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What are your true feelings about breastfeeding?
Reason I ask is, I still hate it at least half the time. I'm nearly at 6 months and I cant really say I've ever enjoyed it the way others seem to. In my defence it's never been easy (poor latch, ductal thrush, mastistis, cracked nipples - the most recent one this week) but it doesnt often give me any pleasure if that makes sense and I feel guilty for feeling like this. I feel like the only time I get any pleasure is when I feed him around others as I feel so proud that I'm feeding him. That probably sounds a little weird but its not meant like that. LO has never slept well, still feeds 8 or so times a day and sometimes this makes me really unhappy, and I wish I'd given up at the start instead of perservering as in my head he'd be sleeping through and I wouldnt be so ragged from sleep deprivation.
Because I'm coming up to 6 months, which was my target I'm torn as to whether to carry on or not. I suppose I'm looking for some encouragement if I'm being honest. I know I'd feel guilty if I quit but it's looking so appealing at the moment. (I will have to stop day feeds by 9 months as LO is starting nursery)
Because I'm coming up to 6 months, which was my target I'm torn as to whether to carry on or not. I suppose I'm looking for some encouragement if I'm being honest. I know I'd feel guilty if I quit but it's looking so appealing at the moment. (I will have to stop day feeds by 9 months as LO is starting nursery)
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From the other side I'm really looking forward to finishing and getting my body back. She won't take a bottle so there is absolutely no respite and I do find the responsibility a bit of a weight. At 16 weeks, she's still waking up to 3 times a night and I'm knackered.
I'm planning to continue until I wean her at six months, that's assuming I can get here to start with a cup and take some milk another way.
I found bfing changed dramatically after 6 months, i really started to enjoy it then. There's no urgency to the feeds, he started feeding much less at night, I was never engorged and uncomfortable.
If you do decide to stop though you musnt feel guilty -you've done an amazing job and I'm sure you'll look back at this time with pride, you'll forget the negative feelings xx
I had all the same problems with my first baby, but mostly in the first few weeks so by 6 months I was enjoying it more, but was also ready to cut down - I introduced formula at 6 months, stopping breastfeeding at 8 months in preparation for going back to work. In some ways I wish I'd carried on, but I think that's more because work pushed my decision to stop, it wasn't just down to me and ds. I know you asked for encouragement, but if you do feel you want to cut down or stop then there's nothing wrong with that, you've done your lo proud! On the other hand, after 6 months bf, having to start paying for formula and sterilising bottles, and getting them ready in advance, does grind a bit!
If you enjoy feeding in public, then that's great too - I never mastered it with ds and one of my reasons for cutting down was that it was getting so restricting and I couldn't express enough any more.
I'm now 7 weeks into bf no2, and I have to say I'm finding it easier and enjoying it more (despite being on my second bout of mastitis) - although most of my friends formula feed and do have more freedom than me, for the moment this is what I want to do, and I hope to keep it up for as long as possible.
But please don't think formula magically helps babies to sleep through, it doesn't always.
We had a rubbish start to bf'ing - 9 different midwives in 3 days tried to get Freddie to latch on properly in hospital - 4 of them laughed at his attempts (he'd roll his tongue and break the latch which apparently looked funny - I didn't think so, I just wanted my baby boy to feed) It wasn't until we were safely home and comfi and relaxed that we started to get it right and I'd say at least 3 months before I enjoyed it.
Now though it's a different story! I'd always planned to stop at 6 months but 6 months came and went and I couldn't face the idea of stopping and I now love it! As Freddie's now at nursery 3 days a week, we've stopped his daytime feeds and he takes bottles (sometimes) during the day, but he goes to bed with boobie and wakes up to boobie. At just over 9 months he still doesn't sleep through but I now see the night time feed(s) as a good excuse for a cuddle as he's too busy crawling and cruising throughout the day to make time for cuddles!
Whatever you decide you've given your lo a fantastic start and for that you should feel very proud xx
My DD is now 17 weeks and I am slowly cutting some BFs out and replacing with formula. I am studying as well so having to do it to be practical really but I am looking forward to getting my body back. I have enjoyed the experience despite the pain but feel that combination feeding is the way forward for me.
xx
I have had such a good experience and i have loved every minute - even though i am shattered with the nightfeeds, but i figure i would be doing them anyway if i ff.
Well done you for getting this far even though you don't enjoy it! You have done so well and given your lo a great start in life xxx
I had my little boy almost 8 weeks ago so i guess i'm still not too far in my BFing journey but i have found it really enjoyable so far. I'll admit the firs week was quite hard simply because my nipples were so sore!!! I used Lansinoh for it though and it sorted it out.
I had read up a lot on BFing before Kaleb was born so i'd read a lot of horror stories as well as advice on latching etc. Because i was aware of how difficult BFing can be i prepared myself for the worst and stocked up on bottlefeeding necessities too and aimed not to put too much pressure on myself.
