Positive Breastfeeding Experiences

Chichigo

A week or so ago someone (I don't remember who or on which thread) commented that this board is mostly used for help with breastfeeding problems, but we rarely share positive experiences. Who has good stories to share to encourage others?

mdlorenz

Every time I come home after a long day and get to snuggle with my LO who is growing up too fast (6 months) and nurse, and we both go from frazzled to relaxed in a matter of minutes.... that's what I love. So worth the challenging road to get here.

CNYBride05

I'm EBFing my gorgeous twin girls after a very rocky start. We all worked hard to get here and I'm so proud of myself, our girls, and my supportive husband

Chichigo

I had an opportunity to breastfeed in the first hour of my son's life. The nurse who helped me through the delivery commented that he had a perfect latch. My husband, mother, and mother in law were all there to support me, although only MiL knew anything about breastfeeding.

I was hospitalized for 2 days and 3 nights. During that time, we were observed by 5 different nurses with LC training plus the head lactation consultant. She was hands on, helping with latch and various positions. (Although his initial latch was good,mi had trouble positioning him properly, partly because each breast is larger than his head.)

My husband's extended family is very supportive. When visiting, they offer a private place but welcome our presence in the midst of the family gathering while the baby eats. My family is less supportive. They are uncomfortable if we aren't completely covered and don't see the point of nursing past 6 months. I have 1 cousin who isn't like that, but she's the only family member I know of since our great grandmothers who breastfeeds.

My son last 7 ounces between his birth and they day my milk came in. Since then, he has gained about an ounce a day. The pediatrician never suggested supplementing, not even when treating his newborn jaundice. 

I have been discouraged at times, such as during growth spurts when it seems he's at my breast 23 hours a day. My husband has been excellent support at those times, telling me I am doing the most important job in the world for our son. My biggest problem has been trying to pump for a small emergency stash of milk. I'm not too concerned though because I won't return to work until after my son is 6 months, which is my EBF goal. I hope to continue past that point.

My favorite breastfeeding moments are the happy smile my son makes as he's about to latch on (he also crunches up half his face in the cutest way), and the time he managed to latch on to his daddy's nipple. I'm unsure which of them was more upset or confused at that.

michelleonthecoast

My son is 8 months and I'm still EBF.  We had a VERY rocky start!  He wasn't gaining weight fast enough and fell completely off the growth chart.  He is growing great now and well over the 25th percentile.

I never thought I would be able to keep BFing after going back to work (he was 4 months old when I went back FT) since pumping was so hard in the beginning.

BootsOrHearts

DS was in the NICU when he was first born and was only 4 pounds. My favorite thing to do was to take him out of his incubator and nurse him. His latch was crap and we had to use a shield but I didn't care, I loved that close time that we shared together and it helped us both to get through that traumatic phase of our lives. I would talk to him and tell him stories while he ate, I'd tell him about his room at home, the dogwood that would bloom outside his window in the spring, how his Dad and I met, about his grandparents and all the things we would do together when he came home.

jennypenny*

This weekend I went out to dinner at a nice restaurant with my mom, 10yr old niece and mh. My lo was hungry when our dinner came out, so I nursed him, uncovered while we all ate. My lo is 3.5 months old. It left me feeling so confident and in control. I am glad we have gotten to this place. I never thought we would be in synch enough to nip.

skidderdo

My little guy is almost 1 year and is still EBF! At first I was nervous to BF in public, but around Christmas we went to NYC and I forgot my nursing cover. We were at this neat little Icelandic restaurant. And I just said "F* it... the kid's gotta eat" and whipped my boob out in the restaurant. And not surprisingly... no one cared
Oh, and I can't wait to celebrate making it to 1 year!

carrotcake06

I bf my oldest for 20mo. It was a wonderful experience

I'm currently BFing my 7.5mo old twins and still going strong!

My milk takes a very long time to come in - 5 days both times. My oldest was jaundice and it took a long time to clear prob partly bc my milk was so slow to really come in. The twins were in the NICU and I didn't get to meet them for 13 hours after they were born. I had to supplement w them for 10 days until my milk caught up with their demand.

