How hard was/is breastfeeding for you?

CanukMam · September 2013

CanukMam · September 2013

Wondering how Everyones experience was/is with breastfeeding. I'm one of the lucky few (??) who has had a really easy time at it. Other then one clogged duct, I haven't had any trouble whatsoever (so far). I'm going back to work in a few weeks, so I'm sure my struggles will begin. I'm dreading the pump!

I'm curious what the %s look like for our group.

skidderdo · September 2013

The first two weeks was somewhat hellish until I realized I needed to use lanolin like, 412 times per day. Thereafter it was smooth sailing. Never had supply issues either. Knock on wood it's been a good thing for us so far

Jillibean68 · September 2013

It took a while to get the hang of things ( little man had a really recessed chin so his latch was horrible for the first few weeks), but after the first 6 weeks or so, we finally figured it all out and now it's easy peasy!

melissad23 · September 2013

I did/tried for a few weeks until we realized my supply was complete crap. Had to start supplementing on day 3. I would pump 3-4 times/day maybe an hour or so total and would be lucky to have 1 oz combined all day.

(No wonder she was so fussy those first few weeks- the poor kid was STARVING. I'm fussy when I'm starving too

)

ETA - I voted SS since yeah, I did try-tried my damnedest- but it wasn't even remotely feasible to keep it up.

CanukMam · September 2013

skidderdo said:

The first two weeks was somewhat hellish until I realized I needed to use lanolin like, 412 times per day. Thereafter it was smooth sailing. Never had supply issues either. Knock on wood it's been a good thing for us so far

I must have nipples of steel or something, I've never had to use lanolin. Bought it but never opened it.

arschm02 · September 2013

I could pump 10oz at a time by 5 weeks. But I got Mastitis 3 times in 6 weeks (4 different spots). Doc said I was one of the few people who seem to get "chronic mastitis". Dumb! After the third time I decided I was a better mom healthy and giving him formula than a sick mom giving him breast milk. I had a freezer stash for another month though. My carnitine deficiency also made me feel like formula was a better choice for DS too. Jealous of those who had it "easy!"

Mandmeesh · September 2013

Since the moment he was born he nursed like a champ. We've been very lucky and determined to nurse and have had no issues. Very happy mama!

Debbie0580 · September 2013

This time was really easy but with DS we had a very difficult time in the beginning, having to pump, SNS feed, finger feed, etc.

NicoleSB80 · September 2013

The first 6 weeks were horrible. 3 weeks of supply issues, pain, etc. then growth spurts and other little issues a few more weeks after. After 6 weeks though it became totally easy.

kelsea1031 · September 2013

It has been a breeze from the very get go. There was pain for the first little while as we were getting the hang of it, but so far, so good.

FTR, my experience with DD2 has been the complete and utter opposite of my experience with DD1. BFing/EPing was a horrible, miserable, depressing mess with her.

hatroopes · September 2013

The first 2 weeks were tough but I think it mostly had to do with unrealistic expectations because everyone, including the LCs said if you were doing it right, it shouldn't hurt. Not really true! It takes a while for the boobs to get used to all that suckling. After the first couple of weeks though, it was easy peasy and no supply issues either thankfully.

jaime52005 · September 2013

I put tried but didn't work..Ella did great in hospital buy at home couldn't get her to latch she cried and screamed shook her head we saw LC..she said we could make it work but ur would take time..tried pumping..was lucky to pump 1oz a day combined..it became stressful and overwhelming and it was doing more harm than good on both our parts..I still feel guilty for it not working out

OhSewCrafty · September 2013

With Charlie it was NICU time, pumping round the clock, suck therapy, nipple shields, weighed feedings, supplementation, and lots and lots of tears. We made it 8 months though! With Ginny it was popping her on the boob 5 minutes after she was born and the rest was history.

Its amazing how different babies are.

JSS1002 · September 2013

Breastfeeding itself was easy as pie -- plentiful supply, strong latch,etc.

But I sustained a wrist injury during delivery (they put my IV in a bad place) that I'm still struggling with, and as LO got bigger and bigger,it became to painful to hold him in the right positions. :-(

arschm02 · September 2013

All of you STM that had it hard the first go and #2 was easy are giving me hope for next time around.

ChicagoBroad26 · September 2013

With Ava it was much like OSC's Charlie- nipple shields, poor weight gain, supplementation and pumping. This time it's been so much better and we are still EBF.

katie6/26/04 · September 2013

It was very difficult with my older child. He had a terrible time and i cried for most of the first 6 weeks. It eventually got much better and he weaned at 15 months. It has been amazing this time and it clicked for both of us right from the start.

sapphire021 · September 2013

She was always a great nurser, never had any latch issues. Never had any pain or mastitis. But after 2 months ebf, we have had constant supply issues. Power pumping, fenugreek, oatmeal, SNS, you name it, we tried it. Still struggling with supply issues.

elbou · September 2013

I voted "easy as pie" because that's my experience with DS (and DD2), but like others, I had difficulty getting started with DD1. She was a lazy sucker, and didn't like to open her mouth wide enough...not to mention that I had supply issues at first. Once we got all that sorted out, she did great! Knowing what I was doing made a world of difference with DD2 and DS! I think that's why so many of our STM's have had so much better luck with their second babies.

bibliophileemily · September 2013

SS -- we got off to a rough start since my breast was larger than her face and my nipples would invert whenever she tried to nurse, but a nipple shield and a month of practice fixed that and now it's really, really easy.

