I'm definitely nervous too. I'm a little sad because I think I'll only be able to breastfeed for a month or so because I will not be able to pump at my job & have to return to work pretty soon after. Thanks everyone for posting.... really helpful information - easing my anxiety about it for sure!!!
@nik6499 they will allow me but it doesn't fit into the kind of work i do. i'll, of course, give it a try and hope i can arrange things so that it'll work out. i have appointments every hour on the hour & there are unpredictable events that come up with clients where i have to be available to manage a crisis. i'm hoping to work something out for the first several weeks that i'm back (i.e. spacing out appointments or having shorter time frames for appointments - it's just tough because i only get paid for time spent with a client so it'll be impact my pay to have any time at work that i'm not with clients... i don't take lunch breaks unless there's a cancellation. it's not ideal but hopefully i can figure something out)
I don't want to scare you at all, or add to your anxiety. But I let everyone know that will listen.... If you should get mastitis, you CAN and SHOULD breastfeed through it. I did not, and completely lost supply in one of my breasts. So for 10 months, one was an A cup and one was a C cup. I was lopsided :-)
But like everyone else said, you should try it out. It doesn't work out for everyone. Just give it a little time.
@nik6499 they will allow me but it doesn't fit into the kind of work i do. i'll, of course, give it a try and hope i can arrange things so that it'll work out. i have appointments every hour on the hour & there are unpredictable events that come up with clients where i have to be available to manage a crisis. i'm hoping to work something out for the first several weeks that i'm back (i.e. spacing out appointments or having shorter time frames for appointments - it's just tough because i only get paid for time spent with a client so it'll be impact my pay to have any time at work that i'm not with clients... i don't take lunch breaks unless there's a cancellation. it's not ideal but hopefully i can figure something out)
That's rough, I really hope they work with you! My classmate pumps on our short breaks just straps her pump on and goes too bad they don't have a silent obscure pump you could wear
First few weeks can be really hard, like others have said set short term goals. After dealing with engorgement, bloody nipples and my daughters poor latch for weeks everything slowly came together. My daughters lip tie was diagnosed when she was 5 months old and at that point because nursing was going okay we didn't correct it. Despite the bumps in the road I'm still nursing (19 months now) and I'm so grateful. I love BFing and I think every struggle was beyond worth it. I'm lucky and have never had mastitis, supply issues or been bitten (knock on wood!) so things aren't always bad I swear!
@nik6499 they will allow me but it doesn't fit into the kind of work i do. i'll, of course, give it a try and hope i can arrange things so that it'll work out. i have appointments every hour on the hour & there are unpredictable events that come up with clients where i have to be available to manage a crisis. i'm hoping to work something out for the first several weeks that i'm back (i.e. spacing out appointments or having shorter time frames for appointments - it's just tough because i only get paid for time spent with a client so it'll be impact my pay to have any time at work that i'm not with clients... i don't take lunch breaks unless there's a cancellation. it's not ideal but hopefully i can figure something out)
I hope it works out for you! I know that everybody's going to jump down my throat for being "mean" but I was just thinking, what would your clients think if you just strapped on one of those bra pump holders and did your thing while you were in with your clients?
I know exactly how difficult this type of environment can be, when I was working as a trader (The only woman in "The boys club," to begin with, aside from the secretaries,) there is no way I would've been able to do this. I hope that you find a way to make it work for you!
In addition to the lactation consultant from the hospital, La Leche League and Kelly Mom were two websites that literally saved my breastfeeding life... and sanity! I recommend checking them out now so you can help prepare yourself before you are faced with a hungry infant who just seems to want to SCREAM at the boob instead of suck it (at least that's what mine did). Once we got the hang of it, it was beautiful!!!!
I am a bit worried about the pain, but know that if I can make it through the first few days or week or whatever that it gets much better and easier and is a wonderful experience. I might be wrong on the time frame of how long till the pain goes away but I am extremely excited to start breastfeeding. I know it'll start out a bit rough but be soooo worth it in the end....kinda like birthing a baby lol, something very painful to come, but worth it in the end for much longer than it hurts
I'm on the fence about breastfeeding...My Mother didn't breastfeed me or any of my siblings and we turned out fine. On the other hand, I know it's good bonding for me and the baby and also good for me as well (burning calories and shrinking uterus). I'm just scared I won't be good at it and will have to quit....I'm definitely considering trying it, I still have plenty of time to decide (I'm a little over 12 weeks). I just don't want my husband to feel left out, he really wants to be involved. I know he can help w/other things but I don't know, I'm just having doubts. And knowing my Mom didn't do it, kind of steers me to the "no" decision because I really look up to my Mom. If she would of breastfed me, I would totally be on board, no questions asked. I look to my Mom for answers for everything still. Is this making any sense?!
@kristiehoward It never hurts to give it a try, and if it's not for you then you don't have to keep doing it. You could always pump so DH could be involved in feeding.
