Hi just wanted to add that it sound like you are doing a fab job. My lo is now 5 months and i nearly gave up soooo many times but i'm so glad i kept going. I got a bit stressed about having a routine etc. but now i can look back and realise i should have just gone with the flow a bit more! At 5 months my lo is now having 4 breastfeeds a day and it's just second nature for the both of us. It's taken a while to get there but you both have to learn a new skill and that takes time!
hi, i don't know if anyopne else has suggested this but when ds was 10 days old i had an awful time trying to feed him when he had previously been feeding fine, he just wldn't latch! and when he did he wld stay for 30secs and be off again, i had one nipple blistered and mw didn't help much, so i went to my birth centre and checked in there again. it was fantastic, because the midwives there are with u for every feed for one day, 2 or even 3 days if u wish to stay in that long, or longer, until ur happy with how feeding is going. every time ds wanted a feed i buzzed them and someone came thru to help and observe, i wld attempt first and they would then guide me better, afetr the first 24 hours ds was feeding properly but i stayed in the following night too cos sod's law wld be that it wld start all again the minute we got home so i wanted to check i cld do it, so that night i fed him every feed without buzzing for help and we managed it, and if there was a feed there that i cldn't get him to do i was much less stressed (even before feeding i wasn't panicking about the trauma about to happen) as i knew help was just a 2 seconds away if needed. now this may not be for u, but birth centres do let OHs stay over night too, so u won't be alone and u don't have to have had a 'normal' birth either, i had an em c section and once ur mobile the birth centre will welcome u with open arms. i was petrified on my way back there thinking they wld all think i was crap but it was the best decision i cld've made and without ti i wldn't have gone on to bfeed ds unitl 7months old. hth xx
hi again, just to add if u do decide that u wld like to go to ur birth centre then just phone them up and ask them, just say u'ld like to come in over night for some breastfeeding suppport, and they'll accomaodate u so long as they're not full, but tbh birthcentres never are full they're always quiet peaceful places, not busy and bustling and chaotic (lol) like the hospital x
Siany I didn't realise they did that, thats such incredible support. We have had another good day today, exclusively breastfed and the night went well too. I made sure I had some EBM in the fridge just in case it all went wrong but I didn't have to use it! Thanks again girls, i'm not sure we have mastered it but i'm certainly more comfortable about the whole thing. Em
... Right won't beat around the bush as i'm pretty time poor these days
With My first Charlie - I had an awful birth & he was taken off me at birth & given formula this went on for a week while I was in High dependency unit - I really honestly tried to BF when I got home - & it was SUCH hard work, & I shed so many tears... I could pump for 2 hours and be lucky to get half oz! I managed to feed him for 5 & a half weeks.. I found that ALWAYS offering the boob first helpped because baby learns that milk will come but they will HAVE to work for it.. as out of a bottle it flows faaaar to freely - Also whoever said squeeze some milk into there mouth first to help focus/calm them is such a clever idea!
I stopped BFing at 5& 1/2 weeks because my HV told me he was too under weight ... blah blah... I was very vunrable at the time and unable to feel strong enough - & doubted he was getting enough already (really needed support more than critisism!)
I now have another baby (exactly 14 months apart) Olivia & I am exclusively BFing her! something i've found so helpful this time is - have whole days in bed where your stripped on top and have baby next to you and let them feed little and very often - so there is never that frantic I'm starving feeling going on for them... this will really also help your milk flow build up (I'm like dairy cattle now lol) & the other thing I do when i'm having a wobble is go along to a BFing support class they run monday to friday around 1-3pm and it's just lots of new BF-ing mummies and Mummy's who have been there and done it - and they give you loads of praise, support, enncoragement, ideas, and advice & i've always come away feeling a boost and more able to carry on!
