Bc I have a biased opinion, I need your opinions [please]

zoology2 · August 2009

My sister is due any day now (she already has one DS same age as DD1) and she was asking me what I think she should do in regards of BFing or not.

I have thankfully been successful BFing with all 3 children so I wasn't the best person to ask.

My question is: if you were unsuccessful at BFing (for whatever reason), will you try again with your second one (assuming you'll have more LO)?

Thanks ladies, I greatly appreciate it (or more so my sister)! She just doesn't know if she wants to go through the emotional rollercoaster with it like she did before (feeling like a failure, low confidence as a mother, etc) but then doesn't want to give it another shot either. TIA!

punkfiction · August 2009

i tried again, but didnt last that long. but i WILL be trying with number 3 whenever that is.

reynah · August 2009

I nursed ds1 for about 2 weeks. I ended up getting mastitis and it just hurt to darn bad to continue. I was done. I def. felt like a failure b/c I had wanted to bf so badly. Now, with ds2 I didn't even give it a try. And honesly, did not feel bad about my decision at all. I think that some women can bf with ease and others can't. Either way, I think the decision is up to your sister and I wouldn't think she should feel llike a failure at all. Both my boys are happy and healthy even though they drank formula the 1st year.

zoology2 · August 2009

reynah:
I nursed ds1 for about 2 weeks. I ended up getting mastitis and it just hurt to darn bad to continue. I was done. I def. felt like a failure b/c I had wanted to bf so badly. Now, with ds2 I didn't even give it a try. And honesly, did not feel bad about my decision at all. I think that some women can bf with ease and others can't. Either way, I think the decision is up to your sister and I wouldn't think she should feel llike a failure at all. Both my boys are happy and healthy even though they drank formula the 1st year.

I've told her that a million times over. I just think it's because I'm the oldest and there has ALWAYS been a comparison between us that she sorta wants to live up to my expectations or at least follow in my footsteps. I'm assuming that may be why she has such a negative feeling about NOT trying again.

char-char · August 2009

I breastfed my DS in the beginning, but supplemented with formula the entire time because I had issues and was not able to BF him for the first few days after he was born because the recovery from my c-section and complications was very difficult. I was in the hospital for a total of 6 days due to blood loss, numerous blood transfusions and then blood pressure problems as a result likely of the transfusions I had to have. So, once we went home from the hospital I continued to try to BF more and supplement with formula, but I never seemed to produce enough supply to meet his eating needs and then ultimately, I was in such pain that I finally gave into formula feeding completely around 10 weeks or so. Knowing that I was going back to work full-time and that for me, it was going to be extremely difficult to pump througout the day, etc., etc., so I surrended to formula feeding even though I had hoped to BF for at least a bit longer. I do *plan* on BF with this baby as well, but will have to see how things happen once he is born. I feel a bit more knowldegable now about resources and things I can do to help make the process easier this time around and hope that I might be able to make it work or at least be able to do it for as long as possible. I do want to try though and that's obviously a very personal choice and will vary person to person based on their experiences and the importance BF and the benefits weigh in with each individual.

Jessibell · August 2009

I don't know if I would be considered unsuccessful...

I BF DD for a little over a year. No matter how much I nursed and pumped it seemed like I never made quite enough, so from 1 week old to about 7 or 8 months old, we supplemented one bottle of formula a day and I pumped during that bottle. Around the 8 month mark my supply really bottomed out (I'd get 3 or 4 ounces out of 3 pumps combined) so I started nursing on demand when I was with her, but supplementing with formula for all feedings while I was at work.

The whole thing really was a stress filled beating, but I loved nursing and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

It would be sweet if I had an over supply with the next one

ibfloridagirl · August 2009

I BF'd ike for 5 weeks, then gave him half formula/half frozen bm for 2 weeks. I wanted to stop BFing in the worst way and then when i did i cried and cried. I am really hoping that i can BF #2 for 6 months or more, but i do know that ike is a very happy healthy baby and really that's all that matters )

missjanel · August 2009

I will try again with the next one. Breastfeeding this one has been unsuccessful from day one. I am still pumping but my supply is going down and I don't know how how long it will be worthwhile with low supply.

techdg26 · August 2009

With my first one, I didn't make any milk. We tried everything to get my milk supply to increase and it just didn't happen. After pumping and supplementing for 8 weeks, I gave up.

I tried again and it didn't work again but for different reasons. My baby girl had digestive issues and we had to put her on prescription formula.

With #3, I will probably only BF for a couple of weeks as we are aiming to have three under 4 and I don't know how feasible it is to think I can go through BF problems with 3 kiddos

zoology2 · August 2009

Jessibell:
I don't know if I would be considered unsuccessful...

I BF DD for a little over a year. No matter how much I nursed and pumped it seemed like I never made quite enough, so from 1 week old to about 7 or 8 months old, we supplemented one bottle of formula a day and I pumped during that bottle. Around the 8 month mark my supply really bottomed out (I'd get 3 or 4 ounces out of 3 pumps combined) so I started nursing on demand when I was with her, but supplementing with formula for all feedings while I was at work.