I'm going to breast feed because I feel it's best for the baby, saves lots of money and (for selfish reasons) it's so convenient!!! When I wake up in the middle of the night I'm looking forward to not having to mix formula and warm up/clean bottles, haha!
I suffered from some bad depression while I was pregnant with my son and it increased right after I had him. I tried breastfeeding for about 2 weeks. My son was not getting enough and was losing weight...doctor was not happy about it and wanted me to supplement formula to help him. My depression was getting real bad at this point and the frustrations with breastfeeding (up ALL NIGHT LONG SCREAMING b/c he was hungry, complete lack of sleep, sore/cracked nipples)...I had enough and switched to formula. I was SOOO upset with myself so my depression got even worse for a little BUT my son was getting better and he was MUCH more happier so in the long run I was happy with my decision. I personally do not think breast feeding is for everyone. I'm going to try again with this one but if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I'm not going to beat myself up over it.
I bf my little boy for 7months. The first four weeks were hard, it was quite painful but no bleeding or cracked nipples. I used lansinoh lanolin like it was going out of fashion and that seemed to help. After 4 weeks of both me and my baby learning it was HEAVEN and the pain went away completely. It was the most wonderful experience and since I stopped my breasts have been aching to don't again. They literally ache when I think about breastfeeding my next baby! I can't wait although fully expect the initial learning curve! Xx
I exclusively breastfed my son. He's 2.5 years right now and I'm still nursing him. I never had any problems, no pain, no bleeding, etc. There are many women like me who go with the flow and have no issues. Don't worry about it. Some women have a harder time, but they get through it. The benefits for baby and mom are worth it.
It took over a month that that to get the hang of breastfeeding for my daughter and i. I was so frustrated but it all worked out in the end! I was so happy I stuck with it. Great bonding experience . I nursed for 15 months.
I hear ya-- I'm nervous to breastfeed, but more because I have NO idea if I'm even capable of it.
I had a breast reduction in 2000, and they told me at the time it would reduce my chances of being able to breastfeed. I was 20 years old and at the time did not give anything close to a shit about that!
Now here I am at 35 terrified they won't work! Ah well. I wouldn't change what I did, it really changed my life tremendously in the best possible ways (no way I could've taken up running let alone run a full marathon with the huge rack I had!!).
But now it's a wait and see game. There will be no indication probably until the baby is born as to whether it will work or not, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, but not springing for the $$$ breast pump just yet!
Many of the reasons that people stop breastfeeding (including some mentioned in here) could be fixed with support from an excellent lactation consultant. We ended up in the hospital due a tongue and lip tie causing dehydration. LO was nursing like crazy, but did not have efficient milk transfer and had what I call "the event." Looked like a seizure, but every doctor told me nope, was not one. Couldn't find anything wrong with her except for the slight dehydration. They clipped the tie, and four weeks later an ENT clipped it further along with a lip tie.
It changed everything.
Our breastfeeding relationship went from a nightmare to just plain old normal. She figured out how to latch, I got off the nipple shield, and everything was fine from there until now (still nursing at 29 months). She bit me for a whole day at nine months, so I pumped the whole day. Next day everything was fine. She never bit again. If I had weaned that day, I would have never known.
I share this mostly because I think there are so many undiagnosed tongue ties (and lip ties) that make breastfeeding unbearable. With the inefficient milk transfer, mother starts losing her supply and it's just downhill from there. Tongue ties often go unnoticed by the best of pediatricians, but there are support groups out there (and on Facebook) with tons of pictures and case studies. A good ENT can usually diagnose it. And it's a super easy inpatient procedure to fix.
There is a pump I'm looking at getting called Freemie and it's the closest thing to silent and the most inconspicuous pump I've ever seen. It fits in your bra and has a soothing sound apparently. YouTube it too!
I'm on the fence about breastfeeding...My Mother didn't breastfeed me or any of my siblings and we turned out fine. On the other hand, I know it's good bonding for me and the baby and also good for me as well (burning calories and shrinking uterus). I'm just scared I won't be good at it and will have to quit....I'm definitely considering trying it, I still have plenty of time to decide (I'm a little over 12 weeks). I just don't want my husband to feel left out, he really wants to be involved. I know he can help w/other things but I don't know, I'm just having doubts. And knowing my Mom didn't do it, kind of steers me to the "no" decision because I really look up to my Mom. If she would of breastfed me, I would totally be on board, no questions asked. I look to my Mom for answers for everything still. Is this making any sense?!
I was formula fed and I've been healthy all my life. I chose to BF my son and we had a rocky start, mainly due to a bad latch. I wanted DH to give a bottle each day, but this didn't help DS learn to latch so we had to cut the bottle out until we got to grips with BFing. My mother supported my decision to BF, but the whole thing was alien to her. I was struggling to establish breastfeeding and she had no idea what to do or say to help me. I also got the feeling that my decision to BF made her feel bad that she didn't, like I might be judging her or something. I had to reassure her that my decision to BF was not a reaction to being FF myself, it was just an informed choice I made for my baby. There are so many other people/places mentioned in this thread to provide any practical assistance you may need along the way. It sounds like your mother will be there to support you too, even if she doesn't have any advice.