Also I just want to tell you that babies have little growth spurts at rough timings - & a baby will want to feed NON stop at these times - you will feel like maybe your not producing enough milk - but you are your body works on babies suply/demand - & they have to put in extra 'orders'
You are doing really well!! & it's lovely you have the desire! It's hard work but you do feel so proud! xxxx
It must be love Thank you for responding and giving me a confidence boost. I'm still exclusively breastfeeding a week in, I honestly never thought I would keep it up! I am definatey going to try the stripping off thing. If ever we are struggling I strip Oliver and take my top off rather than just get my boob out and it does seem to calm him down. he seems to go from tired to hungry within about 2 seconds which doesn't help! I was really getting stressed as I hadn't brought any other milk and was really worried each time he wasn't latching on about what I was going to do if he didnt' feed so I sent DH to the shops to get some aptamil. Since having it, i'm much more relaxed as I know I can feed my poor little son if he gets too irate but strangely enough having the aptamil there makes me more determined not to open the tub! Strangely it works better than not having any here at all as i'm so much more relaxed that there is a way out but i'm pleased to say I haven't needed it! Don't get me wrong, I look longingly at the aptamil, especially last night when we started feeding at 9pm and by 10.30 we still hadn't finished. Me and Bubs were both covered in milk where he was sucking once then pulling off so my milk was just dripping all over him! I even made a breakthrough and fed in front of MIL. She's competely safe and she's a nurse so maybe it's easier but i'm quite "reserved" and would never dream about doing it in front of others but Oli needed feeding, she was here and I kinda thought, why should I take my son into my bedroom and leave her in my lovely warm living room lol! I asked her if she minded, she said no so I carried on! Mind you, if she had said she did I would have chucked her out in the snow! Girls, thanks again - I'm still taking each day as it comes and can't honestly say I will be breastfeeding for months and months but each day I conquer I feel so proud of myself! Em xxxx
Em sweety, I'm afraid I can't offer any advise as bf'ing just didn't work for us but I just wanted to say you sound like you're doing absolutely amazing and giving Oiliver the best possible start you can. I take my hat off to anyone who bf as it is very hard so you're doing fantastic. Great big hugs xxxxxx
hey, well done it sounds like you are doing great. when i just read your first message my heart went out to you as it brought back memories of exactly what i was like when i first had theo. i couldn't get him to latch on at all and, like you, didn't realise how much i was desperate to breast feed until i thought i couldn't. the first 6 weeks where the hardest, and theo was mixed feed as i just couldn't express enough to satisfy him and couldn't get him latched on properly - but then something clicked in both of us, like we both suddenly learnt how to do it and he was one last saturday and we are still enjoying breast feeding. after those 6 weeks it was so easy and you'll get there!
the only advice i can give is that my hospital had an infant feeding team with a drop in clinic every week, and i went there until we were both confident. they were fantastic (much better than your hv sounds!) and really supportive. i also got in touch with bibs (breast is best) and a volunteer came to my house and helped me and it made all the difference - gaveme the confidence and made me all the more determined.
hey hun logged in just to see how you were getting on?
You know there is no harm if you feel desprate giving a bottle if it enables you to carry on BFing for longer - I know exactly what you mean - me just accepting that bit of information meant that I really felt I could relax (you know it's there if you need it but knowing that takes the pressure off!)
I PROMISE it gets easier - now i'm too lazy to bottle feed (I never understood that saying before!) but it's the idea of all the extra work and crawling out of bed in the freezzing cold!
& *touches wood millions before sharing this* Olivia has done about 7 hours sleeping every night for 3 nearly 4 weeks *please don't break the spell because i've talked about it* but I just wanted to share with you because there is a common belief FF babies slept thru sooner but Charlie who was FF didn't sleep though till he was 6 months! So depends on the baby not your milk!
I'm really pleased your feeling much better about it all and doing so well.
I def agree about having the formula in the house, my friend brought me some at 2 weeks and because I knew I could feed her if BFing wasnt happening I was much more relaxed. I'm now too lazy to bother with bottles, sterilising etc dont even express anymore coz i cant be bothered. OH laughs at me because I now see formula as the enemy but always keep two cartons of aptamil in the house just in case.
My little lady is 12 weeks tomorrow and has slept 9 hours through since 10 weeks, hoping it lasts but goes to show BF babies can sleep through, she cluster feeds all evening but its worth it to get at least 8 hours!!!!!
Its a major rollercoaster being a new mum and when you add BF to that it adds so much more anxiety but once its settled and baby starts thriving on it, its sooooooo easy, actually feel really proud of you.
Replies
Hope you have a good night and well done! x
I didn't realise they did that, thats such incredible support. We have had another good day today, exclusively breastfed and the night went well too. I made sure I had some EBM in the fridge just in case it all went wrong but I didn't have to use it!
Thanks again girls, i'm not sure we have mastered it but i'm certainly more comfortable about the whole thing.
Em
xx
... Right won't beat around the bush as i'm pretty time poor these days
With My first Charlie - I had an awful birth & he was taken off me at birth & given formula this went on for a week while I was in High dependency unit - I really honestly tried to BF when I got home - & it was SUCH hard work, & I shed so many tears... I could pump for 2 hours and be lucky to get half oz! I managed to feed him for 5 & a half weeks.. I found that ALWAYS offering the boob first helpped because baby learns that milk will come but they will HAVE to work for it.. as out of a bottle it flows faaaar to freely - Also whoever said squeeze some milk into there mouth first to help focus/calm them is such a clever idea!
