Just wondered...

How is everyone finding it? M feeds really well although she's fairly demanding. We don't really have a routine yet so I feed her whenever she wants it. It took a while to find some comfy positions but we're ok now. She also latches herself on after a week of me trying to shove my boob in her mouth.

I haven't fed in public yet - just at my Nans and in the car. Got some nursing bras today so hoping that will help. I've been very anxious about going out for too long in case she needs feeding so need to work up the confidence to feed out and about. I haven't expressed yet although my HV thought it would be good for me especially if it meant I'd feel more confident about going out for a day.

Also find it quite lonely, although I do love feeding her. Just that all the pressure is on me - no one else can help at the moment. I also find that as soon as she cries, people assume she is hungry when she has just been fed. Normally she just wants cuddles but I feel like a bad mother by saying she doesn't need feeding again. I also don't like the smell of the milk on me.

Anyway, tell me all your bfeeding stories...

Tronski and Martha 3+4 xxx

I am breastfeeding Leo too. He isn't really in a routine either. He was only going 2 hours between feeds but is now going anything from 2 to 3-4 hours. I am hoping that it'll become more of a predictable routine soon so that I know exactly when he will need feeding.

I haven't fed in public yet, only at home and at my mum's with her, and I don't think I will. But I have been expressing since quite early on (he is now 7 weeks) and find this works quite well for us as I can prepare bottles so that we can get out and about. It has also meant hubby has been able to do some weekend/night feeds so that I can have a little more sleep and my mum babysat for 5 hours on Sat while we went to a wedding reception.

I have learnt that we need to ignore people who assume baby is hungry. I had a really bad day when Leo kept crying because of wind and hubby's nan kept saying he was hungry and making out I was being cruel byt not feeding him. I eventually gave in and went into her room to feed him and he didn't want it - it was wind all along like I had said! I know its easier said than done but we know our babies better than other people do so just need to do what we think is best.

Hope expressing goes well if you do decide to try it x

i am combination feeding - mix of breastfeeding, expressing and formula (although not expressing that much any more)

basically Jayden had huge problems breastfeeding in the beginning - forceps delivery hurt his face and compressed his skull so he couldn't open his mouth wide enough. once my milk came in and my breasts were so hard he couldn't latch on
at the time i had no idea why - everyone said we were doing everything right but he just wouldn't feed
i was devastated and felt like such a failure and i dreaded every feed - he was getting really hungry and dehydrated and i felt he was becoming traumatised by being on the breast and both of us would cry through each feed time. poor hubby was trying to help but was just as much at a loss as me

in desperation i gave a bottle of expressed milk - after which he flat out refused the breast. i now realise it was at the time my boobs got really hard but i was convinced i had ruined it

the BFing counsellor suggested exclusively expressing but having skin to skin contact every day. So we bought a double pump and i accepted the fact that the only important thing was that my baby was fed. After a couple of "episodes" where all the expressed milk was knocked over at 2am (cue more panic attacks and tears) my darling hubby went to the 24 hr Tesco and bought loads of cartons of ready made formula. The relief at having a backup (even if we didn't have to use it) was immense

Jayden took to bottle feeding really well and it took the pressure off us both - every evening after bath time we would have "cuddle time" with him in just a nappy and me with no top or bra on. We also took him for cranial osteopathy, which was amazing. After the first session of cranial he did a full feed on the breast! we managed to get him taking that one post-bath feed off the breast everyday but he wouldn't take a full feed and would get v tired or start fussing though

Then, 2 weeks of exclusive bottle feeding and 3 sessions of cranial later, he latched on perfectly! He literally went from nothing to full on breastfeeding after our final cranial session :\) it was really amazing

now he could be 100% breastfed but i like the convenience of the bottle when I'm out or when someone babysits. Although at 7wks old we had our first public breastfeed today - was so proud of us both

anyway i thought i would share my story in case anyone else is struggling. Just because your baby wont latch on immediately doesn't mean it's a lost cause - keep persevering and you'll get there

PS - now that he's a bit bigger, even a bad latch is only uncomfortable or a bit painful rather than agonising

