Successful Breastfeeding after failed attempt.

Elev429 · April 2016

Just wondering if any ladies were unsuccessful breast feeding their 1st lo but then were able to for their next? I had a csection plus ds was a lazy sucker so I never really produced much. Any advice?

MrsBigTime · April 2016

See a lactation consultant as many times as you need. Weekly or twice a week in the beginning. Keep your baby at breast as much as possible and try not to offer bottles unless medically necessary. Most babies will learn to nurse if given no other option and plenty of opportunity to learn. A good LC (find one that works for you!) should be able to support you through any challenges you will face.

Read about what is "normal" for new babies nursing - kellymom is a great resource!

Dawson56 · April 2016

Hey so with DD1 nursing was more difficult. She wouldn't latch and my milk didn't come for like a week. Eventually I nursed for about 5 months and had to supplement from time to time. With DD2 she latched immediately after she was born and my supply was super high. Nursed her for 12 months exclusively without issue. Second time around was much easier and no stress. It will happen

I also had a c-section with both..

kibylou · April 2016

Yes, my first never latched and I ended up pumping and having a crummy supply. I made sure to see a lactation consultant with my 2nd and I nursed her a full year!

TrulyBlessed22 · April 2016

@Elev429 Thanks for asking this as its been on my mind as well. I'm glad to see that for some the second time around was a lot more positive.

DD wasn't a very good latcher at all and I had several LC try to help me with different holds, nipple guards etx but nothing seemed to do the trick. Due to her poor latch she started loosing weight very rapidly and because of her inherent jaunidice it was critical that we got milk in her so she could recover as the light could only do but so much. So our Daughter had lost 20% of her birth weight in a matter of days and the need to supplement with formula was critical. We ended back in the hospital due to her jaundice not clearing just 1 day after being released. In the hospital, I cried and cried when I saw her drink the formula from the bottle because I then realized how hungry she was and what I wasn't providing her with. Thankfully my milk came in the night that we were back in the pediatric unit and so I was basically forced to pump because she wouldn't latch but we needed her to eat. So I attempted breastfeeding, then would pump, then would feed her my pumped milk. I was exhausted but determined to give her breast milk so I did it. We were released a couple of nights later and I had to keep the routine up and had to supplement with formula as needed...which unfortunately was more than I wanted because I wasn't producing much given that he pump was basically my intro to "breastfeeding". Anyway, The following week, at her pediatric check up, we found out she had an extended frenulum and so that's what was impeding her from latching well. We got it snipped and her latch was better but by that time she preferred the bottle. So I kept trying to BF and then I'd pump etc etc. I was miserable and frankly the entire BF experience made me depressed instead of being the wonderful bonding experience it's supposed to be. I eventually gave up trying to BF and went to exclusively pumping but then I got an infection...on top of really hurt nipples and I decided that what was best for all of us was for me to stop and just go to formula. This was after almost 3 months of trying to exclusively pump. I don't regret my decision and I was in a much better mood and therefore taking care of our Daughter much better as well. I found an Organic Formula and when it came time to feed her real food I started making all my baby food to try to compensate for not BF lol. She didn't have a single jar of baby food. That made me few better too...hey whatever t takes right.

Anyway, I know that story doesn't have to repeat itself and so I will be trying to BF again this time around. I will also have them check the baby's frenulum at the hospital just in case. I will give it my all, just like I did with my 1st, but I have promised myself that I will not allow it to consume me like I did the first time. I beat myself up over it at first and that wasn't healthy. BF should be a wonderful and bonding experience and if that's not what it is then it's time to re-evaluate. I hope I will be able to do it this time around, I really do but again won't let myself get depressed over it if it doesn't happen.

Sorry for the long story but like I said it's been on my mind lately as well. I hope that you will also be successful the second time around but don't forget to be kind to yourself if it doesn't happen.

thatlauragirl · April 2016

So glad you asked this! My first was premature and we struggled and it didn't happen. I'm really hoping against hope to be successful this time.

Elev429 · April 2016

@TrulyBlessed22 my son luckily didnt have the jaundice to compete with, but he also lost a lot of weight. The lc kept trying to help but in the end I felt terrible because he lost soo much before they told me to start supplementing.

Hoping for the best for all of us this time around! Can be insanely frustrating when you cant do "what our bodies are meant to."

TrulyBlessed22 · April 2016

Yes, it can be very frustrating. Good Luck to Us all

cg0112358 · April 2016

Lurker here

My first wouldn't latch so I pumped for 6 months then quit. My 2nd was a completely different experience and was EBF for 1 year. I'm now on #3 and still breastfeeding at 8 months. Good luck!

thatlauragirl · April 2016

cg0112358 said:

Lurker here

My first wouldn't latch so I pumped for 6 months then quit. My 2nd was a completely different experience and was EBF for 1 year. I'm now on #3 and still breastfeeding at 8 months. Good luck!

Thank you for sharing this, it gives me hope!

banfrog · April 2016

With my first breastfeeding was a struggle, took 6 months to realize he was allergic to even my milk. My other 3 breastfed just fine. I definitely saw lactation a lot with my second since my confidence in breastfeeding was shaken from my experience with my first. It was good. I got support and encouragement that not being able to breastfeed successful one time doesn't mean you'll never be able to breastfeed another.

Oakleypoozles · April 2016

My first son was born via c-section because of toxemia. He came early and he had what the doctors like to call "wimpy white boy syndrome" and the result was him being in the NICU and me not being able to immediately breastfeed him.

When I did begin to try and breastfeed him I was very unfortunate that I was not at Children's hospital and nurse who was so confident of how to help literally forced him to my breast until he couldn't breath and was almost convulsing trying to pull away. He had an aversion to the breast from that time on. After more than a week at Children's with some REALLY excellent lactation consultants despite all of our best efforts he absolutely refused and wanted NOTHING to do with the breast.

That story in mind, I feel that having a lactation consultant immediately no matter when the baby is born early or not is important. I feel as though earlier positive intervention could have brought me a different outcome.

I was able to pump and provide breastmilk for 8 months but I felt like we really missed out on the experience and it made it so much more difficult.

I can't speak enough though for the wonderful lactation consultants that I met and how patient and knowledgeable they were. I even contacted La Leche League after we left NICU and made it home but still ultimately wasn't successful.

@TrulyBlessed22

I saw you mentioning at the hospital you were so sad when she was given formula? Did they not have breastmilk available? There is an excellent group called Eats on Feets that really helped us. And when I was at the hospital before I could produce breastmilk they had offered me pasturized breastmilk as an option and I took it. I sincerely hope you don't have such difficulties this time but if you do maybe keep this in mind to ask for breastmilk and contact Eats on Feets immediately? I mention because I knew this helped me feel less devastated so hoping the same for you

TinyAlligator · April 2016

I ended up exclusively pumping after my preemie wouldn't latch/suck and was tube fed for a few weeks. I'm hoping this go we won't have to deal with the preemie issues and that's half the battle. Lord knows I pumped enough milk (which in the end the oversupply I got during her NICU stay ultimately sealed the fate on her ability to latch well)

AlexLindzz · April 2016

Right there with you! I exclusively pumped for my daughter for 4 months after latching issues and hours of frustration.

I have a friend who had a similar issue and is still bfing her 2yo. So I have much hope for us

msu_gal · April 2016

Thank you all for sharing your stories. For us 1st timers, this is a really valuable to understand different people's experiences and what could potentially happen.

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