One of the number one reasons women quit breastfeeding is that they don't feel they produce enough milk, and in some rare instances women don't. But most women's milk supply will come in on day 3-5 (don't worry they get plenty up until this point too) and your milk changes over time along with the baby. If you are having issues reach out to lactation consultants and bf groups there is a lot of support out there. Ask for help, and if for some reason BFing isn't for you that is ok. It's not a failure on your part, it doesn't make you a bad mother. It just means the plan changes a little bit.
I hear ya-- I'm nervous to breastfeed, but more because I have NO idea if I'm even capable of it.
I had a breast reduction in 2000, and they told me at the time it would reduce my chances of being able to breastfeed. I was 20 years old and at the time did not give anything close to a shit about that!
Now here I am at 35 terrified they won't work! Ah well. I wouldn't change what I did, it really changed my life tremendously in the best possible ways (no way I could've taken up running let alone run a full marathon with the huge rack I had!!).
But now it's a wait and see game. There will be no indication probably until the baby is born as to whether it will work or not, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, but not springing for the $$$ breast pump just yet!
I also had a BR in 2003. The website bfar.org is a good resource. I was able to nurse a little bit and supplemented with formula. A friend of mine on my previous BMB had a BR and she was able to EBF her son (I don't remember how long but it was a long time?) and she is still nursing him off/on. He is 20/21 months old. I bought the book that is from that website and it was tremendously helpful on what to expect and how your boobs work after a reduction. Your milk ducts and nerves can regenerate. It's pretty awesome! This is the link to the book, which they say that Barnes & Noble has, but Amazon only has it from resellers: https://www.bfar.org/book.shtml
I had a wonderful time nursing. The only problem I had was when I went back to work and couldn't pump enough. I eventually had mastitis but kept nursing and it went away. But it's such a great way to bond with baby.
Wow! Thanks @redfallon!! I will definitely look up the website and book. Giving me hope for sure
One of my closest friends had a BR and EBF all 3 of her LOs. She even had inverted nipples right after surgery (about 5 years before first LO.) it can be done!
Something that you maybe able to do is get a nipple sheild, they saved me when I had my first son. You can buy them anywhere target, Walmart, Walgreens, ect.
There is a pump I'm looking at getting called Freemie and it's the closest thing to silent and the most inconspicuous pump I've ever seen. It fits in your bra and has a soothing sound apparently. YouTube it too!
@leannecruz did you end up getting this pump? If so, how is it? I'm looking at buying the cups but would love to insight from someone who is using them.
Re: scared of nursing
But like everyone else said, you should try it out. It doesn't work out for everyone. Just give it a little time.
I know exactly how difficult this type of environment can be, when I was working as a trader (The only woman in "The boys club," to begin with, aside from the secretaries,) there is no way I would've been able to do this. I hope that you find a way to make it work for you!
I'm going to breast feed because I feel it's best for the baby, saves lots of money and (for selfish reasons) it's so convenient!!! When I wake up in the middle of the night I'm looking forward to not having to mix formula and warm up/clean bottles, haha!
Me:34 DH:41 1 son: 6 2 step sons: 18, 12
BFP: 4/24/08 - Missed Miscarriage found 5/29/08
BFP: 11/21/08 - DS born 7/13/09
BFP:5/8/14 - Chemical pregnancy
BFP: 4/11/15....stick baby stick!!!
I had a breast reduction in 2000, and they told me at the time it would reduce my chances of being able to breastfeed.
I was 20 years old and at the time did not give anything close to a shit about that!
Now here I am at 35 terrified they won't work! Ah well. I wouldn't change what I did, it really changed my life tremendously in the best possible ways (no way I could've taken up running let alone run a full marathon with the huge rack I had!!).
But now it's a wait and see game. There will be no indication probably until the baby is born as to whether it will work or not, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed, but not springing for the $$$ breast pump just yet!
2nd Pregnancy: BFP 10/8/15; EDD 6/21/16
https://www.freemie.com/index.html
My mother supported my decision to BF, but the whole thing was alien to her. I was struggling to establish breastfeeding and she had no idea what to do or say to help me. I also got the feeling that my decision to BF made her feel bad that she didn't, like I might be judging her or something. I had to reassure her that my decision to BF was not a reaction to being FF myself, it was just an informed choice I made for my baby.
There are so many other people/places mentioned in this thread to provide any practical assistance you may need along the way. It sounds like your mother will be there to support you too, even if she doesn't have any advice.
Jamie
2nd Pregnancy: BFP 10/8/15; EDD 6/21/16