I too am combination feeding, breast and formula. I will cut my story short as it is quite long but basically it started with my placenta having to be manually removed, I honestly think the trauma of it delayed my milk as 6 days in I had nothing and although MW kept saying the colostrum would be enough it absolutley wasnt and James would scream and scream, I gave him a bottle of formula and he thoroughly enjoyed it and since then we have been through quite a tough time with him often refusing the breast and screaming and bashing his little hands at me and then sometimes enjoying a good breast feed. I have had set backs where I have taken advice from MW and breastfeeding consultant and in the end decided to go with what he wants. So I offered the breast first at every feed, then top up with bottles. The last week he has stopped screaming at my breasts and breast feeds first before any bottle. He ends up having between 50 and 100mls of formula depending on how much he has breast fed. I would like him to breast feed and never need a top up but using the bottles is such a relief as its nice to have a friend or hubby feed him and it has taken the fear away from going out and him demanding food but not accepting the breast. As for feeding out, I have actually done this twice, once on a picnic in the park where he was very well behaved and latched on better than ever before - I tucked his blanket under my bra strap and had it draped over him, and once in my car when he was making a fuss and I didnt want to give a whole bottle in the car park! Two women did look at me that time but I actually didnt care. What has helped is going to bf group and we all get our boobs out and feed! and practice ways of covering up! I know what you mean about the pressure all being on you, those early days were so hard. I have also tried expressing but found it so hard as its exhausting doing the breastfeeding and then warming and giving a bottle and finding the time to express was upsetting me. Also my electirc pump really attacked me and left sore rings around my nipple for days.
I have bought a bf pillow from mothercare - its called my brest friend and its so great, that has helped me no end as I struggled with his arms and legs wiggling around all the time!

6 weeks in, lost count of how many tears and times I've felt like quitting but we're still ebf

alex has always been difficult to get to latch on, mws had to put him on in hosp as he would always fuss and get over excited so impossible myself (the cannula didn't help). Day 2 struggled to get him on myself but support was lacking, we could have gone home but I stayed for one more feed first. He was topped up with 10 ml formula that evening and more mw support to get him latched on. Day 3 bf was worse and he left me with cracked and bleeding nipples, by now jaundice hit and he was taken to scbu for a spot of sunbathing. To begin with a hv or mw syringed off hand expressed milk, I pretty much stayed topless on the ward to help recovery and finally I could express to top up his formula feed on scbu. When he came back on day 4 the mws gave me more support to get him on and we went home on day5

I still wasn't finding it easy and constantly in tears feeding wait was so difficult, luckily he took big feeds so would go 3+ hours. I'm lucky and can attend a bf clinic each day, so have been as latch and positioning not been perfect. I still go on mon and wed to clinic as so many times I've felt like quitting but the one time I caved and gave him formula felt so mch worse, so we've braved growth spurts, cracked nipples and thrush: he usually goes 3-4 hours and then cluster feeds before bed and night feed and a wet nappy would wake him before a night feed was due. No consistent time of day when he does feed and the hotter weather and growth spurts mean we are very much baby led.

I've still to brave a public feed outside of bf clinic, not sure how I'll be discrete. I'm not expressing the thought of expressing reminded me of scbu for a while and now I can't bear the thought of it wih thrush. Ii do want to though so dh could do a feed every once in a while ideally with breast milk but the odd bottle of formula won't harm. I was worried he may not take he bottle, but he didn't object too badly to it to have him meds tonight and took a dummy to calm him down (he's overtired due to a growth spurt)

I keep on being told it gets easier, forget a routine and stay baby led however difficult that is for me and it settles down after 6 then 12 weeks.

It's been really good to hear your stories ladies, breastfeeding is so difficult and well done to you all for carrying on despite all the setbacks!

My story is similar, my milk came in on day 3 and day 4 was the worst day we had with William. He was screaming all day, needed feeding so often and cos the baby blues had hit me all I did was cry. He had urates in his nappy which looks like these orange stains and we were so worried as we had never seen or heard of it! NHS direct were a bit useless and suggested dehydration rather than urates and said to go to A&E, but we decided to phone the labour ward who said they weren't busy and we could come in if we were worried. He was so hungry as he wasn't feeding properly and my nipples were so cracked and was in a lot of pain. The midwives were fab and even offered to admit us in for help with feeding but I decided not to, but they gave us some formula which he gulped down and actually slept!

After then, although better, nipple and latch problems meant we did have to give him the occasional formula bottle and I had to use shields which is another latch to master! I expressed for a while off one side and fed off the other to let the nipples heal, that boob also had masitis, very painful but I still fed from it.

Now at 3w5d we are much better, latch is not perfect as I cannot get him to tip his head back and I have to fight with both hands as he tries to stick them in his mouth along with the boob and keeps swiping at my nipple which excellent precision! I also bought the brest friend pillow which has really helped me as I don't have to hold him and can concentrate on the latch. He also doesn't seem to take in enough at a feed, last night he was screaming into the boob and I had fed him at 6pm, 7:30 and 8:30 so we gave him 60ml of ebm from yesterday which I did just to empty myself and he woofed it down, then slept for nearly 4 hours! So we still have some problems to iron out but he's still young so I'm sure we will get there.