I stopped BFing at 5& 1/2 weeks because my HV told me he was too under weight ... blah blah... I was very vunrable at the time and unable to feel strong enough - & doubted he was getting enough already (really needed support more than critisism!)
I now have another baby (exactly 14 months apart) Olivia & I am exclusively BFing her! something i've found so helpful this time is - have whole days in bed where your stripped on top and have baby next to you and let them feed little and very often - so there is never that frantic I'm starving feeling going on for them... this will really also help your milk flow build up (I'm like dairy cattle now lol) & the other thing I do when i'm having a wobble is go along to a BFing support class they run monday to friday around 1-3pm and it's just lots of new BF-ing mummies and Mummy's who have been there and done it - and they give you loads of praise, support, enncoragement, ideas, and advice & i've always come away feeling a boost and more able to carry on!
Also I just want to tell you that babies have little growth spurts at rough timings - & a baby will want to feed NON stop at these times - you will feel like maybe your not producing enough milk - but you are your body works on babies suply/demand - & they have to put in extra 'orders'
You are doing really well!! & it's lovely you have the desire! It's hard work but you do feel so proud! xxxx
Thank you for responding and giving me a confidence boost. I'm still exclusively breastfeeding a week in, I honestly never thought I would keep it up! I am definatey going to try the stripping off thing. If ever we are struggling I strip Oliver and take my top off rather than just get my boob out and it does seem to calm him down. he seems to go from tired to hungry within about 2 seconds which doesn't help!
I was really getting stressed as I hadn't brought any other milk and was really worried each time he wasn't latching on about what I was going to do if he didnt' feed so I sent DH to the shops to get some aptamil. Since having it, i'm much more relaxed as I know I can feed my poor little son if he gets too irate but strangely enough having the aptamil there makes me more determined not to open the tub! Strangely it works better than not having any here at all as i'm so much more relaxed that there is a way out but i'm pleased to say I haven't needed it!
Don't get me wrong, I look longingly at the aptamil, especially last night when we started feeding at 9pm and by 10.30 we still hadn't finished. Me and Bubs were both covered in milk where he was sucking once then pulling off so my milk was just dripping all over him!
I even made a breakthrough and fed in front of MIL. She's competely safe and she's a nurse so maybe it's easier but i'm quite "reserved" and would never dream about doing it in front of others but Oli needed feeding, she was here and I kinda thought, why should I take my son into my bedroom and leave her in my lovely warm living room lol! I asked her if she minded, she said no so I carried on! Mind you, if she had said she did I would have chucked her out in the snow!
Girls, thanks again - I'm still taking each day as it comes and can't honestly say I will be breastfeeding for months and months but each day I conquer I feel so proud of myself!
Em
xxxx
I take my hat off to anyone who bf as it is very hard so you're doing fantastic.
Great big hugs xxxxxx
the only advice i can give is that my hospital had an infant feeding team with a drop in clinic every week, and i went there until we were both confident. they were fantastic (much better than your hv sounds!) and really supportive. i also got in touch with bibs (breast is best) and a volunteer came to my house and helped me and it made all the difference - gaveme the confidence and made me all the more determined.
good luck with everything xxxxx
You know there is no harm if you feel desprate giving a bottle if it enables you to carry on BFing for longer - I know exactly what you mean - me just accepting that bit of information meant that I really felt I could relax (you know it's there if you need it but knowing that takes the pressure off!)
I PROMISE it gets easier - now i'm too lazy to bottle feed (I never understood that saying before!) but it's the idea of all the extra work and crawling out of bed in the freezzing cold!
& *touches wood millions before sharing this* Olivia has done about 7 hours sleeping every night for 3 nearly 4 weeks *please don't break the spell because i've talked about it* but I just wanted to share with you because there is a common belief FF babies slept thru sooner but Charlie who was FF didn't sleep though till he was 6 months! So depends on the baby not your milk!
let us know how your doing!?
& have you found out about your local groups? x
I def agree about having the formula in the house, my friend brought me some at 2 weeks and because I knew I could feed her if BFing wasnt happening I was much more relaxed. I'm now too lazy to bother with bottles, sterilising etc dont even express anymore coz i cant be bothered. OH laughs at me because I now see formula as the enemy but always keep two cartons of aptamil in the house just in case.
My little lady is 12 weeks tomorrow and has slept 9 hours through since 10 weeks, hoping it lasts but goes to show BF babies can sleep through, she cluster feeds all evening but its worth it to get at least 8 hours!!!!!
Its a major rollercoaster being a new mum and when you add BF to that it adds so much more anxiety but once its settled and baby starts thriving on it, its sooooooo easy, actually feel really proud of you.
xxxxxx