The whole thing really was a stress filled beating, but I loved nursing and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

It would be sweet if I had an over supply with the next one

That's what kind of happened to me. I had OVERFLOW (i have 100+ frozen bags in freezer as we speak) with DS and since I pretty much tandem nursed til DD2 was born, it really hasn't stopped. I have noticed less now since dd is in the hospital but I have back up if anything happens.

pjoann78 · August 2009

I was pretty unsuccessful with #1... latch issues and low supply. We supplemented from the get go (when at her 3-day apt, she had lost 12% of her body weight). I gave up "BF-ing" and pumped from about 8 weeks to 6 months and then weaned off the pump.

I will be trying again with #2 and hopefully I won't deliver this one on a Sunday morning where I can't talk to an LC at the hospital until Monday late morning, just before they kicked us out. I know I really should have gone back and made an effort to work on the latch issues, but I just didn't have the energy.

mikey&amie · August 2009

I EP'd for 4 months and had enough freezer stash to get her to 5 months of BM. We had to supplement with formula as well. BFing was one of the hardest things I have ever done/tried. She wouldn't latch, she had jaundice, wouldn't latch, she fell asleep, wouldn't latch, etc... After 3 weeks of attempting to bf, finger feeding her bm w/ a syringe AND pumping every 3 hours, I decided to EP. It was a PITA and I hated it, but I was able to give her BM, which was extrememly important to me.

Then I went back to work and my supply drastically tanked. I ended up hospitalized for a week with severe PPD/Anxiety, so of course with all of the drugs I was on, I had to stop.

That said, I will try again with #2. If I am having the same issues, I will NOT beat myself up over it like I did last time. I had severe guilt, etc. My goal will be to give bm for 3 months, or when I have to go back to work. This may be BFing or EPing, whatever works. I've realized formula is not poison, and we will all be ok in the end. Happy mama = Happy baby.

char-char · August 2009

pjoann78:
I was pretty unsuccessful with #1... latch issues and low supply. We supplemented from the get go (when at her 3-day apt, she had lost 12% of her body weight). I gave up "BF-ing" and pumped from about 8 weeks to 6 months and then weaned off the pump.

I will be trying again with #2 and hopefully I won't deliver this one on a Sunday morning where I can't talk to an LC at the hospital until Monday late morning, just before they kicked us out. I know I really should have gone back and made an effort to work on the latch issues, but I just didn't have the energy.

Yeah, see I had a similar thing happen in the fact that the lactation consultant at the hospital did visit me when I was finally ready to try on the 3rd? day after I had him and she said he was latching properly and everything, but once I got home he seemed to be latching the same, but it was always SO freaking painful. I never had clogged ducts, mastitis, engorgement, nothing like that, just nipples on fire, dry, peeling, feeling like they were literally being gnawed off every time I nursed. I didn't know what to do and yeah, didn't feel like I had the time, energy or even know of what resources to reach out to to get any help from a LC or otherwise. I just kept trying and trying until I finally said done and weaned him off of BF completely and over to only formula. Hudson loved to eat in general and wanted to be fed very often (like most babies, but I think he demanded more, ha!) and so it wasn't difficult to transition him as long as he had something to eat he was fine. I tried to pump too, but only had a manual pump and would literally only get an oz or two at a time at most and that was pumping in between feedings, so I am not sure what that was all about. I figured since I was always supplementing that my body just wasn't producing more and would if I tried to only exclusively BF, but I tried that too and it never seemed to work, I produced BM just not that much and I don't really know why. But again, even still, I plan on trying again with this one and if it doesn't work then it just doesn't work. I want to make the effort to try, but do not want to fight a never ending battle either if I have continuous problems this time around.

lizzyjames · August 2009

I will see if my milk comes in. If it doesn't like last time, then there is NO way I will put myself through the torture and heartache that I did for the first three months. DD is just fine on formula. Honestly some women can breast feed, others just can't. I was a can't. I tried everything and just was so torn up about it. I will gladly glide over that unnessecary blame and guilt next time.

sweetpea18 · August 2009

I ended up eping and still am. Dd was in the nicu for 10 days and lost so much weight that we had to fortify my breastmilk with 22 calorie formula. At her 2 month appt, she had gained enough weight that we could stop the fortifier. But instead of my supply adjusting (I had an over supply compared to what she was eating), I ended up with clogged duct after clogged duct. I would nurse her and then have to pump and it consumed my day. It was much easier to just nurse her in the morning and then pump the rest of the day. Now, that she's at daycare, she won't nurse at all. If she hadn't been a preemie, I would have stopped pumping along time ago. But I feel guilty that I coundn't stay pregnant with her. And I feel like I owe it to her to give her breastmilk for a year.

I will absolutely try again with the second one (if there is another baby). But I won't beat myself up if it doesn't work.

sars1202 · August 2009

I am now only nursing in the AM & PM - low supply issues due to PCOS and Mack is allergic to cow's milk so I am dairy free & his formula is awesomely expensive. I made it about 8 weeks.

I will definitely try to BF again with #2 (if there is a #2 - it's a miracle I was pregnant in the first place). I loved the bonding which is why I haven't given it up completely.

She should try to BF as long as possible to get the health benefits.

Want a personalized experience?

Bc I have a biased opinion, I need your opinions [please]

Re: Bc I have a biased opinion, I need your opinions [please]

Choose Another Board

Search Boards