I have been out in public - but used the facilities for mums, though I won't have a problem doing it, people shouldn't be watching and his head covers me up anyway!

haha, Oh Mrs D, how on earth do they manage to swipe the nipple every time with no fine motor skills! I cannot believe how James manages to hit that exact spot each time, ouch! x

noah is 7 weeks today and im still exculsively breastfeeding-yet i have had mastitus twicw in the 7 weeks but managed to feed thru it each time painful as it was, we are back on track again!
it took me a few weeks to be brave enough to do it in public but now its like 2nd nature-ill feed him anywhere anytime!!!
noah feed really well form day -day 1 was a nightmare, he wouldnt latch on at all!
its still going really well and im planning to continue till around 6months
xx

After everything I said about how well it is going, I think I have mastitis again - bloody kills! x

Did you get that horrible chills sensation with mastitis babygaffer? I spent the day under a very warm blanket with baby and the warmth really helped the boob clear the blockage. Felt odd wearing a thick cardi under a blanket in July though!

Firsttime - the swiping is crazy, I even get gripped sometimes, ooowwwweeeee!

xx

Great thread....

Alana is 9 weeks old tomorrow and is still exclussively breast fed. I am so proud that we are still going strong and as many of you have said it has not come easily.
In hospital an hour or so after she was born she was showing strong signs of being hungry. I bf my son 9 yrs ago and thought I knew what I was doing so I confidently popped her on my boob. It felt quite uncomfortable but I thought it was just my nipples getting used to it, the mw didnt offer any support so I just got on with it. she fed for almost an hour on each side. When I went for a shower an hour later both of my nipples were black and feeling very sore and this was the start of our problems. We had obviously not latched on correctly
The mw at hospital was useless when I asked for support for her next feed and I went home that day hoping it would get better.
Well the next 2-3 weeks were absolutely awful, I was in agony, my nipples were so sore and Alana's suckle was so strong my nipples didnt get much chance to recover. I tried so hard not to dread each feed but I was in tears many times. Thankfully the mw who visited my home was brilliant and I can honestly say without her support then I think I would have given up in those early days, but she reassured me that we had a great position and latch and it was just my nipples needed time to recover. Also the thought of giving her formula upset me more than the pain so I carried on a feed at a time thinking if the next one wasnt any better then we would swich to formula. (Before she arrived I thought I would be easy going about her food and if bf didnt work out then I would happily use formula, I couldnt believe how strongly I felt about continuing even tho my nipples were bleeding and I couldnt even wear a top some days). The day my milk came in was the worst day, not only were my nipples sore but my whole boob just aches and stung, I couldnt even cuddle Alana that day because they hurt so much.
I wouldnt feed infront of anyone at that time because I was in agonoy with every feed often having hot flushes and being quite irritable plus left my boobs hanging out after each feed to help with healing lol so it was difficult arranging visitors. Luckily everyone was very understanding tho and were happy to come at a moments notice inbetween feeds.
I fed her in public for the first time when she was 4 wks old, things were getting much easier by this point and we were only having the odd bad feed and my nipples were almost back to normal. We had to go and collect a car for my hubby so I fed her at the service station, I was so nervous but it went really well and she was really good, I didnt have the usual fight with her hands and bobbing on and off until we had a good latch so we were very happy.
Now im not really bothered where I feed her, as someone else has said people shouldnt look if they have a prob and they cant see anything anyway because she covers me. I did buy a bf cover but tbh I cont be bothered to faff with it so prob wont use it. I have only fed her out and about about 3 times tho but im not worried about it too much now, my only worry is if someone does have a prob with it but I will tell them to get lost hehe.
Id like to say at 9 wks we are breastfeeding perfectly but we do still have probs. She is making me very sore at the moment as she keeps getting tummy ache when she is due a feed/during her feed and when she trumps she doesnt latch on properly and often slips off and bites my nipple ouch but I still have no desire to introduce formula just yet. I think I will do it before I wean her though as there is no way im feeding her when she starts to get teeth, plus I want to introduce formula nice and slowly so her system has chance to get used to it b4 she has real food so I think I will prob carry on for about another 10 wks or so as long as nothing major interupts that hehe.
Well done to everyone who has carried on, iv not had half the probs some of you have but have found it really difficult so I cant imagine how some of you have got through it. Arent we good mummies

[Modified by: LOOBYLOU81 on July 27, 2010 10:20 PM]

hiya - we had a bit of a slow start with BFing as Freya refused to feed the forst couple of days. she wouldnt latch on and when she did she would fall asleep after a coupl eof sucks. trhis meant that we ended up staying in hospital for three days after she was born.

