.

[LilMissAlien 10]

Forgot to mention that we both had thrush which we passed back and forth between us for a while because the HV said Jamie's tongue being white was 'normal' and 'just milk'. We eventually got Daktarin and I had to dump my expressed supply (I would express as often as possible, even just an ounce or two, to keep my supply up).

 

I also have ME/CFS duckweed, and also found it a lot easier to just veg out on the sofa breastfeeding for long periods - a good way to get some rest and no washing up! We also co-slept quite often (not exclusively) because of breastfeeding, but also because it was just lovely for the 3 of us. He's only just going into his cot full-time now (13 months). I really enjoyed our lie-ins where he would have a really long feed in the morning. After our troubles bfing at hospital, we very ceremoniously took pictures of him completely zonked out after his first full breastfeed at 4 days old.

[wondertec 10]

not a mum...yet! But would like to think i'd be able to breastfeed when it came to it. It just seems so natural and is better (i think) for baby and it must be a lovely bonding experience for both. Having said that... it must be awful if you want to and can't, i know friends whose bambinos just can't or won't latch on and feed and it's so frustrating and upsetting and the more you get uptight, the more it doesn't seem to work...

 

Good luck to all the ladies.x.

[Flutterbyes 10]

I found something called mother love - more milk herbal stuff from http://www.breastfeedingheaven.co.uk

 

I had a c-section and anemia and loads of other problems, but this really helped to get my supply up, were still going strong at 9 months

[Nirvanaliz 10]

I breastfed my son and am really glad that I did, it was a great bonding experience and certainly proved a quick fix for those middle of the night feedings. On the downside it was exhausting, when my son was first born I was pretty much feeding him every 2-3 hours, day and night. It was also a complete nightmare whenever he had a cold, as his nose would become blocked and he struggled to feed.

 

I started introducing a beaker when he was 1 and eventually got him down to using the beaker during the day and only having a breastfeed last thing at night - he's 17 months now and completly weaned off the breast.

 

A few times when I was breastfeeding I felt like I wasn't producing enough but I rang one of the helplines and was given some great comforting advice from other mums about how to increase supply. Because when I was breastfeeding, I was providing his sole source of nutrition so I did get stressed about making sure he was getting enough.

[katy1981 10]

i breastfed little isabelle for about 3 months and i have to say i was really enjoying it, more than i thought i would to be honest but sadly she got a urine infection at about 2 and a half months so got really tierd and stoppped sucking as much which made my milk supply go down.

 

she then lost 13% of her birth weight and ended up in the hospital on a antibiotic drip for 5 days i tried in vain to bring my supply back up, i carried on breast feeding her and topping her up with formula which my partner gave her while i used a breast pump to try and stimulate more supply i even used the pump in between feeds but sadly my milk just didnt come back enough.

 

so we decided to put her fully onto formula and shes come on lovely and gained back all of her weight and is doing great its just a shame breastfeeding didnt work for me but i guess it was just the urine infection tha put a spanner in the works oh well but id encourage people to at least try it if they dont like it they can always stop and go onto formula.

 

and i must also add i think it made the bond between me and my daughter that little bit stronger.

 

and when my daughter or son has their own children i will encourge and support them in breastfeeding.

[Stefy 10]

My little boy is 7 now, but thought I would share my experience with you. All through my pregancy all I hard was breast is best.... I did give it a go and did want to breastfeed for a while, however it never really worked out, I found it very hard for him to latch on (toe curling) The midwifes in Jessop (the old jessops) were lovely until i reached the ward, not enough staff and not enough time for you at one time the ward helper pulled my boob and pushed it his mouth. When i arrived home i really did try so hard, but dreaded going to bed because i knew i had to wake up every 2hrs.

When i decided to give it up as a lost course, Inever leaked any milk and did not need any pads in my bra.

[duckweed 10]

What seems obvious from all the postings good or bad is the lack of proper support and information when you have a problem. Professionals that don't seem to know the good from the bad such as thrush or how a baby should latch on. My first baby hurt my breast because the nurse insisted on latching her on. I know now I was in the best position and the baby needed better support. I think most problems are with latching on because if the baby isn't latched on properly it causes mastitis, or chronic collic or just the baby can't suck properly and so increase the flow of milk. There should be better training of midwives on this and in the antenatal classes. On the other hand I don't see why mothers who tried and failed should be thought badly of as sometimes due to aenaemia or postnatal depression or poor health it just can't be done. Some people do not make enough milk.

[espadrille 10]

But I still haven't figured out what the nhs is doing, event wise, to make people more aware (nor anyone else in Sheffield for that matter). No one I've spoken to is even aware that it's breast feeding awareness week

 

On a brighter note, as a result of my enquiries I am starting training tomorrow to become a breast feeding peer support person

Hi Rozee

Did you pusue this?

[savbaby 10]

finally found time to post on this

 

I have breastfed the 2 of mine.

 

The first was taken away straight after birth to SCBU where they fed her through a tube so i could still breastfeed once she was well enough. First couple of attempts she was trying to latch on but was just too done in to manage but the midwife was great and full of praise for both of us and told me not to let i get me down, they gave me some tubs to express in and fed her my milk through the feeding tube. After another couple of attempts she latched on no problems and fed happily. I never had any problems feeding until she was 3 months and i just couldnt fill her so she went onto half breast half formula then exclusivley on formula from 4 months.

I think if that midwife in the first couple of attempts had not been as encouraging and friendly i would have given up!

 

With the 2nd i had skin to skin contact with him straight away and once everyone(family) had left the labour suite and i had my bath i had him latched on. The midwife had left me and my partner alone while i had my bath and she was really suprised when she walked in and as she said "have you got him on the boob"!! :hihi:she came and had a check to make sure he was on right and gave me a big pat on back.

 

I did notice 2nd time round that after pains were so much worse when i was feeding him and it felt like i was in labour again at times!

Nathan is 4 weeks now and he is still going strong, he now takes a bottle of expressed as well as me feeding him which is great as means i can get a break.