Despite those early challenges, BFing has been a very positive experience that I really do love.

scruggsa

When DS smiles while nursing or pops off and smiles it makes my day. We have almost made it 5 months. I hope we make it many more.

pmduggan01

We had a rocky start too, that lasted for six weeks or so (seemed like forever at the time). But we're still BFing really well. Just tonight I started to cough while nursing DS, and he put his index finger over my mouth to "shush" me. Funny. There are lots of little moments like that.

mrsdahamm

I'm a FTM and still very new to this (LO is 19 days old), but I wanna play. My baby was born at 35w4d via c section after my water broke but I failed to progress after 12 hours. I was able to attempt bf'ing in recovery between 1-2 hours after he was born and he latched immediately.

He was jaundiced so I had to pump after every feed to supplement 15-20 ml after each feeding. The nurses were supportive but I don't think any if them expected me to meet his needs. Showed them! He only received one feeding of formula and that was because they kept him in the nursery so I would sleep because I'd had maybe 4 hours of sleep in 3 days.

Anyway, he was 6 pounds 8 ounces at birth, 5-14 at his lowest, 6-4 on Feb 4th (5days old) and 7-8 today at 19 days old. It made me feel really good knowing he's getting all he needs :-). I'm looking forward to building our fb relationship!!

ejb23

I had an emergency c section and one of my biggest fears was that BFing wouldn't work well due to the c section. My hubby did skin to skin as quickly as they could get him and baby into recovery while they waited for me. As soon as I was allowed I did skin to skin and she dove to my breasts, latched on and began to eat right away. It is my favorite memory and it was perfect. My milk supply came in quickly and she gained weight by the time she left hospital. We both love BFing and have an amazing bond with it.

kobicou

My first baby was born at 30w 5d. I managed to pump and feed her for 3 months before she latched and fed from me. It was extremely tiring and challenging, but I kept up with it. I was so tired that I was ready to give up bfing... I used to pump for 40 mins, feed her for 40 mins and sleep for 40 mins before she would wake up to eat again. I pumped at work and she was fed bm at home. She bfed for 13 months before she self weaned. I had to throw away a deep freezer full of milk! I think all that effort and pumping was worth it. She is a healthy 4 yr old.

My second baby was born at 35w 3d. Spent 3 days in the NICU. Was on formula for one day till my milk came in and she has been bfing ever since (wont take a bottle). Hoping to get to one year with her as well. She smiles at me when she is done feeding and I love looking at her happy little face!

hollandmama

I think BF is by far one of the most beautiful things in a woman's life. It establishes such a connection between mom and child. Now that I'm back to work I can't wait to go back home and nurse my 7mo big boy. 

BF is hard the first few weeks but then it's easier and more natural than anything else

YellowLily2013

I can't even start to quantify everything we've been through. But ultimately we are still nursing at almost 8 months. And no desire to quit anytime soon.

It's such a blessing to be able to provide for him in this way. And I owe a lot to the support of my DH, LCs, my mom. And all the other women who've shown me it's possible - through this forum and IRL.

Every woman's story is slightly different and beautiful. I absolutely love reading everyone's journey!

frank3jr

I don't breast feed but do EP and have had a positive experience. About 2 weeks after my twins were born I got mastasis and until the twins were 5 months old the mastasis repeated 7 times. I was on an antibiotic for 10-14 days each time and then it would go away and come back most of the time a week or so later. I was constantly trying new antibiotics and always having to go into the doctors to get checked out again and again. I lived in fear of mastasis and it was so discouraging. With a very supportive DH, and great doctor that encouraged and supported me I am so happy that I didn't give up pumping. Mastasis has not been in our lives for 4.5 months after a lot of trial and error with different breast pads, bras, antibiotics, cleaning supplies, etc. Although I stopped breast feeding (it was so painful with mastasis and I didn't like the idea that my babies could be getting clumpy/bloody milk with me not seeing all the milk) I still feel good that I am giving my twins the best milk I can.

vvvvvfee

i think breastfeeding just gets easier and more rewarding as time goes on. it's such a sweet time for bonding, and a great way to comfort your LO when they are sick or upset. i definitely had a hard time at the beginning, but i am so glad i stuck with it. it's a nice way to reconnect with my DS when i come home from work each day.