24ladybug · September 2013

It started just fine (except the first night home) but now that I'm back to work I can't keep up. I only work part time too. It is just getting harder instead of better.

chalima · September 2013

The first six weeks were rough!! Oversupply is one of those problems that doesn't seem like it would be a problem until you have it. My boobs were sore all the time. They would get so full that munchkin couldn't latch. I was convinced that I was going to drown him in milk. He would cough and unlatch every time my milk let down. I was leaking so much milk that being out in public was an ordeal for the first few months.

He eventually started dealing with the heavy milk flow... by chomping down on my nipple to stop the flow, so we went back to pulling the nipple out for a minute at let down.

But by 3 months, that was already starting to seem like a distant memory. Now he gets pissed when my husband accidentally gives him the slow flow nipple.

nearly_klo · September 2013

It hasn't been easy as pie, but it's not a struggle either. I don't think I'm doing as well as I did first time, but I'm probably not looking after myself the same way.

tondraluv · September 2013

I was having supply issues the first three weeks and Had to supplement. When I started eating lots of oatmeal, taking fenugreek, & drinking Mothers Milk tea it got so much easier

ClandestineX · September 2013

Connor nursed perfectly from the start. The nurse even asked if I had been to a BF class (Never did), my nipples did hurt, but I expected that. His weight was amazing for the first three weeks. He gained 10oz first week, was 2lbs past birth weight at 3 weeks. I realized early on I had an oversupply issue and very forceful letdowns (like 2 or 3 letdowns before it stopped) then after the forceful letdowns flow almost came to a halt. I cried each time I fed him because each time I did, there was a time where he turned blue from choking. I tried everything (holding him certain ways, even upwards, letdown into a towel, no pressure on my breasts which was really hard considering I have giant boobs that needed to be held). Whatever my breastmilk was made of made his reflux a lot worse as well. I tried the stop and wait for dairy, tried to eat bland foods, etc.

Then at 1.5 months he was back under birth weight. Pedi told me to supplement and gave me like 7 cases of the ready-to-go Similac. I started supplementing right away and he gained those 2lbs back in two weeks. His reflux was still pretty bad, but I noticed it was worse when I just breastfed him and not when he had the formula. Well, the Pedi told me to give him cereal and that helped his reflux when he had the bottle. Not when I just breastfed him... so I started doing the breastfeeding first, bottle with cereal after and it helped a ton.

The duration of this breastfeeding thing I was battling mild case of depression. I loved spending time with my son and nursing him.. but I hated when my husband touched me, I hated when he talked lovingly to me, I just hated being around people. I could talk to you all on here perfectly fine because you all aren't around me lol. Just the physical presence of people made me irritated. Whelp because of that arguments happened. I went to my moms for a while, could only stay in the living room, and I was on antibiotics because of a pregnancy related issue, and my son was basically getting all his nutrition from a bottle. It was like 80/20 formula. So I decided to stop.

I feel good for the duration I did despite how I felt. I loved breastfeeding in the beginning before all the issues. I loved it the very small amount of times when he didn't choke.

tondraluv · September 2013

ClandestineX said:

Connor nursed perfectly from the start. The nurse even asked if I had been to a BF class (Never did), my nipples did hurt, but I expected that. His weight was amazing for the first three weeks. He gained 10oz first week, was 2lbs past birth weight at 3 weeks. I realized early on I had an oversupply issue and very forceful letdowns (like 2 or 3 letdowns before it stopped) then after the forceful letdowns flow almost came to a halt. I cried each time I fed him because each time I did, there was a time where he turned blue from choking. I tried everything (holding him certain ways, even upwards, letdown into a towel, no pressure on my breasts which was really hard considering I have giant boobs that needed to be held). Whatever my breastmilk was made of made his reflux a lot worse as well. I tried the stop and wait for dairy, tried to eat bland foods, etc.

Then at 1.5 months he was back under birth weight. Pedi told me to supplement and gave me like 7 cases of the ready-to-go Similac. I started supplementing right away and he gained those 2lbs back in two weeks. His reflux was still pretty bad, but I noticed it was worse when I just breastfed him and not when he had the formula. Well, the Pedi told me to give him cereal and that helped his reflux when he had the bottle. Not when I just breastfed him... so I started doing the breastfeeding first, bottle with cereal after and it helped a ton.