Kaleb was born by em-c-section after a 26hr labour and i must admit i felt like i'd failed him because of this. I didn't get to hold him until i was in recovery so maybe a good 15/20 minutes or so after he was born (??) but i held him and put him to my breast and he latched on straight away and fed for ages!! His suction was out of this world though and i got such a shock at how strong it was and how much it hurt!! I soon developed blisters on my nipples!! The pain!! From that first feed i was determined to make sure he latched on properly. I'd read enough advice and watched enough video's explaining latching to not need to call on a midwife or anyone but i did manage to get him on properly. Best bit of advice i read was that if when you latch baby on it still hurts after 20 seconds, take him off and try again. I stuck to that and as i said used Lansinoh and things improved loads. One week later- nipples were healed and i had no pain at all.
For the first 3 weeks though i was really ill. I wasnt eating or drinking, yet i was vomiting sometimes 4/5 times a day. I ended up back in hospital for 5 days on a drip due to dehydration. For 2 of these weeks we fed Kaleb Cow & Gate during his night feeds so that i could get enough rest. I think we were going to make this a permanant thing but when it looked like Kaleb was coming down with a cold I switched straight back to exclusive bfing (thankfully my supply was fine) and have continued to do so ever since.
Almost 8 weeks in and i am enjoying it still. I love that i don't have to faff around with bottles unless i'm expressing and Kaleb is doing so well and weighed in at 10lbs 11oz at baby clinic yesterday. He's always been gaining weight and didn't lose any of his birth weight.
As a result i do count myself lucky for the journey i've had so far and i do hope it continues. My HV told me yesterday that Kaleb will be growing a lot between 8 and 13 weeks and so will demand feeds more so we'll see how i get on with that but for the moment i do enjoy it and I fully hope to continue to at least 6 months and i can imagine that i'll be gutted when it's time to stop. I'm going back to work when Kaleb gets to 9 months but i'm hoping with weaning it will all happen in time naturally but that i'll still be able to do morning and evening feeds.
I do love feeding him though and seeing him look at me with his big bright eyes as he feeds and the way he gets all 'drunk' when he's full. i love that he's gaining weight and thriving on the milk my body has produced.
I think you've done an excellent job to get this far particuarly with the difficulties you have had. I think that if you do decide to stop (and it's not quitting!) you should rest assured that you gave your baby the bes possible start. I feel that if you're ready to stop then you should or if not fully then maybe think about reducing the feeds...? maybe bf in the morning and last thing at night maybe...? Whatever you decide you will decide it with both your lo and your best interest.
All the best hun.
KB and Kaleb (7+5) xx
Then weeks of having to wrap him in a sheet as he wouldn't latch because of his hands, screaming for ages before latching, at the same time double mastitis, thrush, cracked nipple, allergic reaction to thrush cream, non healing crack, another 3 lots of mastitis, and now we've been having green nappies so I'm really hoping its not fore/hindmilk imbalance. All this and I just don't want to give up.
BUT its sooo hard, sometimes it seems as though formula is so easy compared to bf, and that gps are pro formula if you have problems. I panic regularly - not enough milk, too much milk, milk that just isn't right, and I know I'm being silly but really can't help it.
I;m finally at the point where I find bf special, I HATED it for at least the first 7 weeks, I dreaded every feed, i hated the constant pain( id rather have given birth again!!), but now we do bond at feeds. I can handle the deep pain I have after feeds (noone knows why) i can handle my sore nipple.
I am still very pro breastfeeding but I now understand why so many people ff, something I didn't before bf. Wow I've really gone on but well done at getting to 6 months, I;m lucky in that lo sleeps really well at night but really hope I can avoid mastitis etc and keep going as long as you have xx
K and Callum, 11 weeks today xx
I had major engorgement on the fourth day and couldn't feed until I'd expressed about 2 bottles worth. I had really sore nipples, mastitis in the second week, cracked nipples, problems with latch, mamouth feeding sessions etc etc. It is also likely that she has reflux so we're going to the Dr about that one on Tuesday.
Now at nearly 17 weeks she takes about 5 minutes to wolf it all down, I have a freezer full of expressed milk and a baby who is thriving, having gone from the 2nd centile at birth to just below the 50th. She doesn't sleep through the night though so we need to work on that one!
I still don't "love" it and am still not confident about feeding in public, but it is so much easier than it was and I love the special cuddles we have. In fact, I said to hubby the other day that I will probably continue beyond six months so perhaps I like it a bit!
i love his nighttime feed as its in his wee nursery now and all quiet just us two and i love watching his wee face as he gets excited to get on and then gets his wee happy roll of the eyes face, it makes me want to cry as i'll be stopping in just over a week but unless i do i can't get him out of the habit of feeding him to sleep as he feeds with his eyes closed!!! I also want a bit of freedom back too but am so worried he will still refuse a bottle and feel that i have sh*t on him from a great height
grizzlechops i know how hard it has been for you too and if anything you should be commended more as its been so much tougher yet you still stuck it out so good for you be proud xx