TheDairyQueenx3

I am EBF my twin boys who are now 3.5 months old. Watching them go from their lowest weights of 2 and 3 pounds now up to 8.11 and 10 pounds all because of me has been amazing. Also watching them hold hands while they feed, and the smiles I get when they are getting full bellies. The hard work I have put in makes me feel so beyond proud of myself as it's been really hard with all the issues we have had. Plus I'm doing better with the twins than I did with my singleton!

mexicolombiana

Ooh, me me me.  I was interviewed by the huffington post about just this topic.  I had a bit of a rocky start w/my first but only because I wasn't experienced.  With my 2nd DD breastfeeding has been easy and wonderful.  We're still nursing but I think she's probably ready to wean soon.  (she just turned 2).

Here's the article.  

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/22/breastfeeding-success-story_n_3743966.html

Robi1

I've had a really easy time breastfeeding. There was maybe a tiny bit of adjustment pain early on, and I dealt with an oversupply/overactive letdown/constant leaking/spraying for a few months, but basically, breastfeeding has been a wonderful and natural and easy experience. I don't talk about it much because so many women struggle and I hate to sound brag-y, but it's nice for women to know that it's possible to breastfeed exclusively without dealing with latching issues, supply issues, pain, mastitis, clogged ducts, cracked/bleeding nipples, thrush, baby weight gain issues, etc etc. Breastfeeding is wonderful, so convenient and totally worth it, even if those issues do crop up, but they're not a guarantee! 

RootBeer29

My first child was extremely challenging and was never successfully BF.

I was so determined to make it work with my second baby girl.  She came out and latched right on and didn't let go for what seemed like about 5 weeks.  She's gained weight great, we've bonded great and she's still nursing nearly 10 months later.  It makes me so happy to have been successful the second time around.  She was also my VBAC baby and she proved to me that my body can do everything it was meant to do.

[Deleted User]

I had some of the common minor difficulties in the beginning (though nothing seemed minor at the time for this new mama!) but we hit a stride around 6 weeks or so. Since then it's been so easy and rewarding. We are still nursing at 23 mo and I love it. On Monday he was so excited when I got home and we made our way to the couch to nurse, he was just giggling with joy.

Cupcakes339

In the very beginning, I could not imagine what the LC and nurses were talking about, BF being enjoyable and intimate.  About 2 months in, it clicked in, it is intimate sharing. I do love feeling I can provide what she needs and watching her have that satisfied smile when she pops off. Now I look forward to our quiet nursing time together, and I will miss it when it's all over (wean). Hopefully we will have many more months before that.

seawater

I've been struggling with BF my twins from the very beginning.  Just last week, I completed a feeding without the use of a nipple shied.  Though it seems like such a small thing to some, for me this is a huge victory.  It's so easy to get discouraged.  Reading your stories gives me something to aspire to.  You all give me hope for the future!

ns1

I bf my daughter for 14 months. I loved the precious time with her, especially now as I see her rambunctious little 2 yo self who will barely slow down for me.

We had a great start to bf'ing (even though separated for 3-4 hours after delivery). There was some pain, but it lessened. I was lucky to have very few issues and was really able to enjoy the experience and even donate some breastmilk.

nursebride2be

We had a slightly rocky start, and intermittent rough patches where I have thought about stopping. But so glad I have not let myself as I love the quiet time I get when nursing him. After coming home from work and getting to nurse and snuggle him is great. We have made it 5 months and am hoping for a year like I had with my first.

tortuga47

I treasure the time I spent breastfeeding and my son did too. It's a bond that only I could share with him. I had to quit (yesterday in fact was my last day) due to medical issues and it's completely devastated me. It made me really stop and reflect, every moment I'd secretly feel too tired to get up or get frustrated that I was too busy to nurse him, I should have been treasuring. It goes by fast in the grand scheme of things, so take a deep breath, look at your beautiful baby and know what a precious gift breastfeeding is for both of you, nutritionally and emotionally.

jennyelf

Kiddo is 22 months and we're still nursing. We were lucky to have a fairly easy start and extremely supportive husband and workplace. I returned to work at 8 months and due to a really supportive workplace, I was able to pump and keep up my supply for the full year. 10 months later and we're still nursing twice a day. I love it for the brief bit of cuddle time I still get even though some of the sessions are more gymnursitics sessions. Kiddo is so independent now, nursing is the one time I get some cuddles during the day.