The duration of this breastfeeding thing I was battling mild case of depression. I loved spending time with my son and nursing him.. but I hated when my husband touched me, I hated when he talked lovingly to me, I just hated being around people. I could talk to you all on here perfectly fine because you all aren't around me lol. Just the physical presence of people made me irritated. Whelp because of that arguments happened. I went to my moms for a while, could only stay in the living room, and I was on antibiotics because of a pregnancy related issue, and my son was basically getting all his nutrition from a bottle. It was like 80/20 formula. So I decided to stop.

I feel good for the duration I did despite how I felt. I loved breastfeeding in the beginning before all the issues. I loved it the very small amount of times when he didn't choke.
Wow, you've has an amazing journey. Thank you for sharing!

squatchiebaby · September 2013

I chose SS. Other than a clogged duct that caused a golf ball sized lump in my armpit the first week, nursing itself has been really easy. Pumping, on the other hand, has been a complete nightmare. My supply is fine but I have a hard time getting enough when pumping. I've been eating lactation cookies, drinking mother's milk tea, taking fenugreek and brewer's yeast, and drinking my weight in water. I pump after each feeding and go to Ava's daycare at lunch to get an extra nursing session in. After all that I still usually have to get up twice at night to pump just to have enough to send her for the day. It's stressful and completely exhausting. Needless to say, I'll be happy to not have to pump anymore.

On a completely selfish note, I really, really miss dairy (Ava is dairy sensitive) and allergy medicine.

Lhyacinth888 · September 2013

DD was my 2nd baby so BF'ing was easy this time around. With DS, my first it was a little more stressful mostly because of the pressure I put on myself. My son was always like 25th percentile for height and weight so I was always worried if he was eating enough. Second time I felt like an old pro. ;-)

AMJ6511 · September 2013

We have a pretty nice BFing experience. I was sore the first few days, but that went away quickly. Now, my only issues are more dealing with NIP issues.

love4b · September 2013

@bintmejnuna - have you tried nursing while laying down? My daughter is really big for her age and it's basically the only way we nurse at home. Put a towel down on the bed, lay on your side and have baby laying on their side facing you. It helps to have their knees touching your stomach, so they're kinda looking up at you, rather than just laying parallel to you. It's really relaxing and once you get the hang of it, takes no effort whatsoever

MrsHartman7 · September 2013

SS -BFing itself has been pretty easy, just a bout with thrush and a couple of of blocked ducts. But being back to work and pumping is slowly wearing me down to the ground! I cherish the morning and evening nursing, and weekends I exclusively nurse and its great, but 5 days a week the relationship is with the pump...and I cant wait to dropkick the B out a window!

Peony230 · September 2013

It was rough in the beginning because DS was having latch issues (just wouldnt open his mouth wide enough) and he wouldn't latch without a nipple shield. Despite my best efforts, we had to use the shield for 2.5 months because he just wouldn't latch otherwise. Finally though, I was able to wean him from the shield and we have no issues now!

MrsP7309 · September 2013

The first few weeks sucked... getting used to it is painful! Now it's really easy.

asc34 · September 2013

It's not the breastfeeding that's hard, it's the pumping. We have always done just fine breastfeeding minus a few clogged ducts and some impatience at the breast. The issue is that I'm pumping all day at work and I can't even come close to her daily amount. I've been supplementing with my freezer stash but that will run out eventually.

CanukMam · September 2013

minxyglams said:
@bintmejnuna - hyave you tried nursing while laying down? My daughter is really big for her age and it's basically the only way we nurse at home. Put a towel down on the bed, lay on your side and have baby laying on their side facing you. It helps to have their knees touching your stomach, so they're kinda looking up at you, rather than just laying parallel to you. It's really relaxing and once you get the hang of it, takes no effort whatsoever

Ditto this, I put a towel on the bed and almost exclusively nurse side-lying...and usually we both fall asleep and get a good nap

Mandmeesh · September 2013

@canukmam, a lot of our little motherly quirks are so similar! I sleep with a receiving blanket under my head and shoulders so if M spits or drools a little it won't get on our sheets! And I've stretched a couple of M's naps to 2.5 hours by scooping him up from the rnp and laying in bed with him and nursing him back to sleep

smiles21866 · September 2013

Breastfeeding was not a good experience for me. There was nothing more that I wanted then to breastfeed. However, after several visits with the LC we learned that DS was getting .5oz at each feeding and therefore, was feeding constantly. After 3 weeks he was losing a lot of weight. I had gastric bypass surgery 8 years ago and come to find out, that was effecting my supply. My body was barely producing enough calories for myself let alone for me to keep up my milk supply --I'm physically only able to consume 6-700 calories a day. My milk just dried up shortly after a few weeks after LO was born and we have been on formula ever since.

CanukMam · September 2013

Mandmeesh said:
@canukmam, a lot of our little motherly quirks are so similar! I sleep with a receiving blanket under my head and shoulders so if M spits or drools a little it won't get on our sheets! And I've stretched a couple of M's naps to 2.5 hours by scooping him up from the rnp and laying in bed with him and nursing him back to sleep

Too funny, I've also learned a little trick. When LO wakes up, first thing he does is look at me. If I pretend to still be sleeping, sometimes he goes back to sleep for another hour

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