Would you BF if you could do it all over again?

jamalynn

I BF DD for 15.5 months until she self weaned.  I don't regret BFing for that long at all.  It was tough for the first 2.5 months but I never gave up and I am glad I didn't.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I hated pumping and once DD was 13 months old, I stopped pumping completely and if we missed a nursing session then she just got whole milk.  I do plan to BF DC#2 and will probably continue to until he self weans unless he's getting to old I guess. 

CandT

I was really thinking about this lately. I had to stop BF DD due to supply/weight loss around 5/6 weeks. I always wanted to BF to 6 months.

BUT, seeing how easy the FF was and thinking of having two LO's I am just not sure. I will definitely start BF and see how it goes, but I think it will be harder after having FF #1.

LMK8605

I always say that if I only had one I would definitely BF - but even if I had 2 I would still try again.  I would just do it differently (ie: pumping more at the beginning to establish supply).  I didn't make enough and I wish I could have nursed longer than 9 weeks.

emmyloustu

Yes, yes, 1000X yes!!!!

I also had major issues - suck dysfunction due to a rare type 4 tongue tie, low supply, cracked bloody nipps, reflux, dairy intolerance, sloooooowwww weight gain etc... and I must have spent 90% of the first several months either nursing or pumping, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. 

We are still night nursing at almost 1yr though she gets 99% of her liquid nutrition from formula at this point and hope to continue as long as possible.

I hope and pray and beg the BFing goddesses that it will go more smoothly with #2 because I can't imagine having a toddler and devoting that much time and effort to BFing, but I will do my best. 

I have loved the bonding and knock on wood, besides a sniffle she has not been sick!!

emiannie

We had a really hard time with BFing and combined with Miles almost not being able to leave the hospital with us because he was still losing a LOT of weight...I pumped for two weeks before throwing in the towel.

At the time I felt bad about it, but looking back it was the best move we made as a family.  He's happy, healthy, intelligent, thriving young boy now...I have no regrets.  

With #2 I'll try again sure, but I won't be nearly as reluctant to do only FF.  I applaud ladies who fight tooth and nail to BF though.  You're something special...and your kiddos are lucky to have you. 

JGirl2005

It's hard and my blog says that too that most people have unrealistic expectation on what it takes (not saying you do, just saying it is harder than most ppl think).  You ahve done awesome mama!

To each their own....

I would do it again and have and had a much better time this time.  To be honest, last time I was stressed all the time, had low supply and sometimes hated it.

LucyPevensie

Haven't read any of the responses yet - but after EP'ing for 6 months - I don't know if I'd do THAT again, but one of the things that makes me sad about not having another baby is not getting the chance to make nursing at the breast work.  I really, really wanted to BF Jack - had assumed I would  - had NO DOUBTS I would.  And his tongue tie and a million subsequent problems and boob infections and severe allergic reactions to boob meds made that impossible.  I would love to breastfeed a baby (for more than 2 weeks - all I got with Jack.) 

JGirl2005

emmyloustu:

Yes, yes, 1000X yes!!!!

I also had major issues - suck dysfunction due to a rare type 4 tongue tie, low supply, cracked bloody nipps, reflux, dairy intolerance, sloooooowwww weight gain etc... and I must have spent 90% of the first several months either nursing or pumping, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. 

We are still night nursing at almost 1yr though she gets 99% of her liquid nutrition from formula at this point and hope to continue as long as possible.

I hope and pray and beg the BFing goddesses that it will go more smoothly with #2 because I can't imagine having a toddler and devoting that much time and effort to BFing, but I will do my best. 

I have loved the bonding and knock on wood, besides a sniffle she has not been sick!!

  I"ll let you know when I post on my blog what I did differently, but I know you told me on FB and I said it really is smoother the 2nd time around.  My LC said the roots were there!

mel72

My supply never came in for DS1, plus he was in the NICU for 2 wks and I pumped like a mad woman and hardly had anything to give him, I was so upset.  I tried BF when he got home but 1) he wanted nothing to do w/ it 2) he was a preemie so I was so freaked out that he wouldn't get enough 3) I have flat nipples 4) both of my babies have/had reflux and had a period where they ate every hour (I would be soooooooooo sore if I BF!) 

somethingchangd

Absolutely.

