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Can anyone let me know their bf experiences so far
Hi Ladies
im due in october 10, and i really want to breastfeed, and express bm so that hubby can join in, but im hearing all sorts of horror stories about the first few days feeling like someone has taken razors to your nipples etc etc, and its really putting me off!
im not great with pain!
i guess i just dont know what to expect.... also would you express after the first week or wait a while???
any advice on bfeeding you could give would be really helpful
x x x
im due in october 10, and i really want to breastfeed, and express bm so that hubby can join in, but im hearing all sorts of horror stories about the first few days feeling like someone has taken razors to your nipples etc etc, and its really putting me off!
im not great with pain!
i guess i just dont know what to expect.... also would you express after the first week or wait a while???
any advice on bfeeding you could give would be really helpful
x x x
0
Replies
My LO got so used to the bottle, he was never really interested in going back to the breast, it just seemed an easier way for him to feed - obviously a lazy boy! I know others that do combine the both and have done from a young age so I'm not sure what the answer is.
In my experience, bf'ing is not easy, it does not come natural to either you or the baby at first but it is a wonderful feeling and knowing that you are giving your baby the best start outweighs all of the difficulties by far. HTH xx
I was really lucky and only really experienced sore nipples for about the first week, the pain was the same as mentioned above and only lasted a few seconds before it felt fine. I just loaded my nipples with Lanisoh cream and tried to feed from one breast per feed to allow the other time to heal.
As mentioned above, it does get easier and when your few weeks old baby breaks away from feeding to give you a big gummy milky smile, it is the most heart melting wonderful feeling
I really enjoy breastfeeding and although the first six weeks of constant feeding can be hard and draining it really is worth it.
Lx
It did hurt in the beginning but if you can go through the first few weeks it does get easier. When my nipples were particularly sore i used shields which allowed them to heal after a few days.
I have also been expressing since about 2 or 3 weeks. I try to express in between feeds to build up a stock in the freezer as my mum has her when i go horse riding. I found it really helped to express early on when my milk came in as it eased the engorgement.
A lot of people I know say 6 weeks is often the turning point, so just bear that in mind.
I started expressing at 3 weeks too as I read this was the best time to start and it has certainly worked for us.
Good luck!
My LO is almost 9 months and I am still BFing. I am VERY lucky that I never experienced any pain or soreness whatsoever. I used Lansinoh obsessively which probably helped, but I know I'm in the minority. My birth experience was fairly horrible and heavily medicalised but LO latched on straightaway perfectly, and we've had no problems since. I am thinking of stopping now but part of me would like to carry on forever - it's been SUCH a wonderful experience.
I never really expressed so can't really help with that.
One thing, people often stop in the first few weeks because they are feeding ALL the time and think it's because they don't have enough milk and aren't satisfying their LO. PLEASE don't stop - this is completely normal and it's just your body's way of building up your milk supply. I quite enjoyed the luxury of snuggling up with my baby on the sofa, feeding for hours at a time, but it's less fun at night admittedly!
Good luck xx
My lo is now 8 weeks and i have no intention of stoppiing i have had it relatively easy only had one sore nipple at about 7 days old and did the whole teary phonecall to a friend as lo had been feeding every hour friend said happy mum happy baby so at that point one bottle of formula was intoduced as a night feed he took it straight away but satill loves the booby!!!
I now express as well and its a weight off that my lo will take a bottle so if i wanted to leave him for an hour or two i could. I .ike bfing its such a good excuse to snuggle up on the sofa with lo watching tv.
Keep an open mind, dont be afriad to ask for help and be prepared to spendsome time with your feet up, when you have your latch sorted you will find that you have spare hands to read a book etc which you would never have if you were bottle feeding. Plus you are never caught out when out and about its great for settling the , they are less windy and sicky im sure other people could give you more reason!!
MJx
I've been very lucky with both my babies, who have latched on fine from birth and gained weight well. It was never painful, or tiring - it just makes me a bit thirsty.
Good luck.
Sophie is now just over three weeks and I've been bf since birth, and she's just now begining to get the hang of it. It does take a lot of patience to get right, but is so worth it. She is gaining lots of weight and seems very contented and happy.
The disadvantages have been the sleepless nights (she's feeding three hourly to the minute at the moment), sore nipples, and I've just been diagnosed with a mastitis infection, great! However, she seems really happy and the nappies don't smell like bottle fed nappies would!
My top tips - try to feed as soon after delivery as possible, they're most awake and ready to feed for the first hour or so and then they go sleepy. Also, when your milk comes in you may have to express to avoid getting too full until the production settles down. My electric pump was a godsend on the fourth day!
I also got very engorged near the beginning, I didn't start expressing straightaway as I thought I should wait until my supply was more established, but I started at 3 weeks and it's been fine, means that DH can give her a bottle in the evening or during the night at the weekends.
I'm definitely glad I've stuck with it, it's so convenient when you're out and about (I'm getting there with mastering discreet feeding) and when she comes off and nestles into me with a contented sigh, it's lovely!
Everyone has to do what's right for them and I would never judge someone for giving up, because it is really hard, but I will definitely be doing it again with my future LOs no matter how hard it is in the beginning - you just have to grit your teeth and get to the other side and then it's great! I love the convenience of it, being able to leave the house at a moment's notice without worrying about bottles etc, being able to feed anywhere without needing hot water etc and best of all not having to wash/sterilise bottles all the time!
Good luck with your labour/birth and hope all goes well for you with BFing.
C
When I was pregnant I was told that 6 was the magic number - if you are still BFing after the first 6 hours, you are doing well as your baby is getting that important first milk, then 6 days as you have coped with baby blues (or are coping with them) and your milk has come in. Then 6 weeks as by now your milk supply should be established and your baby better at feeding. Then 6 months as you have given your baby a good start in life etc. I used to focus on these tagets and flet very proud of myself when I'd reached them!!
I remember being told horror stories about mastitis, blocked ducts etc and assumed that everyone got it, but I've been really lucky and so far, not had those problems.
One last thing to remember is that your baby has to keep relearning breast feeding, it's not a case of "Great - they've done it once - we're sorted" so those first few weeks can be frustrating as you can feel like you take steps forward and backwards, but persevere and it does get easier!
Hope this helps and I can definitely recommend nagging multilpe midwives until you get the help and support you need!!