I was really upset as I thought it was something I was doing wrong and the baby blues when my milk came in didnt make it any better. The midwives kept telling me it was her as she had a traumatic birth where her shoulders got stuck and had caused mucus to build up in her chest making her feel sick (putting her off feeding) but I felt like such a failure! i had to express and feed her from a cup and a syringe. Then, on the third day, she suddenly decided to feed and hasnt stopped since!

The first time she fed properly she really messed my nipples up and they have been really cracked since. As a result i had mastitis three times in the first seven weeks and three courses of antibiotics. The third time was the worst as I had a fever and felt dreadful. I was really tempted to give up breastfeedinga at that point i really hope I dont get it again!

I now feel more confident breastfeeding and my nipples are much less sore. I have fed in public a couple of times but only at baby group, or in a quiet area of the park.

Hi - I'm breastfeeding Harry but now giving him a bottle of formula for his last feed as this settles him for longer and hubby gets a go!!! I too am demand feeding and I find it quite tiring when I'm trying to do things for the girls too but i love doing it!!! He's piled on the oz's so must be doing something right. I really don't like feeding in public - people are so funny! I really wouldn't know how to react if someone complained! Went to Stratford upon Avon at the weekend and obviously had to feed him so just used a muslin square. You couldn't see anything but people still looked at me funny! Harry didn't feed well - think he could sense my discomfort! Got better towards the end of the weekend!!! I can express but I don't get time!!! In between feeds I am doing things for the girls - have managed a couple of times!!!

...... talk of the devil must go someones hungry!! Glad because my boobs are fit to bursting!! x

PinkMomma.x and a hungry Harry!!!

Well the feeding must be going well as she's gained 14 ozs in 6 days!!! A little milk monster!!

I've also started laying down to feed her at night - she's a lot calmer then and easier to put back down in her basket after. Still up every 2-3 hours but at least she sleeps after. Could all change though!!!

Yes, have the flu symptoms that go along with mastitis. Am on antibiotics and they seem to have kciked in quite quickly as it is starting to feel better already!

wow its been really inspiring reading this post. we have also had such a hard time breastfeeding, but 6 and a half weeks on he has only had 3 oz of formula (he really hated the powdered stuff)

Like lots of you, lo wouldn't latch for me in the hospital, so midwives did it for me, long story short we got one good mw who really helped and my husband really helped so when we got home we finally managed to latch ourselves but with alot of fussing (fussing has only really stopped the last week or so)

Than I got mastitis in both breasts, then I got thrush, then I took an allergic reaction to the thrush cream, then I got mastitis again

My nipples are still itchy, can't shift the thrush, and I have deep pains on the outsides of my breasts on and off all day, but I just don't want to give up as he seems to be thriving. I fed in public the other day which was good, I just wish by boobs would settle down now!

Hats off to all you ladies who have come through so much, well done xx

Jellytots I don't know how old your lo is, but I had similar problems with my ds (he's now 2), and it did get better, probably took about ten weeks, and I found it really hard, but breastfeeding did become easy in the end and we managed it for 8 months - do hang in there if you want to keep it up. The way I started to see it was that we'd got through so much that it could only get better, so I didn't want to stop after all that and miss out on it getting better - which it did.
Broodybabe your story sounds very familiar to me from when ds was tiny too (except he didn't have a traumatic birth).

This time around though, I'm finding breastfeeding much easier - partly I think because I'm more confident, and largely because dd is so much better at it than her big brother was, she just seems to know what to do. At times I find the demand difficult to cope with (emotionally rather than in terms of supply), as she can be very unsettled in the evenings and constantly crying to be fed, but we seem to be getting on top of that now fingers crossed. I've also fed her in public a couple of times too, which I never managed with ds - so all in all I'm quite happy with how it's going. And I have had mastitis already this time (at ten days) - but I still generally feel good about breastfeeding.

gc from bimarch to offer some encouragement! i am ebf and have no intention of stopping any time soon. baby is 75th centile too. chunky monkey. it was very difficult at first but gets much much easier. now people dont realise i am feeding her a lot of the time. i find nursing tops from blooming marvelous are fantastic as they are so discrete, but get them soon as they are closing down. the ones with the flap across the front cover your top and tummy while baby feeds from the flap in between. so easy. get good nursing bras too as that makes it a lot easier in public. i have been ebf for 18+4!

it does get easier every week. the women i know who made it past 2 weeks are still feeding at 6 months.

I've got a chunky monkey too - 91st centile! x