DS was born without a suck reflex and never really nursed until he was a month old.  I EP'd, bottle fed (BM) and gave him time at the breast for that first month.  The second month (and third and fourth and fifth and sixth...) he decided that the boob was where it's at and was attached to me more often than he wasn't.  He never took a bottle after that first month (despite repeated attempts) and nursed every 1.5 hours around the clock for ages, so I wasn't able to get any time away for months.  It was hard for a really long time.  Really hard.

But it was also so good.  It's been a great bond for us.  I love how happy nursing makes him.  He's been healthy and has thrived, even though he didn't eat any real solids until a year and is still a lousy eater.  It's helped me get through many many rough nights and lets me lay in bed enjoying his company every morning.  I am so grateful for our nursing relationship.

Sometimes I worry about those early months when thinking about #2 and sometimes I think I'll work really hard to make sure #2 takes a bottle at times.  But then I think of how quickly this past 18 months has gone in hindsight and I don't regret a thing.

Aliki

Abby,

While BFing has caused me a lot of grief and stress and worry over whether I have enough milk for her and whether she's eating enough and how I can pump at work (I only get one pumping session per day)... I would do it all over again every time I see how content she is when she nurses. 

And the way she gets so excited for BF is just priceless.

ESTH2000

A gazillion million times over and over again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was not very educated about bfding until I got pg. My family didn't really ever bf. Matter of fact, I think this board is what really got me interested in bfding. Once I did my own research on the benefits, it was a done deal.

I gave myself mini goals from the start. It might have helped that I didn't really read books or go to classes. I might have been scared off by all the mastisis, cracked nipples stories..lol

After reading the amazing stories above of how many moms fought tooth and nail to continue bfding, I guess we didn't have it too bad. DD was just a sleepy snacker mostly. I didn't get my first mastisis or cracked nipple until around 18months. I weaned from the pump at 1yr and went through post weaning depression. I can't imagine what I will go through when we wean from nursing.

Bfdng has definitely been hard and I have sacrificed a lot for it. But it is what I feel is best for my child and now there is research proving it also helps reduce the risk of cancer for mama. I won't say DD has never been sick. She had her share of colds, one ear infection and the popular no-name viruses that go around but she usually rebounds very quickly and thankfully we have not had a hospital stay yet..knock on wood...this I do attribute to bfding.

I have been lucky to have wonderful support from my DH, my family and work to help make this happen. Otherwise, I'm not sure we would still be nursing today.

I have given up a lot of myself to BF. I hardly go out with DH or friends, don't get mani-pedis or hair done as much, don't drink. My whole life pretty much still revolves around bfding but I am happy with that decision. It won't be for ever and doing what I feel is best for my child and for me. So until she no longer wants anything to do with my boobs or I have to stop for medical reasons (which I might have to) we will continue nursing.

If you could see how excited she gets to nurse, the happiness on her face when I get home and say ok lets go to the couch to nurse, the way we gaze into each others eyes as she lays in my arms nursing...the way I can instantly soothe her when she is ill or has fallen and hurt herself, the way she won't feel good enough to eat any food but will always nurse, the whole experience is priceless. Yes, there have been times where I am so exhausted or felt I was too confined to the house because of nursing but I never gave up. I kept the strength to keep going. I think I will have a harder time weaning than DD. The bond we have is like no other and I cherish every moment we nurse.

The other day she was so happy I got home and asked to nurse...while she was nursing I was singing to her and then all of a sudden she unlatched and said " I luvs you, mama"  and hugged me tight...The tears just flowed at that moment...it was an incredible feeling!

I don't judge anyone who does not bf. Every family has to do what is best for them.

But I will try to bf every child I am blessed with from here on ...

crystalgirl

For me, after doing it once, I can't imagine not doing it again. It makes the pp time 1000x harder because you can't share the work, but the bfing itself is so much easier the second time. And I felt the demands of ebfing really lessened over time.

Sorry you're having a rough time, but it will get better as he gets older!

madhatter2003

Yes, I bf both of mine for over  a year and I absolutely will again if we have #3.  It was one of the best decisions I made for me as a mother.